Acupuncturists Pick: Best DIY Acupuncture Points for Lowering
Stress, Part IBy Sara CalabroEveryone has a go-to stress response.
Some people escape to sunny beaches. Others reach for wine. Many
buy things they dont need. Many more ignore it.All stress
responses, assuming no one gets hurt or goes banrupt, have their
merits. !hatever wors" #owever, many common coping mechanisms for
stress are unrealistic, inconvenient, or unsustainable. After all,
how many of us can $et off to the %aribbean every time life gets
stressful&Acupuncture treatments, as well as the theoretical
tenets of acupuncture, have much to offer inthe way of long-term
stress reduction. 'ut what about in-the-moment stress relief&
(oure about to give a big presentation. (oure waiting to hear about
test results. )he turbulence on your flightwont let up. Several
acupuncture points can help calm you down.!e ased acupuncturists,
what is your all-time favorite acupuncture point for stress
reduction&A ey criteria was that the point had to be accessible
for performing self-acupressure, so neitheracupuncture needles nor
an acupuncturist are re*uired to benefit from these points. )hey
can be pressed anywhere, any time for immediate stress reduction.21
Best Acupuncture Points for Stress#ere are +, acupuncture points,
recommended by acupuncturists who use them on a regular basis, that
can help you calm down in stressful situations. -ress em at wor, on
a plane, in an elevator, wherever.Kidney 1.)here is one point on
the bottom of the foot thats great for reducing stress,/ says
acupuncturist Leona Marrs, of 0os Angeles, %A. .1idney , is the
first point on the 1idney channel and is nown for bringing down
e2cess energy. )his can be very helpful for someone who is in their
head too much, always over thining. )he point reconnects you to the
earth and grounds you, allowing you to move forward with greater
clarity. 3oing acupressure on 1idney , before bed also helps with
stress-related insomnia./Catherine Lumenello, an acupuncturist from
)ucson, A4, adds, .'ecause this point is on the 1idney meridian, it
helps to nourish reserve energy for the whole body, which tends to
get depleted in stressful times. As the lowest point on the body,
1idney , reminds you that no matterhow stressful things get, you
have a solid foundation for facing it. )his point is incredibly
easy to massage5and even better if you have a partner do it for
you"/0earn more about 1idney , and see its location here.Speen !.My
favorite point for reducing stress is Spleen 6 (pictured at
right),/ says Cayly Christensen, an acupuncturist in -ortland, O7.
.)he Spleen is associated with the digestion of food as well asthe
processing and digestion of thoughts and e2periences. )reating the
Spleen to reduce e2cessive rumination and *uiet an overly
analytical mind can be very useful in easing stress..8 have found
Spleen 6 to be the most effective point on the Spleen channel for
this purpose. 8 believe the location of the point, on the inside of
the foot, contributes to its stress-lowering *uality. 8t tends to
be a sensitive point, which helps bring people out of their heads
and into their bodies./Sto"ac# !$.Often, my patients who come in
for stress will report tenderness at Stomach 69,/ says Manhattan,
1S-based acupuncturist Caite Ryba. .:sually by the end of the first
treatment, the muscles around the point have rela2ed and the
patient reports feeling calm and at peace. )his feeling can last
for many days..;rom a !estern perspective, Stomach 69 affects blood
circulation to the digestive system and increases gastric
secretion, thereby inducing the parasympathetic response. Also, the
point fallsover the deep fibular nerve and the anterior tibial
artery, the main blood supply for the lower leg. -eople who are
stressed tend to hold e2tra tension in the upper body, causing nec
tightness, headaches, and shallow breathing. 8ts possible that the
increased blood circulation to the lower leg caused by Stomach 69
helps pull that e2tra tension away from the upper body, creating a
more calm, rela2ed state./Nancy Byrne, an acupuncturist in
(pictured at right) is great for alleviating stress, especially in
people who hold tension in the upper trape?ius area,/ says
acupuncturist Edward Young, of @upiter, ;0..Spleen > reduces
tightness and tension in these muscles, which not only brings down
stress but also reduces occipital headaches as well as tightness
across the pectoralis muscles and anterior nec muscles,/ says
(oung. .)he point is often tender on people who are dealing with
alot of stress, particularly women./&a Badder '!.8 have seen
and felt remarable things by needling Aall 'ladder B6,/ says
acupuncturistJeremyRothenberg, of San ;rancisco. .!e learn in
school about A'B6 being the master point of the sinews, so its used
for all sorts of muscular pain, especially when the pain is
somewhere along the Aall 'ladder channel. 'ut 8ve also noticed that
Aall 'ladder B6 seems to =pop the bubble ofstress that people hold
around them..:pon needling this point, 8ve seen peoples eyes close,
and their ability to fully respond to my *uestioning starts to fade
as they deeply rela2. 8 thin the magic of this point has to do with
the autonomic nervous system. !hen people are in fight-or-flight,
or sympathetic, mode5too often, this is most of the time5their
musculature tightens and creates a suit of armor. !hen the sinews
are released with Aall 'ladder B6, the muscles rela2 and people let
go. )he stress bubble pops and they can finally rela2./0earn more
about Aall 'ladder B6 and see its location here.Pericardiu"
(.-ericardium C (pictured at right) is easily accessible for
self-acupressure,/ says Keith arofalo, an acupuncturist in 7acine,
!8. .(ou can immediately feel tension being released when you press
it..8n the system of meridian-style acupuncture, the -ericardium
channel is paired with the 0iver channel, so pressing this point
will balance the 0iver channel and the 0iver organ itself. )his is
important because most stress patterns, from an acupuncture
perspective, involve the 0iver. Also, -ericardium is a ey go-to for
me for headaches, stomach pains and other digestive complaints, and
sleep issues5all symptoms that can be caused or e2acerbated by
stress./)eart '.#eart B (pictured at right), as the he sea point of
the #eart channel, is used in classical acupuncture for counterflow
qi,/ says !dam Cantor, an acupuncturist with offices in Alen
#ead,