The underlying current in most of the conversations in our society comes down to power and control. Who has the power, who doesn’t and what that means. Health care is also a big topic at the moment. Without knowing it, many people give up their own power when it comes to their health.
Here is an example, on Monday I worked with a young lady for neck pain. She was spending more hours on her computer in Zoom meetings, at home without proper ergonomic set up. It completely immobilized her. In order for her to look to the side, she needed to move her whole body. We did a treatment and at the end, she said, “I feel so much better. What I can I do myself when this happens again?” She knew that she had the power to start to feel better, she just needed the knowledge of what to do.
I have been seeing a lot of clients who are looking for relief from neck pain this month. I want you to have the power to make improvements in your own health. So, I’ve written down a few acupressure points that you can massage when you neck is not allowing you the freedom to do what you want.
There are four points on your hand and one on your lower leg. Here are the steps in choosing which point is most beneficial for you, at this moment.
1. First evaluate your range of motion and level of pain by turning and then tilting your head side to side, up and down.
2. Press with a fair amount of pressure on each acupuncture point on each hand and leg.
3. Starting with the points that were tender, press again with a fair amount of pressure while evaluating your range of motion and level of pain.
4. The points that give you the most relief and / or biggest increase in range of motion are the ones you will use next.
5. For 5-6 times a day, massage the acupressure points that benefitted you the most while turning and tilting your head. The key here is to stay within a range that does not provide you with any / minimal pain. If your pain level is so high, simply visualize moving your head and neck while applying pressure to the acupressure point.
Here is a breakdown for locating the acupressure points.
Point 1 + 2 are located between your thumbs and index finger. The first one is at the base of your hand in the V created by the bones of those 2 fingers. The second it at the head of the bone of your index just inside the knuckle.
Point 3 might not be tender but if it increases your range of motion and/or decreases your pain, then massage it. It is located between your 2nd and 3rd finger in the divot proximal to your knuckles.
Point 4 is on the pinkie side of your hand, similar to points 2 + 3, it is just back from the knuckle.
Point 5 is not on your hand at all, but rather on the inside of your lower leg, one hand breath up from your inner ankle, just back from the bone. I find this one easiest to massage while seated in a chair with my ankle crossed over the other knee.
My goal is to empower you. Don’t let your pain stop you from doing the things that you want. If you have any questions or would like some clarity on these acupressure points please reach out. I am happy to help.
All the best,
Kathryn