How to Use Acupressure for Chemotherapy Side Effects

Chemotherapy is hard. The treatment that is meant to help can produce its own set of difficulties, including nausea, fatigue that does not lift, pain, anxiety, sleep disruption, and the bone-deep depletion that builds over the course of treatment. The conventional medications that manage these side effects help, but they come with their own costs and do not always reach the full picture of what patients are dealing with.

Acupressure is one of the most well-researched complementary tools for chemotherapy side effects. The acupressure wristbands that some oncology wards distribute work on a specific point that has been studied for decades. A few other points address the other major side effects, and patients can use them at home between treatments without any equipment.

Here are five points that work, why they work, and when to bring them up with your oncology team.

What to Use and When

Each point addresses a different aspect of what chemotherapy does to the body. You can use them individually when a specific symptom is bothering you, or you can use the full protocol once or twice a day as general support during treatment.

1. Press on P6 on the inside of your wrist for nausea. P6 is the most well-researched acupressure point for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. It is located about three finger-widths up from your wrist crease, on the inside of your forearm, between the two tendons in the middle. Press firmly with your thumb for one to two minutes on each wrist. The acupressure wristbands distributed in some oncology wards stimulate this same point. P6 calms the Pericardium and the Heart in Chinese medicine, which directly affects the autonomic nervous system signal that produces nausea. The point can be pressed before, during, and after chemotherapy infusions.

2. Press on ST36 below your knee for fatigue. ST36 is located about four finger-widths below the kneecap, one finger-width to the outside of the shin bone. Press firmly with your thumb for one to two minutes on each leg. ST36 is one of the most studied points in acupuncture research and is the workhorse point for digestive health and energy. It strengthens the Stomach and Spleen, supports the body’s capacity to absorb nutrition and rebuild after each treatment cycle, and is one of the strongest points for cancer-related fatigue. Daily use during treatment is reasonable.

3. Press on KI3 on the inside of your ankle for deeper exhaustion. KI3 sits in the depression between the inside of your ankle bone and the Achilles tendon. Press firmly with your thumb for one to two minutes on each side. KI3 addresses the bone-deep depletion that builds over the course of chemotherapy. In Chinese medicine, the Kidneys store the foundational energy of the body, and chemotherapy taxes this reserve. KI3 helps preserve and rebuild it. This is the point to use when the fatigue feels like it is coming from somewhere deeper than just tiredness, when you feel hollowed out rather than just sleepy.

4. Press on Yintang between your eyebrows for anxiety and emotional overwhelm. Yintang sits directly between your eyebrows, where many people press when they have a headache. Press gently with your index finger for one to two minutes. The point calms the mind, settles the nervous system, and is one of the most useful points for the anxiety, fear, and emotional weight that come with cancer treatment. It can be used multiple times a day. The emotional toll of treatment is real and pressing this point regularly gives the nervous system small moments of pause.

5. Press on LI4 in the webbing between your thumb and index finger for pain. LI4 is located in the soft tissue webbing between your thumb and index finger, in the muscle that bulges out when you press your thumb against the side of your index finger. Press firmly with the thumb of your other hand for one to two minutes. Switch hands and repeat. LI4 is one of the most useful points for general pain and discomfort. It stimulates the release of endorphins and other natural pain-relieving chemicals and addresses the kind of body-wide ache that chemotherapy can produce. The point should not be used during pregnancy, but this is generally not a concern during chemotherapy treatment.

Why This Works

Chemotherapy works by attacking rapidly dividing cells. Cancer cells are the primary target, but the treatment also affects other rapidly dividing cells in the body, including those lining the digestive tract, the cells of the immune system, and the bone marrow. The side effects you experience are the body’s response to this broader impact.

Acupressure works at the level of the nervous system and the body’s regulatory mechanisms.

• P6 calms the part of the brainstem that produces the nausea response, which is why it works whether the nausea is from chemotherapy, motion sickness, morning sickness, or post-anesthesia recovery. The mechanism is the same.

• ST36 stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, supports digestive function, and has been shown in research to reduce inflammatory markers and improve immune function during cancer treatment. The point is part of nearly every classical Chinese medicine protocol for chemotherapy support because the mechanism is so broad and so reliable.

• KI3 addresses the deeper constitutional depletion that builds over the course of treatment. The full picture of how chronic stress and depletion affect the body is in What Is Cortisol and Why Do I Have So Much of It?.

• Yintang and LI4 work through the release of endogenous opioids and the regulation of the nervous system signal that produces anxiety and pain. Both points have been studied for these effects across multiple clinical contexts.

How to Use the Points During a Treatment Cycle

The timing of acupressure during chemotherapy can be adapted to where you are in the cycle.

• Before infusion. P6 can be pressed in the waiting room or on the way to treatment as a preventive measure for the nausea that often follows.

• During infusion. P6 and Yintang can be used in the chair during the infusion itself. Both points are accessible without disrupting any of the lines or equipment.

• The day of and the day after infusion. P6 for ongoing nausea. LI4 for body aches. Yintang for the emotional weight.

• The following days. ST36 and KI3 to support the recovery and rebuilding between cycles. Daily use is reasonable.

• Between cycles. The full protocol can be used as general support to help the body recover before the next treatment.

What This Does Not Do

Acupressure does not treat cancer. It does not replace any part of your oncology care. It does not interact with your chemotherapy or change how the treatment works. It simply gives you some tools to manage the side effects that come with treatment.

If you are dealing with severe symptoms that are not responding to the medications your oncology team has prescribed, talk to your team. There are often additional medications and approaches they can offer. Acupressure can sit alongside these, not instead of them.

When to Get Clinical Help

Acupressure is a tool you can use at home, but acupuncture itself is a more substantial intervention with stronger research support for chemotherapy side effects. Many cancer centers now have integrative oncology programs that include licensed acupuncturists, and your oncology team can usually refer you to one. If your center does not have an integrative program, you can find a licensed acupuncturist in your area who has experience treating patients during chemotherapy.

Let your oncology team know if you are using acupressure or considering acupuncture so they can coordinate with the broader treatment plan. Most oncologists are supportive of acupressure and acupuncture as complementary approaches and can help you find a qualified practitioner.

Reach out to Above and Beyond Acupuncture on North Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard in Scottsdale to schedule a consultation if you are in the area and looking for support during chemotherapy.

Schedule an appointment online or call us today to start your journey to relief.

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The points above are only as effective as the technique used to apply them. Where to press, how firmly, and for how long all affect the result. For a full breakdown of how to perform acupressure properly at home, read Performing Acupressure in 3 Easy Steps.