There are a million ways to get a headache.
Maybe you’re dehydrated. Maybe you just need a nap. Maybe you have a parasite living in your head and it’s finally big enough to claw its way out (but probably not that).
The point is, it’s tough to pin down the cause of a headache. The occasional achy noggin is just part of the human experience. In our culture, we usually respond with a stream of profanity followed by an aspirin. When things get really bad, we might go to the doctor and get some muscle relaxers.
Actually, if you get frequent headaches, you should definitely tell your doctor about them. This might be a good time to mention that we are not doctors, and you should speak to a physician if you have any concerns about your health. That said, on we go.
Here’s the thing. Traditional Chinese Medicine might have a better solution that doesn’t require filling your body with chemicals. It’s called acupressure, and it’s about the easiest self-treatment you could ask for.
Don’t believe us? We understand. We are just an anonymous voice on your computer screen. Nonetheless, real researchers have looked into acupressure as a means of treating headaches, and they found that pressing on a few trigger points every day for a month is more effective than the use of muscle relaxers. These researchers checked in with their afflicted subjects six months later and, lo and behold, the acupressure group still reported less headache pain than the unlucky folks who used medication.
Here are a few acupressure techniques that can relieve your headache fast. Get those pinching fingers ready!
1. Squeezing a pressure point in your hand can help with headaches that manifest along the front of your skull.
Reflexologists (folks who study acupressure) call that bit of webbing between the thumb and the forefinger the “Union Valley.”
Apply firm pressure to this point to relieve that frontal headache quickly.
2. Squeeze the back of your neck to ease pain along the rear of your head.
There’s a point about two finger-widths beneath the base of the skull, around the middle of the neck, that reflexologists call “Heaven’s Pillar.” Actually, it’s two points, about an inch apart.
Feel for the muscles along the back of your neck and apply even pressure with a pinching motion. As an added bonus, this is said to help with a cough, too.
3. To relieve sinus headaches, press the spots to the left and right of your nostrils.
The “Welcome Fragrance” zone resides on the face, immediately to the sides of your nostrils.
Press on these areas to open up your sinuses, relieving sinus headaches in no time.
4. The spot right between your eyebrows is a key pressure point for headaches.
Imagine your Third Eye is open. Then, jab your Third Eye with your forefinger. Well, not really a jab. Just press firmly on this point for a full minute.
If that doesn’t blast away your headache, continue on to the other points mentioned above. Once you get through all of them, you should start feeling better.
5. You can also try pinching the inner sides of the bridge of your nose.
Squeeze the very top of your nose, right between your eyes, for a minute or so. This can also help with fast relief from most types of headaches.
It’s all thanks to acupressure!