When headaches strike, many people turn to over-the-counter medicine like Tylenol or Excedrin. Some headaches are caused by caffeine withdrawal, so a cup of coffee does the trick. Others get headaches that are due to stress and tension. A massage might be the best remedy for that. Sometimes, curing a headache isn’t that simple. Sometimes, headaches just won’t go away. Acupressure is a Chinese pressure point techniques developed over 2,000 years ago. These pressure points, when massaged in slow circular motions, can help headache sufferers tremendously. They can even relieve intense migraines and chronic headaches. Acupressure is a massage technique that anyone can learn, and it uses pressure points to ease and eliminate headache pain.
Temples
Always start the head massage by rubbing you or your partner’s temples. Gently massage the temples from the front of the skull, to just above the ears for around 60 seconds on both sides of the head.
Base of Skull
At the nape of the neck, where the skull meets the neck, there are two pressure points, called the Tianzhu points, about one to two inches apart from one another. You will find them by searching for two small indentations at the base of your skull. Massage this area for 1-2 minutes.
Hands
There are pressure points in the muscles between your thumb and forefinger called the He Gu points. The point just below the fleshy area can help relieve migraines and headaches and help loosen compacted sinuses. Massage this point for 30 seconds on each hand.
Third Eye
The Yintang point, or the third eye point is located right between your eyebrows in the very center of your forehead slightly above the bridge of your nose. Use slow, gentle circular motions and massage the area for one minute.
Inner Eyebrows
Just inside of both eyebrows lies two more pressure points, known as the Zan Zhu points. Use direct pressure and circular movements for one minute. These points will also help clear your sinuses and relieve sinus pressure which can be the cause of your headache.
Base of Cheekbones
The Yingxiang points can be found at the base of your cheek bones at the same width as the very corner of your mouth and aligned with your eyes. Massage this area for 1 to 2 minutes to relieve headache pain, clear sinuses, and alleviate stress.
Above Hairline
Right above your forehead, on either side of your head, you will find pressure points that are areas of the skull that are softer than other places. There is also one in the middle of the head that is a soft spot as well. Use your fingertips to massage these areas for 10 to 40 seconds.
You can go to an acupressure clinic and work with a professional to relieve severe headaches, but you can also learn these pressure points yourself. You can use them on your partner and teach them how to do it for you. If you’re single, you can do self massage. Acupressure can relieve more than just headaches too. Give these simple massages a try the next time you have a headache that won’t go away. Your headache should disappear at some point during the massage or 5 to 10 minutes afterwards.
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