Acupressure for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Midwife Elide Newton shares the acupressure techniques she learned from our home study program, Ancient Secrets for Better Bumps, Births and Babies. In this pregnancy case study, Elide uses acupressure for carpal tunnel syndrome, providing relief to a pregnant woman by applying pressure to specific points on her client’s body.

Wow, that’s the first time I have felt my fingers in months!

The client was 24 years of age, 35 weeks pregnant and was having her first baby. I met her for the first time at her antenatal clinic appointment where the usual checks of her and the baby were attended. She identified that she had been in a bit of pain and discomfort lately, but it had been that way during the whole pregnancy. She suffered from severe carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain and sciatic nerve pain. She was doing wrist exercises and stretches as well as wrist splints at night, none of which had provided any relief. She stated her hands were constantly numb and “tingling”. She wasn’t doing anything for her back pain or sciatic nerve pain.

The points I chose for her carpal tunnel syndrome were SJ-6 and PC-6. I held both points together and pressed for one to two minutes and immediately she noticed relief. Her exact words were “Wow, that’s the first time I have felt my fingers in months.” While holding the points she noticed feeling come back into her hands and the pain and tingling reduce. I was quite surprised by the immediate flow of Qi and how quickly it relieved her symptoms. I explained to her how to find the points and to use them herself. I also suggested sea-sickness bands for long-term wear if she was interested.

The second point I chose was BL-31 for back pain. I found the point easy to locate as she noticed the hot spot immediately and felt instant relief of back pain. However, being only 35 weeks pregnant, I discouraged her from using this point until she was 37 weeks pregnant. I also encouraged acupuncture for back and hip pain.

The third point I chose was GB-30 for sciatic nerve pain/hip pain. I found this point difficult to locate and didn’t feel as confident when pressing it. She could not feel a big difference, but the point felt quite tender to her. I also discussed stretches and massage for pain relief.

Overall, I felt that these acupressure points were an excellent option for treating minor disorders of pregnancy. They were effective and easily identified by the woman and provided some relief she hadn’t previously felt. I felt like I had really helped her and made a small difference to her everyday symptoms. I especially love using pregnancy points as they can be so simple and can make a huge difference.

Learn more about our acupressure course for midwives and doulas, Ancient Secrets for Better Bumps, Births and Babies.