Acupressure is one of the simplest parts of Chinese medicine to try for yourself. There are no needles, and all you need are your hands and a few quiet minutes. It works on acupuncture points, using steady pressure from a finger or thumb in place of a needle.
Below I'll cover how to press, how long for, when to be careful, and one well-studied point on the wrist.
How much pressure?
Press at a right angle to the skin. The University of Minnesota's Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality and Healing puts it well, suggesting "firm, steady, and noticeable pressure". Start with lighter, sustained pressure until you know what feels comfortable.
Acupressure shouldn't be painful or uncomfortable. You're not trying to dig into the muscle. A good guide is pressure you can feel clearly but could hold without wincing. Avoid aggressive rubbing, too.
How long?
To begin with, hold each point for 15 to 30 seconds, building up to one or two minutes per point, depending on how it feels. For points in larger muscles, slow, gentle kneading with the thumb or fingers is fine.
A few other tips help.
- Find a comfortable seat and let your shoulders drop.
- Breathe slowly and steadily while you hold the point.
- For points that appear on both sides of the body, such as PC6 below, you can press both.
- Don't worry too much about finding the exact spot. Gentle pressure in roughly the right place is a fine start.
When to take care
Some places are best avoided entirely:
- broken, irritated or blistered skin
- bruises
- new scars
- areas with lines, tubes or medical devices
Take care, too, if you have a low platelet count, slow blood clotting (a raised INR), a clotting disorder or fragile skin. If any of that applies to you, check with your doctor or nurse first. And if you're pregnant, consult a trained professional.
Points to avoid in pregnancy
In traditional acupuncture, several points have long been called "forbidden" in pregnancy. They include LI4, SP6, BL60 and BL67, as well as GB21, LU7 and points on the lower abdomen and lower back. The old worry was that stimulating them might affect the womb, and the belief that some of them can bring on labour is still widespread among traditional acupuncturists.
Two of them are easy to press by accident, so it helps to know where they are.
- LI4 is in the web between the thumb and index finger, at the highest point of the muscle when you press your thumb and finger together.
- SP6 is on the inside of the lower leg, four finger-widths up from the ankle bone.
To be fair to the evidence, a 2015 review by David Carr in Acupuncture in Medicine found no objective evidence of harm from needling these points in pregnancy. Acupressure self-care guides still advise avoiding points such as SP6 in pregnancy, though, and I'd always rather you were cautious. If you're pregnant, leave these points alone and speak to your midwife or a qualified practitioner.
The PC6 wrist point
PC6, also called P6 or Nei Guan, has been tested in dozens of trials for nausea. It's also the point that travel wristbands press on.
To find it, turn your palm upwards. PC6 sits three finger-breadths from the wrist crease on the inner forearm, in between the two tendons. Press firmly with your thumb and hold.
So what has the research found? A Cochrane review by Lee and colleagues, updated in 2025, looked at PC6 stimulation for preventing nausea and vomiting after surgery. It concluded that both needle and non-needle methods, such as acupressure wristbands, may reduce the likelihood of nausea and vomiting after an operation when used alongside anti-sickness medicines. The authors rated their confidence in the evidence as generally low, because the studies varied in quality and in the people and operations they included. Side effects were minor and short-lived, such as skin irritation, redness, blistering or soreness.
That research is about nausea after surgery, alongside usual medical care. It isn't a reason to skip medicine you've been given. If nausea or vomiting is severe or doesn't settle, please speak to your GP, pharmacist or NHS 111.
Try a routine
Acupressure is a lovely way to take a few calm minutes for yourself. If you'd like some structure, my 20 guided acupressure routines walk you through where to press and for how long.