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Your temples pound and throb. Lights dance before your eyes. You can’t leave work — but you need relief.
If you have a steel bar burning in your brain, knowing a bit about reflexology and acupressure can help. Here are eight headache relief pressure points that can ease your pain enough to get you through the day.
The fleshy area between your thumb and index finger is known as “union valley.” It’s also known as LI4 — Large Intestine 4. Specifically, you’ll find it against the middle of the second metacarpal bone in your hand.
According to acupuncturists, this pressure point can help ease head pain and even help you regain your speech — helpful if you have hemiplegic migraine or another rare variant that causes aphasia. It also expels gastric pain, beneficial if you tend to get an upset stomach along with your headaches.
You might have the most luck getting this spot to “pop” by slightly bending your hand to get right up against the inside of your metacarpal. Gently massage the region until you feel relief. There are also some natural remedies you can try to relieve your headache.
This set of pressure points might help the most if your headaches result from neck strain from looking at the computer screen for too long. It’s also useful for various types of migraine pain.
To locate these pressure points, slide your fingers along the base of your skull in the back of your head until they reach the juncture with your neck. Press slightly up and inward on either side with your thumbs.This manipulation may also work by relieving pressure on your vertebrae.
Your third eye pressure point is relatively easy to find. Run your finger between your eyebrows where you should feel a slight indentation. Follow this groove midway up your forehead.
Some practitioners report relief from tapping in this area. To use this technique, take your first two or three fingers and gently, repeatedly strike the area. Others prefer firm, steady pressure. Still more get relief from tying a tight cloth around their head, crossing this area — you might look a little odd, but the relief could be worth it.
Those who suffer from tension headaches might get relief from their shoulder well pressure points. If you tend to manifest stress in the back of your neck and upper back, try this technique to ease your head pain.
Find the midway point on your shoulder between your scapula and neck. You should feel a natural “V” or indentation in this area. Press or massage firmly, perhaps lowering your chin to your chest and gently taking the opposite ear toward the shoulder.
If you get hit in the nose, you know it. That big burst of pain comes from the multiple nerves that crisscross this region. Fortunately, activating them could help relieve your head pain.
You can locate these pressure points on the indentation on either side of your nose, not far from the tear duct of each eye. Squeeze gently but firmly for headaches that occur in your temples.
Those who experience sinus pain and pressure need only slide their fingers a bit south. You’ll find two more pressure points on the outside of each nostril that can relieve pain from this cause.
Perhaps it’s not surprising that you have a pressure point in your foot similar to the union valley in your hand. This area is also located between the first two digits. To locate it, find the webbing between your first and second toes. Press and hold in the depression between the bones for one minute.
Some people also experience headache relief from manipulating their big toe alone. Another spot to try is the groove between your pinky and fourth toe in the webbing between the bones.
The ear gate is located where it sounds. It’s in front of your ear where your earlobe begins. Pressing in this area can help relieve pressure from your jaw and ears, making it useful for those who tend to grind their teeth, resulting in headaches.
Another ear pressure point for headache relief is your daith. This term refers to the small outcropping of cartilage that forms a sort of bridge inside your outer ear.
It might be challenging for you to get a grip, depending on how large your ears are. However, a trip to a salon could help. Many chronic migraine sufferers swear by daith piercings for relief.
You don’t always have painkillers handy when your skull starts to throb. How can you get rid of the pain in a hurry without nasty side effects? Try one of these headache relief pressure points and get back to everyday life.
