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Ease Your Headaches and Neck Pain

Acupressure may be taught as a self-care skill to help Veterans manage pain

Frequent headaches and neck pain can make it hard to focus. Even mild pain can spoil your whole day. While medication may help, there are other tools you can learn which may provide relief. Acupressure uses pressure on certain points of your body and may relieve pain. VA acupuncturists and massage therapists recommend acupressure to soothe headaches and relax neck pain. Watch these simple how-to videos to learn more.

Try acupressure for pain relief

Headaches have a wide variety of causes. If you have ever tried to relieve headache pain by touching your temples, you are already rubbing an acupressure point called Tai Yang. Adding acupressure to your treatment plan may improve your headaches. Talk with your healthcare provider to be sure that the reason for your headaches is understood and that acupressure is safe for you. Learn more about the Tai Yang acupressure point and 5 others in this video.

Your neck might be paying a price if your posture is not good. In addition to correcting your posture, stretching, and pacing yourself, trying the 6 acupressure points in this video may ease your neck pain and improve your mobility.

When starting acupressure, keep these tips in mind:

  • Do not press harder than what feels good.
  • Do not press harder than what feels good. Use a comfortable amount of pressure.
  • You might not notice immediate pain relief. You may repeat the acupressure routine up to five times daily.
  • There are some cases when you shouldn't use acupressure, like if you have a wound or an active infection in the area.

Learn more about cautions at the start of the acupressure videos. If you aren't sure if acupressure is safe for you, ask your health care provider. Send a Secure Message with a Premium account.

 

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