5 Acupressure Points to Relieve Lower Back Pain

What's the Cause?

Sometimes, the cause of lower back pain can be difficult to pinpoint, in this case, doctors refer to it as “non-specific” back pain. However, it can sometimes be caused by a medical condition or injury such as a slipped disc - where a disc of cartilage is pressing on a nerve - or Sciatica, an irritation of the nerve that runs from the pelvis down to the feet. 

There are several things you can do day-to-day to ensure you maintain good posture and limit the risk of back pain or injuries. These include regular exercise, limiting the amount of heavy lifting you have to do, checking you sit correctly and comfortably when watching the TV or when working at a desk, and ensuring you have a supportive mattress.

That said, you may still encounter lower back pain, and, if this is the case, a good form of relief can be acupressure. In this article, we aim to take you through the basics of acupressure and its origins and will provide you with our top 5 acupressure points to ease lower back pain. 

What is Acupressure? 

Acupressure is a historic practice going back thousands of years and originating in China or India. It involves applying pressure to specific areas of the body and has become a widely-used treatment for a variety of ailments and chronic pains, from sprains to aches, to conditions such as Sciatica, which may need regular application of acupressure. 

Using similar pressure points to those of acupuncture, but without the application of needles, acupressure involves massaging these areas with a finger, thumb, or specialist device. These points can either be the specific area of pain, where you massage and stretch out the muscle, or alternatively, targeting points that are seemingly unrelated to the problem area. 

This may seem weird, but the locations of acupressure points are based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory that the concept of life energy flows through "meridians" in the body. Meridians are not anatomical parts of the body, rather they’re a traditional Chinese concept of a path through which the life-energy known as "qi" (also spelled “chi”) flows. Acupressure aims to clear blockages in these meridians to promote free-flowing energy, and to stimulate the meridian system to bring about relief by rebalancing yin, yang and qi. 

 When performing acupressure, whether on yourself or on others, the application of pressure must be precise and informed, as there are over 650 individual pressure points, with 365 of these located on the major channels. 

Check out our top 5 acupressure points for targeting lower back pain, below: 

Most Effective Ways to Apply Pressure 

• Use deep, firm pressure to massage and stimulate each point, but you should also use a more gentle technique if the area is delicate, for example, behind the knee, as mentioned above. 
• When massaging the pressure point, sit or lie in a comfortable position, close your eyes, and breathe deeply.
• Repeat the practice as often as you like; there is no limit to the number of times a day or week that you can apply acupressure. 
• Besides massaging these points on yourself, anyone can also help massage these points for you. This is particularly useful for targeting pressure points on the back, as these can be hard to reach, or difficult to relax in while applying pressure to yourself.

Does it Work? 

Acupressure points, like acupuncture, have mixed reviews, and, just like medication and other forms of treatment like massage and chiropracty, it works differently for different people. 

However the great thing about acupressure is that you can do it yourself and it’s completely free (unless you purchase special accessories to accompany the practice, or visit a professional). Because of this, it’s a great technique to try out if you find yourself continually suffering with pain, or if you’re fed up of spending money on different treatments and never quite getting to the root of the issue. It’s also a good way to target specific areas of pain without immediately opting for Opioids and other drugs, which can be very addictive.

Self-administered acupressure is not only free, but is also relatively easy to perform, and can help with an array of other issues alongside back pain, such as insomnia, chronic fatigue and even mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression. 

While medical experts agree that more research needs to be carried out on the effectiveness of acupressure, studies have indicated that it can help manage issues such as nausea and vomiting, lower back pain, tension headaches, stomach ache and a multitude of other conditions. 

You may have heard of people wearing a wristband to combat motion or travel sickness, and this is based on the idea that the band presses down on the P6 acupuncture point as a way to combat nausea. 

Safety Concerns 

Generally, acupressure is very safe, however some people should speak to their doctor before practicing acupressure on themselves: 

• If you are pregnant, or if you have high blood pressure, you may need to avoid acupressure, so check with a doctor first. 
• If you have cancer, arthritis, heart disease, or a chronic condition, talk to your doctor first. 
• You should be aware that acupressure cannot treat open wounds, scar tissue, varicose veins, or areas of inflammation or swelling.

Additional Tools for Acupressure 

You may wish to utilise additional instruments for applying pressure to points via rubbing, rolling or targeting the reflex zones of the body:

Acuball: this is a small rubber ball with protuberances that you can heat up for extra pain relief. It’s used to apply pressure to muscular or joint pain. 

Energy roller: Similar to the acuball, this is a cylindrical roller with protuberances, which is placed on the floor so that you can roll your foot back and forth over it. 

Power mat: the power mat is a mat with small, pyramid shaped bumps on it that you can walk over. 

Spine roller: This bumpy roller contains magnets and is rolled up and down the spine. 

The Teishein: Although the Teishein is one of the original nine classical acupuncture needles used by early acupuncturists, it doesn’t actually pierce the skin, and is instead used to apply rapid percussion pressure to certain points on the body. 

Other Things to Try With Acupressure

Yoga

One thing that works well with acupressure is yoga. Yoga is thought to have originated in India about 5,000 years ago and is a mind-body practice that can have alleviating effects on not only physical pain, but mental stresses too. It is a great way to relax yourself and strengthen your body. 

Yoga poses focus on strength, flexibility and breathing. Practicing yoga for just a few minutes a day can loosen tight muscles, keep your body supple and well-postured, and help you become more aware of yourself generally - which can allow you to more easily identify areas where you carry tightness or pain. Poses such as “cat-cow”, “downward-facing dog” and the “extended triangle” are well-suited for targeting tension and pain in the lower-back.

While you may think it’s expensive to attend a yoga class at your local gym or community centre, you don’t actually need to attend a class to do it. Yoga can be done at home providing you practice safely. It’s a good idea to use a yoga mat for comfort on hard surfaces and added grip, and always ensure you are warmed up before trying more complex poses. There are a range of videos on youtube offering excellent yoga tutorials. 

Like any sport or treatment, yoga usually has the most beneficial effect when it’s carried out continually and you practice regularly. After a while, you’ll start to notice a considerable impact on your muscle flexibility, relaxation, posture, and even mental health, too. 

Acupuncture 

Similar to acupressure, this ancient chinese practice also targets specific areas of the body, or seemingly unrelated pressure points, that can help unblock meridians. 

By piercing the points with needles, sensory nerves are stimulated under the skin and in your muscles, promoting the production of pain-relieving endorphins. It is often used for chronic tension headaches, migraines, neck pain, dental pain and joint pain.

Acupuncture is usually more beneficial if you have ongoing sessions, rather than one isolated application of the treatment. However, it’s also worth noting that this practice cannot be done at home, and you must seek the advice of a doctor, or visit a specialist acupuncturist in order to receive this treatment. 

Final Verdict

Acupressure works differently for different people; you may find it life-changing, or you may find it has little effect. However, thanks to it being relatively easy to administer, and a free alternative to medical treatments, it's certainly worth giving it a go. It's also more likely to make a difference to your lower back pain if you do it in conjunction with yoga, and if you carry out both of these practices regularly. You can also look to make small changes to your lifestyle, such as ensuring your chair and bed are sufficiently supportive, checking your posture is correct, and regularly exercising.