P. Sze 
Have you ever done acupuncture? What about acupressure? These practices use age-old techniques to alleviate many ailments and problems throughout the body – even problems with the eyes.
I’ve experienced eye problems my entire life. I’ve worn contacts and glasses since I was 10, suffered from dry eyes during allergy season my entire life, and in my adult life, I suffer from dark circles and bags under my eyes. Though not much can be done to greatly improve my eyesight (I have a fairly heavy prescription!), I’ve used acupressure points for eyes to help with redness, dryness, circles, and more.
When I first started noticing my dark circles when I was a teenager, I quickly became insecure and tried to fix them. I tried eye creams, sleeping more, eating certain foods, using rollers under my eyes, etc. – if it’s a supposed remedy you can find on the internet, I tried it. My circles only started to get better when I consistently used acupressure for eyes. Not only did the circles start to fade, but my eyes got brighter, they looked less tired, and their overall health improved.
I am proof that these acupressure points for eyes can greatly benefit the health and functionality of anyone’s eyes. Read on for more detail about which points are best for what issues.
Why Is It Possible To Improve Vision With The Help Of Acupressure?
Acupressure is an age-old practice from Traditional Chinese Medicine. The core idea is: when you stimulate key points on the body or acupressure points, you stimulate the movement of energy, or “qi”. All these points lie on meridians, which correspond to major organs in the body. Many of these organs can have beneficial effects on the eyes – so, promoting energy and blood flow can help strengthen the eyes. Targeting specific acupressure points can help with almost any ailment – problems with the eyes are just one category.
What Is The Location Of The Eyes’ Acupressure Points?
There is no “eye” meridian, so acupoints that benefit the eyes are located all over the body, though many are on the face. Studies in TCM show a close relationship of eye health to the liver, kidneys, and even the spleen (poor spleen health has a direct correlation with cataracts). Many acupoints beneficial to eye health will lie on these meridians.
Read on to see where these acupoints are and how to engage them.
The Top Acupressure Points For Eyes
7 Acupressure points for tired eyes:
Acupoint: Bl-1 (Other Names: Urinary Bladder-1/Jing Ming/Bright Eyes)
Bright Eyes is the first acupoint on our list of acupressure points for eyes. Engaging this point will brighten up the eyes and give you a less tired appearance. This point can even help with colorblindness and minor lumbar pain. Bl-1 has also made our list of acupressure points for dry eyes.
This point is located on the face. Place your finger on the innermost part of your eyebrow, then move your finger down slightly so it is resting in the small divot between your eye and nose. Be gentle when applying pressure, as this area on the face is sensitive.
Acupoint: GB-20 (Other Names: Gallbladder-20/Feng Chi/Wind Pool)
Gb-20 is an extremely versatile acupressure point, also making our list of top 10 acupressure points to relieve body pains and aches. Besides helping with tired eyes and aches, Wind Pool can clear congestion, reduce a headache, increase mobility in the head and shoulders, and much more.
Gb-20 is located on the neck. Place your two thumbs directly on your hairline on the nape of your neck. Slide your thumbs outward so they are about halfway between the middle of your neck and your ears.
Acupoint: EM-3 (Other Names: Yu Yao)
Not located on a traditional meridian, Em3 can still provide great benefits to the eyes and body, even making our list of acupressure points for dry eyes. Engaging this acupoint will brighten up your eyes and make you look more awake. Em3 is extremely easy to find – it is simply on the forehead, directly in the middle of the eyebrows.
Acupoint: Bl-2 (Other Names: Urinary Bladder-2/Zan Zhu/Gathered Bamboo)
Gathered Bamboo is an incredibly versatile acupoint. These are just a few ailments it can help with: eye dullness, hiccups, diaphragm spasms, swelling around the eyes, etc. If you suffer from trigeminal neuralgia, check out Bl-2 on our list of acupressure points for trigeminal neuralgia.
Yet another easy acupoint to find and stimulate, Bl-2 is located on the face on the innermost part of the eyebrow. Use caution, as the skin around the eye is thin and sensitive.
Acupoint: EM-5 (Other Names: Tai Yang)
Em5, another acupoint not located on a traditional meridian, can still provide incredible benefits to the body. Em5 can brighten up the eyes and is even considered one of the top acupressure points for a facelift. Wikipedia depicts the location of this acupoint as “in the region of the temples, in the depression about one finger-breadth posterior to the midpoint between the lateral end of the eyebrow and the outer canthus”.
Acupoint: EM-2 (Other Names: Yin Tang/Hall of Impression)
Em2 acupressure point is one of the versatile acupressure points for sore eyes. Em2 is considered the third eye acupressure point – be sure to check out the article we wrote on it with more detail. The location of Em2 is in the forehead, at the midpoint between the two medial ends of the eyebrow.
Acupoint: Bl-10 (Other Names: Urinary Bladder-10/Tian Zhu/Celestial Pillar)
Final for our list of acupressure points for tired eyes is Upper Pillar. Bl-10 will not only wake up tired eyes, but also help with dizziness, congestion, a sore throat, neck pain, and more. We wrote about Bl-10 and the Si3 acupuncture point and how they can help with a stiff neck – check out that article if you commonly wake up with neck pain.
Bl-10 is fairly easy to find if you have successfully found Gb-20. Find the Gb-20 acupressure point(s), then move your thumbs slightly to the inside (about 1 centimeter towards the center of your neck). Then you have successfully found this acupressure point.
The acupressure points for itchy eyes and myopia
Acupoint: ST-1 (Other Names: Stomach-1/Cheng Qi/Tears Container)
If you are looking for acupressure points for itchy eyes, the Tear Container point could be for you. Located on the stomach meridian, St-1 can also help reduce redness, swelling, and twitching of the eye by clearing heat throughout the body. If you have difficulty seeing at night/when it is dark, stimulating this point can even help with that.
St-1 is located about half a centimeter directly under the center of the eye. Be very careful and gentle when stimulating this acupressure point – the skin under the eye is extremely thin and sensitive.
The acupressure point for dark circles under the eyes
Acupoint: EM-6 (Other Names: Qiu Hou)
Dark circles are an extremely common annoyance – lack of sleep, looking at a computer screen for too long, and more will result in eye strain and circles under the eyes. If you came to this article searching for acupressure points for dark circles under eyes, Em6 can help. Stimulating Em6 will promote blood circulation, helping with dark circles as one of their primary causes is a lack of blood flow.
Em6 is located below the eyes where the outer quarter of the infraorbital rim meets the inner three quarters. As always, be gentle around the eye area when stimulating acupressure points.
2 acupressure points for red eyes
Acupoint: Liv-3 (Other Names: Liver-3/Tai Chong/Supreme Rush)
If you are searching for acupressure points for red eyes, the next two acupressure points will be great for you. Liv-3 is located on the liver meridian and can help with red eyes, depression, tension headaches, numbness in the lower limbs, infertility, and much more. Liv-3 is also included on our list of acupressure points for blood circulation in legs.
This point, unlike many of the others we have discussed, is not located on the face. Rather, Liv-3 is located on the foot. Locate the crease between your big toe and your second toe. Then, move your finger down your foot about 2-2.5 centimeters – then you have found this acupressure point.
Acupoint: LI-4 (Other Names: Large Intestine-4/He Gu/Joining Valley)
Located on the large intestine meridian, Li-4 is a versatile and all-around great acupressure point to know. Here are just a few of the ailments Junction Valley can help with: headaches, toothaches, abdominal pain, pain in the arms, the average cold, sinus pain, and more. Incredibly enough, Li-4 is included on our list of acupressure points to quit smoking. That’s right – if you are trying to break the bad habit of smoking, check out that article to see how acupressure can help.
Li-4 is located on the hand and is very easy to find. Simply find the fleshy webbed area between your thumb and forefinger and press down – you are successfully stimulating this acupressure point.
The acupressure point for bleary eyes
Acupoint: ST-43 (Other Names: Stomach-43/Xian Gu/Sunken Valley)
If you suffer from bleary eyes (unfocused and blurry from a lack of sleep), the St-43 acupressure point can help. Engaging this point can help with pain in the eyes, pain in the foot, and facial swelling. Check out our article on acupressure points for gas and bloating to see how St-42 (and other acupoints) can help with that as well.
Sunken Valley is another point located on the foot. Find the crease between your second and third toe, then move your finger down your foot about one centimeter to find and engage this acupoint.
The acupressure point for myopia
Acupoint: SI-3 (Other Names: Small Intestine-3/Hou Xi/Back Stream)
Final on our list of acupressure points for eyes is Si-3, located on the small intestine meridian. According to Brien Holden Vision Institute, 30% of the world is myopic and could increase to 50% by 2050. This acupoint can help. Back Stream can also help with: pain and stiffness around the neck, congestion around the sinuses, epilepsy, and more. It is even featured in our article on the Bl 40 acupuncture point, where we discuss the best acupoints to maintain good health.
Si-3 is located on the hand. Curl your hand into a fist and look on the outside of your fist (where your pinky finger is). Find the bottom of the crease made by your pinky finger – that is where this acupressure point lies.
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