Acupressure tools

The classic

Elastic acupressure wristbands, pair

A simple elastic band with a plastic stud. Cheap, washable, and the thing most of my patients already own. Buy the pair; you need both wrists.

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If you would rather use your thumb

Small acupressure ring or stud tool

You do not need a tool at all; a thumb works. But a small stud tool lets you press PC6 firmly through a sleeve on a plane without anyone noticing.

From Acupressure wristbands for nausea, motion sickness and morning sickness

For a queasy child

Child-size acupressure wristbands

Adult bands slide around on a small wrist and the stud ends up nowhere near the point. The child sizes hold it in place. Put them on before the car starts, not after the first complaint from the back seat.

From Acupressure wristbands for nausea, motion sickness and morning sickness

The other sense

Peppermint aromatherapy inhaler stick

A sealed inhaler tube you sniff, nothing to swallow or spill. Some of my patients find a sharp peppermint smell steadies a queasy stomach on a boat or a plane. Use it with the band, not instead of it.

From Acupressure wristbands for nausea, motion sickness and morning sickness

For the clammy stage

Cooling towel

The hot, clammy phase of motion sickness responds to a cool cloth on the back of the neck. A cooling towel wrung out in any water does that in a car, and gives a nauseated passenger something to do.

From Acupressure wristbands for nausea, motion sickness and morning sickness

For pregnancy or long trips

Adjustable acupressure band with a firmer stud

Adjustable straps hold the stud where you put it, which matters if you are wearing it for hours. Slightly more pressure than the elastic kind.

From Acupressure wristbands for nausea, motion sickness and morning sickness

Best overall

Spiky massage ball, firm

The spikes find the tight strands of the fascia in a way a smooth ball does not. Keep one by the bed and one under the desk.

From Sore feet and plantar fasciitis: rollers, balls and the point on top of the foot

For a whole-foot roll

Wooden foot roller with ridges

Sit, put a foot on it, roll heel to toe. Gentler and broader than the ball. Good for people who find the spiky ball too sharp on a bad day.

From Sore feet and plantar fasciitis: rollers, balls and the point on top of the foot

For the calf

Foot and calf stretching slant board

A slant board makes the calf stretch happen, because you can stand on it while brushing your teeth. The stretch is what fixes this; the board just makes you do it.

From Sore feet and plantar fasciitis: rollers, balls and the point on top of the foot

You will also need

Firm arch-support insoles

Not a cure, but a supportive insole in the shoes you stand in all day takes load off the fascia while it settles. Pick firm over squishy.

From Sore feet and plantar fasciitis: rollers, balls and the point on top of the foot

For the calf

Muscle roller stick

A handheld stick with rolling segments, used sitting down, on the calf. The plantar fascia takes the strain of a tight calf, so working the calf is half the treatment. Two minutes each side, then the wall stretch.

From Sore feet and plantar fasciitis: rollers, balls and the point on top of the foot

On hard floors

Supportive house slippers with arch support

Barefoot on tile and hardwood is what a sore heel hates most. A pair of supportive slippers by the bed, worn from the first step of the day, takes strain off the fascia while it settles.

From Sore feet and plantar fasciitis: rollers, balls and the point on top of the foot

Overnight

Plantar fasciitis stretching sock

A soft sock with a strap that holds the toes gently up overnight, so the fascia does not tighten as much and the first steps are kinder. Some of my patients find it helps a lot. The rigid night boots mostly get abandoned; the sock gets worn.

From Sore feet and plantar fasciitis: rollers, balls and the point on top of the foot

Best overall

ProsourceFit Acupressure Mat and Pillow Set

The one I most often point patients to. Sensible spike density, comes with a pillow, and it is the mat most of my patients already own and keep using.

From Acupressure mats: which one to buy, and how to actually use it

Upgrade pick

Shakti Mat (Original)

Cotton cover, natural fill, hand-made, and spikes that are sharper and more evenly set than the budget options. If you know you like mats, this is the nicer version.

From Acupressure mats: which one to buy, and how to actually use it

For neck and shoulders only

Acupressure neck pillow (standalone)

If your problem is a tight neck and the base of your skull and you already have a foam roller or similar for your back, a standalone spiked pillow is enough.

From Acupressure mats: which one to buy, and how to actually use it

For tall people

Extra-long acupressure mat

A standard mat runs from the base of the skull to the sacrum on an average adult. If you are over about six feet, it stops short of one or the other. The extra-long versions fix that, and the spike density is the same as a standard mat.

From Acupressure mats: which one to buy, and how to actually use it

For the feet

Acupressure foot mat

A small spiked mat to stand on for two or three minutes, holding the counter. Intense, then warming. People with tired, achy feet after a day standing tend to love it, and it is a good wind-down step for the ones who will not lie on a floor.

From Acupressure mats: which one to buy, and how to actually use it

Under the mat

Thin exercise mat

A mat needs a firm floor to work, and a firm floor gets uncomfortable at the hips and heels by minute fifteen. A thin exercise mat underneath keeps the pressure where it should be and takes the edge off the floor.

From Acupressure mats: which one to buy, and how to actually use it

So you stop watching the clock

Simple kitchen timer

Ten minutes on the mat feels like thirty if you are checking. A twist timer across the room means the phone stays out of it, which matters if the mat is your sleep ritual.

From Acupressure mats: which one to buy, and how to actually use it

Trigger point cane (hook-style self-massager)

The hooked cane reaches the base of the skull and the tops of the shoulders with real leverage. Ugly, cheap and genuinely useful.

From Three acupressure points for a tension headache, and how to press them

Hands-free GB20

Peanut-shaped double massage ball

Lie on your back with the groove of the peanut under the base of your skull, so the two balls sit in the hollows either side of the neck muscles. Five minutes, slow breathing, no thumbs needed.

From Three acupressure points for a tension headache, and how to press them

Save your thumbs

Thumb-saver hand-held pressure tool

A small knob that fits in the palm and takes the strain off your thumb joint. If you get to a minute on LI4 or the shoulder and your thumb gives out first, this is the fix.

From Three acupressure points for a tension headache, and how to press them

Start here

Firm massage ball set

A pair of firm, grippy rubber balls, one for the wall at home and one for the desk drawer. This is the tool I would hand anyone with a knot inside the shoulder blade.

From Massage balls and trigger point tools for the knots you cannot reach

For the back

Peanut massage ball

The double shape cradles the spine in its groove and presses the long muscles on either side. Lie on it on the floor and let it sit under one level of the back at a time.

From Massage balls and trigger point tools for the knots you cannot reach

If the floor is hard for you

Hooked back self-massage cane

A shaped cane with knobs that you hook over your shoulder and pull. You get firm, controlled pressure into the upper back while sitting in a chair, with no lying down.

From Massage balls and trigger point tools for the knots you cannot reach

Gentler option

Soft textured massage ball

If the firm balls are too much, a softer, slightly spiky ball spreads the pressure out. Good for beginners and for sensitive areas like the front of the shoulder.

From Massage balls and trigger point tools for the knots you cannot reach

Pairs with the belly points

Microwavable heat pack, long or belly-sized

A heat pack draped over the lower belly while you press the leg points is the combination most of my patients stick with. Cordless, so you can curl up on the couch with it. Take it off before you fall asleep.

From Acupressure points for period cramps

To get started

Ear seed kit with vaccaria seeds and tweezers

Seeds pre-mounted on small adhesive squares, with tweezers and an ear chart. Vaccaria is the traditional choice and is gentle on sensitive skin.

From How to use ear seeds: placement, pressing and how long to leave them

For sensitive skin

Hypoallergenic clear ear seed tape

If regular tan tape irritates your skin, clear hypoallergenic tape is less noticeable and often better tolerated.

From How to use ear seeds: placement, pressing and how long to leave them