Pressing with fingers on three acupuncture points for one minute each in the days before your period, the intensity of menstrual pain, the number of days the pain lasts, and the use of medication are reduced. And you can do it yourself at home, without having to go to a therapist.

This was confirmed by German and Swiss scientists who studied the effects of self-treatment with acupressure in a group of 221 women between 18 and 34 years old over six months. They published their results in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The plants that we show you in the following video help relieve the discomfort of your period.

How to apply pressure to relieve menstrual pain

It is important to locate the points well, apply pressure appropriately and do so frequently following some guidelines:

• How to locate acupuncture points: In the illustrations and descriptions of each photo that we present below you will see where each point is located. You will notice that you are on the correct point because it will be more sensitive than the surrounding area.
• How to massage each point: When you have located the point, massage the area with your thumb with circular movements. Don’t rub back and forth.
• How much pressure to apply: You must also do it with a moderate pressureneither too strong nor too weak, without hurting you.
• Which side to start from: Concentrate on the points while you are massaging them and do so on both sides of the body. First on the right and then on the left, or vice versa.
• How long should it last: The massage or pressure must last about a minute on each point.
• At what point in the cycle should you start: You should start 5 days before the period date planned and find a place where you can sit comfortably.
• How often should you do it: In the days before periodperform acupressure twice a day. On days when it is not possible for you to do it twice, do it at least once. During the painful days of the period, try to do it at least twice. If you wish, you can apply acupressure up to five times a day.

It may help you to put on a reminder on mobile –on the calendar or in one of the many applications that exist to control the menstrual cycle– to notify you of the days on which you should perform acupressure.

Hegu: large intestine point 4

It is probably the best known acupressure point, especially for the relief of headaches and other types of pain.

It is located on the back of the hand, between the index finger and the thumb. Specifically between the first and second metacarpals. It will be easier for you to locate and press it if you pinch the thumb and index finger of the other hand: slide them between the two metacarpals towards the base of the wrist, as if they wanted to touch each other through the hand. The point is more or less halfway there.

It’s a point very sensitive to touch and acts on the large intestine meridian.

Sanyinjiao: spleen point 6

The Sanyinjiao point is commonly used to treat pelvic area disordersincluding menstrual pain and cramps.

It is located on the inside of the leg, about four fingers above the ankle bone. You can place your fingers on the ossicle to help you locate it. It lies on the tibia and is also usually a painful point.

Taichong: liver point 3

This point is used to resolve stagnations in the chi liver and treat problems such as anxiety. Also to regulate menstruation and reduce pain.

It is located about two fingers below the area where the skin of the big toe joins the skin of the next toe. That is to say, between the first and second metatarsals.

Relieve menstrual pain with acupressure

All participants in the study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology suffered from dysmenorrhea, that is, a painful periodwhich on a scale of 1 to 10 had scored at least a 6. Half of them followed acupressure guidelines on acupuncture points and the other half stuck to their usual care.

In both groups the women used a app to view the menstrual cycle and make notes. Those in the acupressure group also received instructions on how to press the points and reminders of when to do so through the mobile application.

Every day, starting to count from five days before your periodthey had to press on the three acupuncture points, agreed upon by several expert acupuncturists from China, Germany and the United States.

Less intense and shorter lasting pain

In women who practiced acupressure The improvement increased from cycle to cycle. After the first three months of treatment, they rated their pain at an average of 4.4 points (compared to scores of 5 in the control group).

At six months, the reported pain intensity had decreased significantly compared to women in the control group, specifically by an average of 1.4 points. Almost 60% of women saw their pain reduced by half.

The average number of days with pain It was 1.1 in women who used acupressure and 1.5 in those who limited themselves to usual care.

Less need for drugs

Among the women in the acupressure group, a less use of medicationwhich also decreased slightly after six months, which did not occur in the control group.

This is especially important if we take into account that 9 out of 10 women experience pain at some point during menstruation and that many resort to analgesics and anti-inflammatory which is not free of side effects.