Headaches & Migraines

Acupuncture and Cupping therapy can be very useful to reduce pain levels, reduce the amount of drugs needed and reduce the frequency and severity of headaches and migraines for sufferers.

What can you do to HELP at home?

Drink Plenty of Water
Avoid Trigger Foods
Get Enough Sleep
Sunglasses
Acupressure for Pain Relief
Acupressure for Maintenance Between Appointments

Acupressure – How can it help you?

Acupressure is similar to Acupuncture in that it can activate your body’s self-healing power. However instead of requiring a trained professional to do it for you, you can do it yourself in the privacy of you own home.

Best results are achieved when you can send direct intention of healing and you can find quite comfortable spot to do your treatment, but you can do it anywhere. Why are you going to do your acupressure? Work out the points that will work on your specific needs, then locate them.

Apply firm pressure, it should be firm enough so that it hurts a little. Using your thumbs or fingers apply steady, stationary pressure to the point for 1-2 minutes, Listen to your body for direction for how long you should hold, very tender points may only require 5 seconds at a time. The more developed the muscles are, the more pressure you should apply.

If you feel extreme sensitivity or pain, gradually decrease the pressure until you find a balance between pain and pleasure. Do not continue to press a point that is excruciatingly painful. CAUTION should be taken on points contraindicated during pregnancy.

A Point Selection Cheat is at the Bottom of the page

to help you pick points (you don’t need to do them all)

The Points

Yin Tang or The Third Eye

This point is located between the eyebrows. Stimulating Yin Tang will offer relief from headaches, eye pain, eye fatigue, eye strain, hay fever, indigestion, ulcer pain, insomnia, fatigue and tiredness. It also be used to help balance the pituitary gland.

BL 2 Drilling Bamboo

This point is found at the start of the eyebrows approximately 1 cm either side of Yin Tang. If suffering from a headache due to stress or the common cold BL 2 drilling bamboo point can be used for instant relief. This point also helps find relief from allergy symptoms, sinus headaches, hay fever, vertigo, poor night vision, lazy eye and poor eye sight.

ST 3 Facial Beauty

This point is located under the cheek bone, about 2 to 3 finger-widths right under the middle of each eye right below the pupil. This acupressure point is used to reduce migraines and tension headaches, as well as combat head congestion, sinus and nasal blockages, relieve eye fatigue, burning eyes and toothaches. It can also improve acne, skin blemishes, facial swelling and a poor complexion. It even help tone facial muscles and improve circulation.

Du 16 Wind Palace

This point is located in the center of the back of your head, at the midpoint between your ears and just above the top of your spine, slightly tilt your head back and locate this point by finding the hollow under the base of the skull. It helps reduce migraines and headaches as well as relieve neck stiffness and mental stress. It can relieve eye pain, dizziness, throat swelling, earaches, nose bleeding, neuro-motor coordination, vertigo, and irritability.

GB 20 Wind Pool

These points are located on each side of the spine at the base of the skull, in the hollow between the two vertical neck muscles. These points can provide relief from headaches, tension, sinus issues, cold and flu symptoms, neck pain, dizziness, vertigo, irritability and depression. These points can stimulate an overall immune system boost and regulate circulation to the brain .

BL 10 Celestial Pillar

Celestial pillar is precisely located two fingers below the base of your skull, it is on the rope like muscles that are on the both sides of your spine. These points excellent for reducing headache and migraine pain. They will relieve aches at the back of the head, heaviness in the head, eye strain, neck pain and stiffness, dizziness, nasal congestion and sore throat. You can even reduce stress, anxiety, exhaustion, insomnia and also effective at treating thyroid imbalance.

GB 21 Shoulder Well

Locate these points on both sides of your shoulders, apply downward pressure to stimulate the points. This point helps in treating headaches as well as migraine pain. Stimulating this point will also reduce neck stiffness, neck pain and shoulder pain, and help treat nervousness, irritability, muscle spasms and asthma. It can also be used for difficult labor, mastitis and insufficient lactation.

CAUTION: Pregnant women should press lightly as this point may induce labor.

SI 3 Back Stream

This point is located on the side of the hand, just below the little finger knuckle bone. Used for headaches associated with cold & flues. Great for pain and stiffness in back of the head and neck. Can also be used to treat pain in the lumbar and sacrum, acute spasm in the finger, elbow and arm, malaria, deafness and eye congestion.

Co 4 Joining Valley

This point is located in the webbing between the thumb and index finger, to stimulate it you use the other thumb and index finger to pinch it applying firm pressure. Most people have heard this point can be used for headache, but it is more specific than that, it is used to relieve frontal headaches. It is a very versatile point and can be also used for back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, arthritis, constipation, hangovers and toothache. When this point is used with acupuncture it has even longer list of uses.

CAUTION: This point is NOT to be used during pregnancy, as it can cause premature contractions in the uterus.

SJ 5 Outer Pass

This point is found 2 thumbs widths above the wrist crease between the to arm bones on the outside. This point can be used for headaches on the side of the head, fever, tinnitus, deafness, redness, swelling and pain in the eye.

Liv 3 Great Surge

This point is located on the top of the foot, between the tendons of the big and second toe. It is about 1 or 1.5 inches back from the toes. Liv 3 helps manage headache and migraine pain, stimulation of this point can provide relief from foot cramps, redness, swelling of the eye, eye fatigue, hangovers, vertigo, allergies and arthritis pain. It is even good for people having poor concentration and fatigue.

ST 44 Inner Courtyard

This point is found on the top of the foot, just back from the start of the second and third toe. ST 44 is great to combine with CO 4 for frontal headaches. It has also been found to benefit toothache, sinus, nasal congestion, sore throat, period periods, nose bleed, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, and fever.

GB 41 Foot Falling Tears

GB 41 is located on the top of the foot, about an inch behind the webbing of the fourth and fifth toes, just at the groove between the bones. It can provide instant relief from migraine pain. It can also provide relief from redness and pain of the eye, hip pain, sciatica, shoulder tension, arthritic pains, water retention and clear the head. It even helps with mastitis, breast distention, irregular periods.

BL 60 Kunlun Mountains

BL-60 is found on the outside of the ankle between the bone and the tendon, to stimulate is achieved by pinching the point from both side of the ankle. It can be used for headaches, heat in the head, neck stiffness, dizziness, redness, pain and swelling of the eyes, bursting eye pain, nosebleed and toothache, It is also a good point for acute lumbar pain and difficult labor.

CAUTION: This point should not be used with caution during pregnancy.

Point Selection Cheat Sheet Download

Before you get overwhelmed with what points to use, you don’t need to do them all.

There are 2 things to think about when selecting your points.

No 1: Is the points sore? If it is, it is usually an indication that there is an imbalance,

so that would make it a good point to use.

No 2: Where is your pain? The side of you head? The top of your head?

The back of your head? The front of your head? Download the Cheat Sheet Below.

Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic servicing North Brisbane and surrounding suburbs including Chermside, Chermside West, Everton Park, Everton Hills, Aspley, Kedron, Mitchelton, Arana Hills, Albany Creek and Bridgman Downs. Treatments can include Acupuncture, Cupping Therapy, Dry Needling, Massage, Moxa ( Moxibustion ), Electro-Acupuncture, Ear Acupuncture, Cosmetic Acupuncture.