Feeling nauseous or have a stomach ache? Is it coming from being anxious and jittery? Here’s the best acupressure point for quick relief, it’s called Inner Gate and is also known as PC 6, it’s the 6th point on the Pericardium meridian and is often another ‘go to’ point for many acupuncturists as it’s gentle, calming, wide ranging and supportive.
This point is easy to find – it’s situated on the inside of the forearm, a measure of two and a half thumb widths back up the arm towards the body from the centre of the wrist crease, it’s between the two tendons you’ll feel running up the arm, the ones which cause the hand and fingers to flex inwards.
Use the index finger to press down gently on this point and circle in both directions for three minutes – that’s all there is to it, acupressure is something you can do for yourself whenever it’s needed and wherever you are.
The classic Chinese texts also have Inner Gate as the main point for the chest and heart and good for deep energy conservation. There are other uses listed too, such as helping with general stomach ache, diarrhoea from emotional / anxiety problems and any form of chest congestion.
There have been many studies conducted on this particular point and The British Acupuncture Council have a fact sheet looking at it’s use for postoperative nausea, which concluded that the use of PC6 was significantly better than sham treatment and ‘at least as good as anti-emetic drugs with minimal side effects’. You have nothing to lose in trying this point on yourself at home and indeed, it’s the one that is used for travel sickness bands that can be bought nowadays from many places, but those should be worn sparingly as the constant tight pressure they provide is different to gentle acupressure done in three minute bursts.
Please remember that the above is no substitute for appropriate medical treatment, if you’re constantly nauseous or have chest pain, the advice would always be to get yourself checked by your GP – think of acupressure as an additional item for your wellbeing toolkit.
If anyone wants an informal chat, or wants to hear more about acupuncture, contact me for a free phone consultation.
