5 Acupressure Points to Relieve Stress and Anxiety

A woman receiving acupressure

Last Updated on April 4, 2024

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We’d can’t wait to be able to open our doors back up and treat all of the wonderful people we’ve served for the past 15 years!

We will be open just as soon as this crazy virus has past and it’s safe to treat the community again!

Millions of people in the US struggle with stress and anxiety. The symptoms can be difficult to control, and many people don’t want to deal with the side effects of traditional medicine. With acupuncture, you can help alleviate the symptoms of stress and anxiety without any adverse side effects. 

Related: What Is Acupuncture?

In the meantime, here are five effective acupuncture points that you can use at home with simple acupressure techniques to help relieve stress and anxiety.

Remember we’re all in this together and we’ll all support each other as we come out of it together!

Acupressure Points Techniques 

Become aware of your breath. Inhale and exhale deeply as you press each point in turn. Use your thumbs or fingers to apply a firm but gentle pressure, move in a small circular or up-and-down motion for about 60 seconds to 2 minutes on each point. This entire sequence of points will take you around 10 minutes to complete. Remember to breath smoothly and close your eyes.

Related: Chiropractic vs. Acupuncture

YIN TANG:

Yin tang

This is a great point for starting and ending your sequence. It is used in the treatment room to calm the mind and for improving focus. It is associated with the spirit and is an effective point for relaxing the muscles involved in a furrowed brow. It is thought to reduce worry.

GB-20 FENG CHI:

Fengchi

This is a great point for relieving neck tension, headaches, and for overall calming. It softens the neck and relieves muscle tension. The point can be found right at the base of the skull when it attaches to the neck. Try rubbing both sides at once. This is great point to work deeply and is an easy on to work on a friend or loved one.

LV-3 TAI CHONG:

Tai chong

This point is commonly used to balance treatments and provides movement and flow to the other points in a treatment. It is used especially when people are agitated and feel stress and have anxiety building up. It is a point for calming pent up frustrations. It is easily located between the 1st and second toes. Start slowly as this one can often be very tender.

PC-6 NEI GUAN:

Neiguan

Nei guan means the “Inner gate.” It is the point that we named our clinic after. The point is associated with the heart and the pericardium. It has a calming effect for the nervous system and the digestive tract. In fact, the point is used to calm nausea from sea sickness and pregnant woman. The point is ASSOCIATED with the vagus nerve. It is found two inches up from the wrist on the inside.

ST-36 ZU SAN LI:

Zusanli

This is a very commonly used point in the clinic. It has a strong effect on the parasympathetic nervous system. That is the calming part of the nervous system. it also aids in digestion.

Can Acupuncture Help Your Stress & Anxiety?

For many people, acupuncture is a low-risk, effective treatment for stress and anxiety symptoms. When used in tandem with other alternative treatments like relaxation techniques, meditation, and exercises, acupuncture has helped many of our patients reduce their stress, anxiety and improve their overall well-being.

Interested in seeing how acupuncture can help alleviate your symptoms of stress and anxiety? Learn more about our acupuncture services & schedule an appointment with our certified Portland acupuncturists today!

Related: Acupuncture vs. Massage

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