Acupressure to Boost Immune Function

Here's a series of acupuncture points that will help stoke your body's immune system, selected because they're powerful and particularly useful against highly infectious viral diseases. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is being credited as playing a significant role along with modern medicine to temper the outbreak of COVID-19 in China and to manage its potentially devastating symptoms.

Instructions:
Acupressure is not as powerful as Acupuncture, and so you need to stimulate each point about 50-100 times per point. That may sound like a lot, but it will only take a few minutes for each point.

One-three knead method:
Use the flat pads of your fingers or thumb to press into the acupuncture point. Apply firm pressure and massage in a circular motion 3 times. This is 1 repetition. Repeat 50-100 times on each point daily. Use enough force that you feel a dull radiating sensation and it will generate some heat.

Remember that the meridians run along both sides of the body so each point is bilateral - do both left and right sides.

LU1 / Zhōngfū / Middle Palace

Useful for all lung issues, particularly those involving phlegm and heat. Powerful for breathing problems, pulmonary issues, cough, infections, asthma, pain in the chest, pain in the shoulder and back, and fullness in the chest. LU1 is a master point for any kind of breathing problem, oppression of the chest, cough, cold or flu.

To find the point:
Find the depression under the end of the clavicle by the shoulder at the top of the chest. The point is about 1cm below and slightly out.

ST36 / Zúsānlï / Leg Three Miles

Named for the point’s ability to invigorate energy, so that a person can walk another three miles, even when exhausted, this is one of the most commonly used acupuncture points because of its powerful ability to affect all other systems. In addition to helping treat myriad digestive disorders from constipation to diarrhea to heartburn, bloating, nausea, and vomiting, ST36 is used to boost immune function, recover from fatigue, resolve chest fullness, palpitations, and phlegm disorders. It increases the energy required to fight off an infection.

To find the point: Four-fingers below the bent kneecap, on the outside of the prominent shin bone.

GB20 / Fēngchí / Wind Pool

This point “clears wind” or pathogens carried by air (for example virus or bacterial infection) and is particularly good for heat/febrile diseases and infection. Also one of the essential points used for headaches, and neck/shoulder tension so it’ll feel great to massage.

To find the point:
At the back of the head in the divot where the neck muscles meet the base of the skull.