If you’re dealing with eye issues such as blurry vision, dry eyes, irritation, eye strain, or double vision, you might be wondering if massaging the acupressure points for your eyes can improve your eye health.
Research on the relationship between acupressure and eye health is minimal. However, it’s believed that massaging specific acupressure points may provide relief for certain acute and chronic eye conditions.
Keep reading to learn more about acupressure and how it might benefit your eyes.
Unless you’re a trained acupuncturist or you’re receiving professional treatments, using your fingertips to massage these points, rather than needles, is an additional way to target these areas.
Acupressure or pressure points are specific areas of the body that run along meridians or channels through which the energy in our body flows.
These pressure points are rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, which uses them to promote overall wellness.
Acupressure is different from acupuncture, which uses needles to treat a variety of health conditions.
While several acupressure points exist on the body, Ani Baran, a licensed acupuncturist and owner of NJ Acupuncture Center says there are four popular eye acupressure points for eye-related issues.
Zan Zhu Point
- Location: Along the inner-eye area, next to the nose.
- Indication: The Zan Zhu pressure point is used when trying to relieve red, itchy, or painful eyes, excessive tear production, allergies, headaches, and more.
Si Zhu Kong Point
- Location: Found at the end tip of the brow, away from the eye.
- Indication: Si Zhu Kong is a common point that may help relieve headache and migraine pain, which are common complaints with eye strain.
Cheng Qi Point
- Location: Directly under the eye and center to the eye area.
- Indication: The Cheng Qi pressure point is used to help relieve symptoms of conjunctivitis, eye redness, swelling and pain in the eye, and twitching.
Yang Bai Point
- Location: To the left side of the center of the forehead, just above the left eye.
- Indication: The Yang Bai point may be helpful when trying to relieve headaches, eye twitching, and even glaucoma.
When massaging acupressure points for the eyes, it’s important to use the correct technique and find the right balance.
Performing any facial acupressure, including eye acupressure, requires knowledge of the specific point and proper technique to massage the area.
In other words, you need to be careful enough not to cause pain but also apply firm enough pressure to be effective.
“This technique should never be painful, but you should feel a sense of acute pressure in the area you are applying acupressure to,” explains Baran.
For a gentler, but still effective approach, Baran recommends massaging the points for the eyes in a circular manner. “This is a relaxing way to ease into the practice,” she says.
Once you’ve massaged the area, Baran says to hold the point for 10 to 15 seconds, then release for about the same amount of time.
Repeat this process at the same point between 6 to 10 times, depending on the affliction.
Remember to breathe. Slow, deep breathing is important during this process.
The benefits of massaging the areas near the eye are endless, according to Baran.
“Acupressure is a great, noninvasive way to give our eyes a bit of TLC and help them recover from the stressors of the day,” explains Baron.
This is especially important in a time when we’re constantly looking at our phones, computers, tablets, and television screens.
Help relieve tension
Baran says massaging pressure points for the eyes may help relieve tension and headaches, and provide a sense of relaxation.
Alleviate eye twitching
Focusing on these points may also help alleviate eye twitching or weakness.
Improve vision problems
Additionally, Baran points out that certain eye acupressure points are believed to improve vision problems, such as nearsightedness and night blindness.
May help with glaucoma
Acupressure may also help with more complicated eye health conditions like glaucoma and floaters by increasing the blood flow and relaxing the muscles in the area, according to Baran.
And research supports these claims.
A
The patients in the study were divided into two groups.
One group received auricular acupressure (the auricular acupressure group). The other group received acupressure on points not related to vision and without massage stimulation (the sham group).
The 16 patients in the group receiving auricular acupressure did regular massaging twice a day for 4 weeks.
After the treatment and at the 8-week follow-up, intraocular pressure and vision activity improved significantly in the auricular acupressure group when compared with the sham group.
Massaging the acupressure points for the eyes is a technique you can use at home and on a daily basis. Once you have the right touch, you should be able to apply pressure without causing pain to the pressure point.
If you experience discomfort or pain while applying pressure, stop immediately and consult a trained acupuncturist for further information. They can help you locate the correct points for the eyes and teach you how to apply the right pressure.
You can find an acupuncturist online here.
While acupressure may help with minor issues related to eye health, you should always talk with a healthcare provider first. Having a conversation with them is especially important if you’re experiencing serious issues. It’s also just as important if you’re already under a healthcare provider’s care for vision problems.