Hand and Wrist Pressure Points: The Library
These are 15 acupressure points on the hands and wrists that you can press with your own thumb, sitting in a chair. Each one has its own page: where it sits, how to find it, how long to hold, and what the old texts recorded about it. No needles anywhere — everything here is done with your hands.
Jump to: Lower back · Neck & shoulders · Hands & wrists · Night waking
Lower back
Yaotongdian (EX-UE7): Hand Pressure Points for Sudden Lower Back Pain
Yaotongdian (EX-UE7) are two hand pressure points used when the lower back suddenly seizes up. Learn where…
Sanjian (LI3): Hand Pressure Point for a Lower Back That Aches Most Days
Sanjian (LI3) is a hand pressure point in the dip behind your first knuckle, used for a lower back that aches…
Houxi (SI3): The Hand Pressure Point for Lower Back Pain and a Stiff Neck
Houxi (SI3) is a pressure point on the outer edge of your hand, used when the lower back aches or your neck…
Head, neck & shoulders
Hegu (LI4): The Hand Pressure Point for Headache and Jaw Ache
Hegu (LI4) is the hand pressure point between your thumb and first finger, commonly used for headache and jaw…
Wangu (SI4): The Hand-Edge Point for a Stiff Neck and Shoulder
Wangu (SI4) sits on the little-finger edge of your hand, right before the wrist. Find it and press it for a…
Zhongzhu (TE3): The Back-of-Hand Point for a Stiff Neck and Aching Shoulder
Zhongzhu (TE3) sits in a groove on the back of your hand. Learn how to find it and press it for a stiff neck…
Waiguan (TE5): The Forearm Point for Shoulder Pain and a Stiff Neck
Waiguan (TE5) is a forearm pressure point three fingers above the wrist. See how to find it and press it for…
Fingers, thumbs & wrists
Baxie (EX-UE9): Hand Pressure Points for Stiff, Swollen Finger Joints
Baxie (EX-UE9) are eight pressure points in the finger webs, used for stiff, puffy finger joints. Press each…
Yangxi (LI5): The Thumb-Base Wrist Point for Sore Wrists and Thumbs
Yangxi (LI5) is a wrist pressure point in the hollow at the base of the thumb. How to find it, how gently to…
Daling (PC7): The Middle-of-the-Wrist-Crease Point for Sore, Tired Wrists
Daling (PC7) is the pressure point in the middle of the inner wrist crease, used for a sore, tired wrist. How…
Yanggu (SI5): The Outer Wrist Point for an Ache Running Down the Arm
Yanggu (SI5) is the hollow beside the knobby bone on the little-finger side of the wrist. Find it and press…
Yangchi (TE4): The Back-of-Wrist Point for a Stiff, Sore Wrist and Shoulder
Yangchi (TE4) is the soft dip on the back of the wrist crease. Learn how to find it and press it gently for a…
Waking in the night
Shenmen (HT7): Wrist Pressure Point for Waking at 3 a.m. and Not Settling
Shenmen (HT7) is a wrist pressure point used in Vietnamese tradition when you wake at 2 or 3 a.m. and cannot…
Neiguan (PC6): The Inner Wrist Point for Night Waking and Nausea
Neiguan (PC6) is a forearm pressure point used for a churning stomach and 2 a.m. waking. Where it sits, how…
Laogong (PC8): The Palm Pressure Point for Tension and Restlessness
Laogong (PC8) is a pressure point in the centre of the palm, used when you feel wound up or restless. Where…
Hand and wrist pressure point chart
| Point | Where it sits | Commonly used for |
|---|---|---|
| Yaotongdian (EX-UE7) | Back of each hand, halfway between wrist crease and knuckles, in two of the grooves. | Commonly used when the lower back suddenly seizes up and you cannot bend. |
| Sanjian (LI3) | Back of the hand, in the small dip behind the first-finger knuckle, thumb side. | Commonly used for a heavy, aching lower back that lasts through the day. |
| Houxi (SI3) | Outer edge of the hand, where the palm crease ends, behind the little-finger knuckle. | Commonly used when the lower back aches or the neck will not turn. |
| Hegu (LI4) | Back of the hand, in the muscle mound between thumb and first finger. | Commonly used for headache, jaw ache, a tight neck and everyday soreness. |
| Wangu (SI4) | Outer edge of the hand, little-finger side, in the dip before the wrist. | A stiff neck and shoulder, plus aching wrist and finger joints. |
| Zhongzhu (TE3) | Back of the hand, in the groove between the ring-finger and little-finger bones. | A stiff neck, an aching shoulder and ringing ears. |
| Waiguan (TE5) | Back of the forearm, in the hollow between the two bones. | An aching shoulder, an arm that will not lift, a stiff neck and ringing ears. |
| Baxie (EX-UE9) | The outer edge of each of the four finger webs on each hand, eight in all. | Commonly used for fingers that are stiff, puffy and slow to open in the morning. |
| Yangxi (LI5) | Small hollow at the base of the thumb, on the thumb side of the wrist fold. | Commonly used in Vietnamese tradition for a sore wrist and an aching thumb joint. |
| Daling (PC7) | Exact middle of the inner wrist crease, palm up, in the gap between two cords. | Commonly used for a tired, aching wrist, and in the evening to wind down. |
| Yanggu (SI5) | Little-finger side of the wrist, in the hollow before the knobby forearm bone. | A sore wrist, a stiff neck and an ache that travels up the outer arm. |
| Yangchi (TE4) | Back of the wrist, in the soft dip on the crease. | Stiff wrists, plus an aching shoulder and outer arm further up the same line. |
| Shenmen (HT7) | Inner wrist crease, little-finger edge, in the hollow beside a small round bone. | Commonly used when someone wakes in the small hours and cannot settle. |
| Neiguan (PC6) | Inner forearm, three finger-widths above the wrist crease, between the two cords. | Commonly used for a racing chest, a churning stomach and waking in the small hours. |
| Laogong (PC8) | Centre of the palm, a little nearer the fingers than the wrist. | Commonly used when someone feels wound up, restless, or unable to settle. |
This library grows. Points are added as each one is written and checked.