Common cold and flu symptoms are mostly accompanied by a virus infection. They find their way into your nose, sinuses, throat, and other respiratory organs once the immune system weakens.
The symptoms surface as a runny nose or nasal congestion, a sore throat, sneezing, or coughing. These are your body's reactions to eliminate unwanted intruders, toxins, and excess mucus.
When you catch a cold, you need to take action right away. Rest, light, simple meals rich in vitamins and minerals are essential for your recovery.
Acupressure points for colds can help speed up the recovery process as it will help improve your blood flow and circulation. That will help your body with recovery and offer pain relief along the way.
Acupressure Points for Cold and Sinus Relief
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and acupressure use specific pressure points on the body that work wonders in relieving pain and discomfort from the common cold and blocked sinus issues. They are widely used in acupuncture and acupressure treatment.
These acupressure points are located on meridian lines or energy pathways in the body. The acupressure points for sinus and cold symptoms relieve pain, reduce swelling, and clear out blocked sinuses.
If you are applying acupressure while you have a cold, some pressure points for a head cold may make you feel sore. When you start stimulating them, you may start feeling relief right away. Some patients have reported immediate relief from nasal congestion.
Even if the effects do not come immediately, stimulating these points will help boost your immune system and help you overcome symptoms sooner than later. They will balance your whole body, aid in healing the cold and the sinuses, and activate and energize other organs in the body to promote holistic healing.
These are the key pressure points for cold symptoms and sinus relief.
1. Large Intestine 20 (LI 20) - Yingxiang or Welcome Fragrance
This pressure point is aptly named Welcome Fragrance because when your nasal channels are working correctly, you can welcome a variety of pleasant aromas. This is not the case when your nose and sinuses are congested or running like a river!
Stimulating the LI 20 is beneficial for sinus problems, facial paralysis, swelling, nasal polyps, rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, and other nasal issues.
To find the Yingxiang point, you need to go to the upper part of the base of the nose, where your nose connects with your cheeks.
Stimulate it with firm pressure and circular motion for at least 1 minute for each side.
If you notice that one side is sorer than the other, it's related to a more congested channel. Start with the less painful nostril and then move to the other.
This way, you can again welcome fragrances in your nose unobstructedly!
2. Lung 10 (LU 10) - Yuji or Fish Border
The Lung 10 or LU 10 point is beneficial in healing common cold symptoms tied to sore throats and hoarseness in your voice. It also helps to relieve asthma and coughing, and clears the lungs.
The fish border point is located on the palm of your hand, in between the outside wrist muscles and the beginning of the thumb pad. It is a tender area near the thumb joint.
Apply pressure to this point for at least one minute per day or whenever the symptoms arise.
Acupressure Points for Cold and Throat Pain
These key pressure points for a cold can help you with cold symptoms and sore throat pain.
To treat these pressure points for cold and sore throat, massage each for at least one minute. If you have the chance, rub it several times during the day or at least until your condition improves.
The LU 11 and LI 11 points are beneficial in treating cold and throat symptoms, but they also help other issues, such as agitation, excessive worries, and constipation. They will strengthen your immune system and boost your energy.
3. Lung 11 (LU 11) - Shaoshang or Lesser Metal
Applying pressure on the LU 11 point for at least one minute will help to relieve coughing and sore, itchy throat symptoms relatively quickly. It is located on the outside of the thumb nearby the corner of your thumbnail.
This point will also help offer relief from fevers and has calming effects on the nervous system too. You can use it to treat manic disorders, promote mental clarity, and even help with coma recovery. It calms the mind and reduces anxiety and agitation.
4. Large Intestine 11 (LI 11) - Quchi or Pool at the Crook
Massaging and pressing the Large Intestine 11 point will relieve sore throat symptoms and improve your common cold issues.
LI 11 helps reduce fever symptoms and strengthens the immune system. It contributes to healthy intestinal movements and heals elbow pain. It can also help lower blood pressure, promote a positive outlook, and helps relieve depression.
Finding the pressure point is easy. Just bend your arm at the elbow, and right where the bending happens, on the outer crease, you will find the Quchi point.
The array of conditions that massaging on LI 11 can improve is quite long. It includes all sorts of skin irritations and issues, shoulder and knee impairments, headaches and toothaches, eye soreness and blurry vision, severe menstrual cramps, hot flushes in menopausal women, and more.
Acupressure Points for Colds and Headaches
GB 20 and GV 16 are crucial pressure points for a head cold. They alleviate head congestion and ache and relieve many other symptoms that accompany the common cold condition.
When a common cold arises, you can massage these points for at least one minute daily. If you have more time, you can rub them for 5 minutes or inform your massage or acupressure therapist to focus on them.
As a side benefit, the pressure points for a head cold will also help you strengthen your immune system, achieve better sleep and mental clarity, promote eye and neck health, and other conditions such as arthritis or epilepsy.
5. Gallbladder 20 (GB 20) - Fengchi or Wind Pool
The Gallbladder 20 pressure point helps with headaches, head colds and congestion, vertigo, and neck pain. It reduces coughing and respiratory symptoms.
You will find the GB 20 points symmetrically on both sides below the base of your skull. It is located on the left and right side of the skull base, in a depression near the muscles connected to the head. This acupoint can be a bit sore, especially if you have a cold or headache currently.
Another method to stimulate the pressure points is to clasp your hands behind your head and then slide your thumbs down in the grooves just behind your ears, at your skull base. You can use your thumbs to massage this point for a few minutes or until the symptoms lessen.
This pressure point offers other benefits to conditions such as arthritis, epilepsy, eye swelling and redness, shoulder stiffness, and irritability. This point can also help with insomnia and promote a better night's sleep.
6. Governor Vessel 16 (GV 16) - Fengfu or Wind Mansion
Governor Vessel 16, or GV 16, is one of the main pressure points for a head cold.
You can find it at the back of your head. You can spot a big hollow part centrally at the base of the skull.
Massaging there for one minute or more will relieve your head congestion and redness in the eyes and give you respite from a headache or a stiff neck. It also reduces stress, promotes blood circulation, and promotes relaxation.
7. Du 14 - Dazhui or Great Vertebra
Massage the DU 14 acupoint for one minute or more to relieve cold symptoms, headaches, eye redness, fever, malaria, epilepsy, and febrile states.
You can locate it on your spine just below the 7th cervical vertebra. 7th cervical vertebrae are very easy to identify as it is protruding, and you can quickly feel them. Du 14 is just below that.
You can tilt your neck forward to more easily find the area to stimulate with mild pressure.
8. Liver 3 (LV 3) - Taichong or Great Surge
Massaging the Liver 3 pressure point will help with head cold symptoms and relieve headaches, cold symptoms, and nausea.
You can find this point in the upper part of the feet. Place your second and middle fingers horizontally right at the gap of the juncture of your big toe and second toe. At the base is the LV 3 point. It is right where the first and second toe bones meet.
This pressure point will also help with intestinal issues, hiccups, menstrual problems, numbness in your legs, epilepsy, and infant convulsions.
Acupressure Points for Cough and Phlegm
CV 22, ST 40, and LU 5 are key pressure points for cough and mucus symptoms. They can help you clear your lungs and nose of excess mucus by massaging on these points for a minute or more once or twice a day.
9. Conception Vessel 22 (CV 22 or REN 22) - Tiantu or Celestial Prominence
The CV 22 pressure point helps with coughing due to the common cold. It's located in a hollow spot that you can feel between your neck and sternum.
Massaging this acupoint will help to relieve the phlegm in your lungs. That leads to additional relief for asthma, chest pain, voice hoarseness, and a sore throat.
10. Stomach 40 (ST 40) - Fenglong or Abundant Bulge
The ST 40 pressure point will help reduce mucus accumulation in your body, offering relief from and preventing coughing or asthma due to your cold symptoms.
You can find the Fenglong point on the front side of your lower leg. It is about one thumb width from the crest of the shinbone, on the inner leg side, and halfway between your inner ankle bone and the knee.
When you have a lot of mucus in the body, this point may feel a bit soft and mushy.
As secondary benefits, ST 40 can also give you relief from headaches, epilepsy, dizziness, leg pain, or numbness and pain.
11. Lung 5 (LU 5) - Chize or Cubit Marsh
The Lung 5 acupressure point helps clear nasal and sinus congestion. This acupoint will also offer pain relief by gently massaging this pressure point for cold. It helps relieve coughing, asthma, and sore throat.
The LU 5 pressure point is located on the inside of your arm, in the elbow joint hollow. Flex your elbow and feel it at about one finger width from the outside of the arm.
As a secondary effect, it also helps with abdominal pain, diarrhea, mastitis, elbow, and arm pain.
Is Acupressure Really a Cure for a Cold?
There's no cure for the common cold, but acupressure can help offer natural relief. Acupressure will help relieve cold symptoms and improve recovery time, but you should also control your diet and other lifestyle factors that can affect your immune system.
There can be a myriad of causes that can weaken your immune system. Some might be stress, overworking, lack of physical exercise, fresh air, sunshine, or contact with the earth's elements, anxiety, overthinking, toxic relationships, etc.
Acupressure is a great option to relieve many of those other causes. Feel free to see our other articles to get relief:
- Pressure Points for Sinus Relief
- Pressure Points for Headache Relief
- Pressure Points for Allergy Relief
Sources:
- https://www.healthline.com/health/pressure-points-for-sinus
- https://www.acupuncturetoday.com/mpacms/at/article.php?id=28457
- https://acupressure.com/articles/colds-and-flu/
- https://www.forcemedic.com/en/acupression-for-colds-and-flus/
Hi Kevin. I have found your info on the pressure points more extensive than most I have used. Give Thanks 😊 🙏