Acupressure for Neck Pain Relief

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You may find help using acupressure for neck pain relief if you are trying to feel better without drugs or surgery. (However, because neck pain can be potentially serious, you should have any serious or persistent pain or numbness seen by a medical doctor.)

Traditional Chinese Medicine sees pain and illness as the result of the disrupted flow of chi (energy) in the human energy system. Acupuncture and acupressure work to restore and balance the flow of chi/qi in the body. Acupoints are places where the qi is close to the surface of the body, and can therefore be influenced to relieve pain and restore health. There are 14 meridians, or channels, through which the qi flows in the body.

To perform acupressure, press the acupoint firmly with your finger or thumb. If you’re working with a delicate area such as the face, use lighter pressure. Hold the point until you feel relief, or for about a minute.

Acupressure For Neck Pain Relief

1. A primary point to relieve neck pain and stiffness is GB20, two indentations on either side of the back of your neck, about two inches out from the spine (depending on the size of your head), just below the base of the skull. Placing the thumbs on these points, press up under the skull for at least a minute. It makes it easier if you do this lying down, or sitting on a sofa with your arms and head resting against the back of the sofa, tipping your head back into your thumbs. This point is great for relieving headaches, too.
2. Another valuable acupressure point for neck pain relief is the GB21, located on the highest point of the shoulder, one to two inches out from the base of the neck. To work these points, I find it easiest to cross my arms and use the curled fingers of each hand to press into the tight area at the top of my shoulders. Hold for minute. You can use a lot of pressure here.
3. You can work two more acupressure for neck pain points at the same time. GV16 is located in the center of the back of the head, in the hollow underneath the base of the skull. B2 is found in the slight indentation where the ridge of the eyebrow meets the bridge of the nose. To simultaneously work these points, place one thumb in GV16, in the hollow under the center of your skull, and use the thumb and index finger of the other hand to grasp the B2 points, on either side of the top of your nose, gently squeezing and pressing upward. Hold for one minute for neck pain relief.

These points are taken from Acupressure's Potent Points, by Michael Reed Gach. It's an excellent resource book with very clear directions about how to locate the points.

More Holistic Ideas For Your Neck

Of course, the best way to relieve neck pain is to prevent it. Try to get plenty of good exercise, breathe correctly, maintain an optimal posture (with ears over your shoulders, so that your head is erect rather than craning forward) and manage stress.

Return from Acupressure for Neck Pain to Natural Pain Relief.

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