What Are Acupressure Points
Acupressure points are the points that reflect the body in traditional Chinese medical theory . The human body contains multiple pressure points. Various communities from different ethnicities believe that pressing these points can affect other parts or organs of the body, thus promoting overall health.
Sadly, there is no enough to support the use of acupressure points to help an individual heal. However, there is enough research about the use of acupuncture, which involves the use of needles.
The Chinese medical theory suggests that there is binding energy that passes through the natural ways known as channels, and when they are blocked, they cause an imbalance in Yin and Yang, thus inducing illness and chronic pain.
You can stimulate acupuncture points to relax muscles. When repeated several times in the form of massage, it can help sustain and improve the symptoms recurrence or balance Yin and Yang.
It is advised to be patient and consistent when you practice acupressure on yourself or someone. The best way to achieve stimulation on these points is to press firmly with a finger moving it up and down in a rotating movement.
How Can I Use Acupressure To Quickly Drop My Blood Pressure
GV is set at 20. The Hundred Convergences or Governing Vessel 20 is a pressure point on the crown of your skull. Imagine an ear-to-to-ear line to locate it in the centre of your brain. Its possible to reduce blood pressure, relieve dizziness, or simply feel more relaxed by massaging or pressing this area.
When Should I Use Acupressure On My Pet
Over the years, Animal Medical of New City has provided acupressure, acupuncture, and several other Eastern modalities of pain management and healing to dozens, if not hundreds, of pets. Our resident physical medicine doctor, veterinarian Lisa Schenkel, is certified in veterinary acupuncture and animal rehabilitation. She is also the director of the Physical Medicine Department at Animal Medical that focuses on a wholistic approach to pet health and considers all aspects of a pets wellbeing in the treatment plan, not just the results of traditional Western diagnostics. Still, we never implement a medical treatment plan without a full physical examination. If you want to massage or apply acupressure to your pet because you believe he or she is ill, you should first allow one of our doctors to examine your pet and then make a diagnosis. From there, we can provide you a treatment plan to heal your pet along with a plan for beneficial acupressure treatment that we can do at our treatment center or train you to do at home.
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Back Of The Neck This Point Is Called The Gallbladder 20 Or Gb 20 And Is Found On The Two Points At The Base Of Your Skull Place Your Hands On Both Sides Of Your Vertebrae And Apply Pressure With Your Thumbs At The Back Of Your Head For A Minute
Apart from these acupressure points for blood pressure, if you can even go on the Activ Living Blogs Section page to watch yoga tutorials to try at home. You can take a fitness check-up offered by Health Insurance for BP and keep a regular tab on your blood pressure with the Activ Living Blood Pressure calculator.
Are There Acupressure Points For High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy

During pregnancy, high blood pressure is rare, but its treatment is relatively essential. Globally it is estimated that only 2.6-3.5% of pregnant women suffer from Pregnancy-Induced Elevated Blood Pressure, also known as Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension or gestational hypertension.
Gestational hypertension can cause a severe and complicated issue, and it is accompanied by symptoms like oedema and proteins in the urine. This situation is carefully monitored since it can lead to maternal and death of the fetus.
It is obvious women like me suffering from chronic hypertension can also get pregnant. To ensure I deriver successfully, acupressure massage for high blood pressure during pregnancy and hypertension treatments can be of great help during pregnancy.
Signs and symptoms of gestational hypertension:
- Severe headaches
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Before You Start Using Ear Acupuncture
Ear acupuncture is a simple and safe method which, on its own or in combination with other forms of healthcare is effective in treating many different painful conditions and ailments. However, there are other illnesses for which ear acupuncture is an unsuitable form of treatment. A basic medical education makes it easier to judge which conditions should not be treated. Certain symptoms must be treated by a doctor.
I work on the assumption that the patient has been examined by a doctor who has ruled out serious illness or one that requires another form of treatment. To camouflage symptoms that need another form of treatment can be fatal. For example, the ear acupuncturist should not take away pain that might be an alarm for a condition requiring an operation. Use your common sense. Be serious, promise no more than the method can deliver and don’t pretend that you know more than you do. Refer a patient needing other treatment to someone who can provide them with that treatment.
You should, for a start, have taken a course in ear acupuncture. It’s a plus to have access to a supervisor. It can be an advantage to be able to put questions to someone well versed in ear acupuncture if you are at all unsure. Practise on volunteer adults in your immediate circle until you feel sure you have mastered the technique.
Terry Oleson PhD, in, 2014
How To Use Acupressure For Hypertension
Once you have managed to locate the acupoints properly, use gentle pressure to massage them for some time in order to achieve hypertension relief. To achieve successful acupressure self-treatment, follow these steps:
Repeat the procedure after a short break if necessary.
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Acupressure Points To Lower Blood Pressure
The Tai chong acupoint in the foot is point LV 3 on the liver meridian. Its name, Tai Chong, means Great Surge. Stimulating this point is an important part of treating hypertension and is believed to release excess or stagnant energy along the liver meridian.
LV 3 is situated on the back of your foot, in a depression near the junction of the 1st and 2nd metatarsal bones at the base of your big toe and second toe.
To find LV 3, place your index finger on the top of your foot, on the web of skin between your big toe and second toes. Slide your finger two centimetres up over the top of your foot, until you feel a depression between the two underlying bones.
Press lightly on this acupoint, and gradually increase the pressure as much as you can tolerate. Then release the pressure gradually and build it up again to stimulate the point.
Continue this press-release pattern for 3 minutes, while breathing slowly and deeply.
Do this twice a day, morning and evening, on two or three days a week. It can be done every day if you wish.
If your blood pressure is high, the Tai Chong acupressure point is sometimes easily identifiable as shown in the following clip:
Center Of The Forehead
In the center of the forehead, just above the bridge of the nose and between the eyes, is a point known as the third eye. TCM practitioners also refer to it as yintang or EX HN 3.
Activating this pressure point may help alleviate pain in the head, eyes, and ears.
There is anecdotal evidence that this point may also help with tinnitus.
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How Is High Blood Pressure Diagnosed
High blood pressure is diagnosed with a blood pressure monitor. This is a common test for all doctor visits. A nurse will place a band around your arm. The band is attached to a small pump and a meter. He or she will squeeze the pump. It will feel tight around your arm. Then he or she will stop and watch the meter. This provides the nurse with 2 numbers that make up your blood pressure. The top number is your systolic reading . The bottom number is your diastolic reading . You may also hear the doctor or nurse say a blood pressure is 120 over 80.
The best way to lower blood pressure begins with the changes you make to your lifestyle in order to help lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease. Additionally, your doctor may prescribe medicines to reduce your blood pressure.
The Science Behind Acupressure And How It Can Help With High Blood Pressure
Acupressure is one of the ancient approaches to treating various health issues dating back over 3000 years. Based on the principles of acupuncture, it works by applying pressure on acupoints located on the main energy channels known as meridians.
It is a non-invasive method which helps to remove energy blockages and imbalances, and the medical community has confirmed its effectiveness in many instances. In the case of high blood pressure, acupressure has been shown to be effective by a range of studies conducted throughout the years.
Acupressure is generally seen as a first aid approach to lowering high blood pressure with immediate effects which can last from 1 to 24 hours. When combined with acupuncture or its electroacupuncture variation, one study suggests that it can even have a long-term effect on lowering hypertension, affecting the sympathetic and renin-aldosterone systems.
Acupressure helps to lower high blood pressure by addressing it directly or indirectly, and there are several acupoints which can do the job. However, despite its effectiveness, acupressure should not replace professional medical care.
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Lifestyle To Lower Hypertension
Stress is part of life, often demanding and challenging. It excites us if we enjoy rising to the challenge.
Too much wears us down, exhausting us and we get stuck into a yang excess-over-yin condition.
Too little and we get bored, slow down, do nothing, get unfit, develop Blood stasis and argue with one another.
What to do? Here are just a few ideas, using yin and yang but youll soon see that they mirror ideas from Western medicine!
Ideally you should improve
- exercise preferably enjoyable, out of doors, making you physically tired but not exhausted
- your diet and nutrition
- who you spend time with
- what you do with your body
- what you do with your mind
- how you work and whether you work towards what you want in life
- where you work and live
- when you work and when you dont
Easy eh?!
Additional Chinese Reflexology Points For High Blood Pressure

The truth is that there are no magical five reflexology points that you can massage to immediately reduce your high blood pressure. Even with acupuncture, you need multiple treatments over weeks or months in order to impact your blood pressure readings.
For high blood pressure, consistently massaging all of the Chinese Reflexology points on your feet would result in the greatest benefit because everything is interconnected. If you think about it, when Western Medicine cant pinpoint the cause for a disease or ailment, its probably because more than one element is involved. For example, you cant just look at your nose to heal yourself of allergies.
When you regularly massage all of your reflexology points, and ideally with a reflexology stick, your body gradually returns to balance because you address the underlying Qi disharmonies in your body. Chinese Reflexology is about healing your whole body rather than fixating on some numbers appearing in a blood pressure reading.
To understand which points are best for your health, I recommend reading my article on How to Figure Out Which Are the Best Chinese Reflexology Points for You to Massage.
I know, I know, you want all the info now, but grasshopper, first you must learn how to walk before you run :).
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Pericardium 6 Inner Pass Inner Gate
Pericardium 6 is a powerful acupressure point for high blood pressure. It is also used for healing upset stomach and nausea. You can locate the Pericardium 6 point in middle of the inner side of the forearm, around two and half finger width above the wrist crease. This point is popularly known as the Inner Gate Point.
Find the PC 6 pressure point and press it firmly with your thumb. Hold the pressure for at least 1 minute and release it. Thereafter apply pressure on PC 6 point on other hand. By stimulating PC 6 point, you can reduce high blood pressure and heal chest congestion, anxiety, insomnia, nausea, wrist pain and mental disorders.
Stomach 36 Leg Three Miles
Stomach 36 is a useful pressure point to treat high blood pressure and other ailments. The ST 36 point is also called Leg Three Miles Point. You can find the ST 36 point four finger widths below the knee cap, one finger width outer side of shinbone.
Take a look on above picture to locate the ST 36 point on your leg. Apply firm pressure on ST 36 point with your thumb and hold the pressure for 1 minute. Leave it and apply pressure on other leg. The ST 36 point is helpful to heal high blood pressure, gastric pain, constipation, vomiting, diarrhea, knee pain, allergies, dizziness, schizophrenia, poor digestion, breast pain & swelling and diabetes.
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Underlying Conditions Which Cause Hypertension
From pregnancy, conditions which can be controlled, and those which are chronic and need treatment, certain underlying conditions can lead to high blood pressure as one of their symptoms. These include:
- Pregnancy
- Hyperparathyroidism and
- Cushing syndrome .
While you can use acupressure to address hypertension in most of these cases, it is generally recommended to avoid acupressure if you are pregnant, because it may induce labor.
What Is The Scientific Evidence For Acupressure
There are several studies that look at the effectiveness of acupressure.
Although the studies vary in size, quality, and the condition they analyze, most find that using acupressure to treat various conditions has favorable results.
A 2015 review of studies looked at data on acupressure of the ear for treating a variety of illnesses, including pain in different parts of the body.
The researchers found that acupressure can positively affect peopleâs symptoms. However, it is still unclear what the exact mechanisms of acupressure are.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health state that activating acupuncture pressure points may play a role in decreasing the occurrence of tension headaches and fending off migraine headaches.
The NCCIH caution that while it is reasonable for people with chronic pain to consider acupuncture as a possible solution, there is no consensus in clinical practice guidelines about acupuncture recommendations.
A person interested in using acupressure should seek guidance from their doctor, who may provide information or refer them to a certified acupuncture specialist, who can provide therapy and instruction.
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What Is Considered High Blood Pressure
Various factors affect the reading, including:
- As you age, your circulation tends to stiffen up, so the heart must push harder to get the blood round. To do this, it exerts more pressure so the figures increase, for example to 130/85 or 135/90, or more. In general, the higher the readings the greater the risk.
- The ambient temperature and how warm you are
- Digesting a large meal
- How stressed your body is by physical or mental factors
Doctors in different countries rate danger from high blood pressure differently.
In some countries they start prescribing medication when your reading exceeds 125/85.
In other countries they start to worry only if it exceeds 130/90 or more.
To avoid the white coat syndrome, when your BP increases at the sight of a white coat or doctor, you can wear a continuous monitor for 24 hours during which it periodically tightens a cuff on your arm and takes a reading, even during sleep.
Herbal Formulas For Hypertension
What you prescribe for hypertension is not the fix. This will help, but really it’s diet and lifestyle that give the best hope for patients to be blood pressure normal and medication free. When you do have to prescribe herbs, be sure your herbal Zangfu diagnosis and differentiation is based on good information from the patient.
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Long Dan Xie Gan Tang + Tian Ma Gou Teng YinLong Dan Xie Gan Tang treats liver yang rising, which can result from stress, crappy diet, and poor emotional states. Tian Ma Gou Teng Yin treats heat in the liver causing wind.
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Qi Ju Di Huang Tang + Jia Wei Xiao Yao WanQi Ju Di Huang Tang treats and nourishes the Kidney, which is the mother of the Liver energy. When one is weak, so is the other and we’re usually referring to a deficiency of Kidney and Liver yin. That allows the Liver yang to rise and causes the high blood pressure. Jia Wei Xiao Yao San is the Xiao Yao San formula with the addition of mu dan pi and zhi zi which cool the body. Jia Wei Xiao Yao San cools people down, chills them out, and helps the Liver Yang sink back where it belongs.
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Also consider Evergreen’s Gentiana Complex, Kidney DTX, and Gardenia Complex if you want a good quality patent for patients to take.
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