Pressure Points for Headache 头痛

The four worth knowing

• LI4 — Hegu (合谷): the fleshy mound between thumb and index finger; squeeze it between the other hand's thumb and finger. The tradition's master point for the head and face^[1]. (Avoided in pregnancy by classical rule^[1].)
• GB20 — Fengchi (风池): the twin hollows under the skull's base, either side of the neck muscles; press upward with both thumbs, head heavy in the hands. The tension-headache favorite.
• Taiyang (太阳): the temples — one finger-width behind the point between eyebrow's end and eye's corner; slow small circles.
• Yintang (印堂): between the eyebrows; light pressure, eyes closed. The point every stressed reader is already rubbing.

Work each 30–60 seconds, breathe slowly, repeat the circuit; neck stretches and a glass of water between rounds are half the medicine.

What the evidence says

Honestly: the strong trials are for needled versions — moderate- quality evidence that acupuncture reduces migraine frequency and helps tension-type headache^[2]. Acupressure's own trials are small and suggestive, so file this page as "plausible, cheap, and safe" rather than proven — a fair trade for something that costs ten minutes.

When it isn't a pressure-point problem

The thunderclap headache (sudden, worst-ever), headache with fever and stiff neck, after a head injury, with confusion, weakness, or vision loss, or a new headache pattern past middle age — these go to a doctor now, not to a thumb. Recurring severe headaches deserve a diagnosis; a licensed practitioner or your physician should know the pattern before you manage it alone.

Reviewed 2026-08-26