Acupressure and acupuncture come from the same system. Chinese medicine describes qi circulating through twelve principal meridians, each associated with an organ, plus two central vessels. Where flow is disturbed, symptoms follow; pressing or needling specific points is held to restore it.
Lung, Large Intestine, Stomach, Spleen, Heart, Small Intestine, Bladder, Kidney, Pericardium, Triple Burner, Gallbladder and Liver — paired into six yin and six yang channels, running in a fixed sequence with a daily cycle in which each is held to be at its strongest for two hours.
These are the ones most commonly taught for self-use, all safe to press firmly for a minute or two.
Firm, steady pressure with the thumb or a knuckle. Enough to feel a dull ache, not sharp pain. One to three minutes per point, breathing slowly. Both sides. Twice a day is plenty.
I would rather tell you this than have you find out elsewhere. Acupressure and acupuncture have been studied extensively. The clearest positive findings are for nausea — post-operative, chemotherapy-related and in pregnancy — and there is moderate evidence for some chronic pain conditions. For most other indications the evidence is weak or the effect is difficult to distinguish from placebo.
That does not make it worthless. Relief is relief, it is free, it carries almost no risk when done gently, and it gives people something active to do. But it is not a substitute for treatment of a serious condition, and no honest practitioner should tell you otherwise.
Wooden and brass jimmies, rollers, pointed probes and pressure rings are used to reach points more precisely than fingers can. They are simple tools and there is nothing wrong with them.
Dr Reinhold Voll (1909–1989) developed electroacupuncture according to Voll (EAV), measuring skin electrical resistance at points and inferring organ condition from the readings. It is part of the history of this field and the old site covered it. It should be said clearly that EAV devices are not accepted as diagnostic instruments, that regulators in several countries have acted against diagnostic claims made for them, and that using one in place of proper investigation would be a serious mistake.
This site is a personal account and a record of traditional practice, shared for information. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not a treatment for any disease. I am not a doctor.
If you are unwell — and especially if you have a serious illness such as cancer, diabetes or heart disease — please stay under the care of a qualified physician. Nothing here should replace or delay that care.