P. Sze 
Have you ever had a leg cramp? Maybe you were running and your thigh seized up. Or maybe you were awoken in the middle of the night with a cramp in your calf or foot. Regardless, leg cramps are an extremely common annoyance. Today we are breaking down the best acupressure points for cramps, specifically for the feet and legs. These acupoints are easy to find and stimulate – and the best part: they actually work!
Acupressure is an incredible practice that has helped millions of people throughout history. Closely related to acupuncture, the practice of acupressure utilizes one’s fingers and palms to stimulate pressure points located all throughout the body. These pressure points lie on meridians, or energy pathways, that correspond to major organs in the body. For example, some examples of meridians include the stomach meridian, the kidney meridian, and so on. Simulating pressure points will promote the movement of energy, or “qi” according to TCM, along the meridian. Energy movement promotes blood movement which promotes healing and peace all throughout the body.
Before we jump into the acupressure points for leg cramps, we want to remind you of some important ways to prevent leg cramps – prevention is easier than treatment. You should stretch every day, even if it’s only for 10 minutes. Make sure you drink at least 8 glasses of water a day and if you work a desk job: be sure to get up and move around every hour or so. This will keep blood flowing to your feet and legs to prevent cramping.
Is Acupuncture Good For Leg Cramps?
Short answer: yes! One study conducted tests on 64 patients to see how effective acupressure was on muscle spasms and cramps, including cramps in the legs. The study found conclusively that consistent stimulation of certain acupressure points drastically reduced muscle cramps. The study also explains how acupressure helps leg cramps: muscle cramps are often caused by an unnatural metabolism. Stimulating acupoints results in energy flow which boosts muscle metabolism and thus reduces cramps. Another study of 46 patients shows that consistent acupuncture over 4 weeks reduces pain in the legs (including a reduction of cramps) by an amount greater than the number defined as minimally important.
What Pressure Point Relieves Leg Cramps?
There are many pressure points that can help with leg cramps – we are going to discuss 5 that will help with cramps on different parts of the legs (St-34, Bl-37, Ki-1, St-36, and Gb-34). The first study we mentioned earlier discloses some of these (like Ki-1) and a few more acupoints that could help with muscle cramps, including Lv-3, Lu-7, and more.
The Top Acupressure Points For Leg Cramps
Acupoint: ST-34 (Other Names: Stomach-34/Liang Qiu/Ridge Mound)
If you experience cramps on the front of your thigh, the St-34 acupressure point on the stomach meridian could greatly help you. This acupoint nourishes the stomach meridian which results in the alleviation of many acute conditions, such as gastric pain, knee swelling, and thigh pain.
The Ridge Mound acupoint is located above the knee. Find the edge of your knee cap. From here, move your finger up about three fingers width distance – now you are on the St-34 acupressure point and can properly stimulate it.
Acupoint: Bl-37 (Other Names: Urinary Bladder-37/Yin Men/Gate of Abundance)
The Hamstring Gate acupoint is next on our list of acupressure points for leg cramps and does an incredible job of relieving cramps on the back of the thigh, or the hamstring. Bl-37 has been shown to also relieve lumbar pain and strengthen the lower extremities of the body. If you suffer from back issues, this acupoint could really help you.
Bl-37 is located on the back of the leg. Find the centerline on the back of your thigh, then place your finger equidistant between the back of your knee and the bottom of your buttocks. Be gentle when stimulating this acupoint at first – it can be sensitive for many people.
Acupoint: KI-1 (Other Names: Kidney-1/Yong Quan/Gushing Spring)
The Bubbling Well acupressure point, located on the kidney meridian, is a great acupressure point for leg cramps if you specifically suffer from toe or foot cramps. This point can also help with neck pain, headaches, nausea, dryness of the throat, constipation, and heat in the foot. We have an entire article just focusing on the kidney 1 acupuncture point, where we go into further detail about its uses and benefits.
Ki-1 is located on the bottom of the foot. Flex your foot to see the two curved lines created underneath the foot by the sole. This acupoint is located just below where those two curved lines meet. Place your finger at that point, relax your foot, then press to stimulate.
Acupoint: ST-36 (Other Names: Stomach-36/Zu San Li/Leg Three Miles)
Calf cramps are probably the most commonly experienced leg cramping – we’ve all cramped in our calves before! Thankfully, acupressure for calf cramps and the St-36 acupressure point can help. Leg Three Miles, located on the stomach meridian, has proven to help with many ailments beyond calf cramping. Some of those include vomiting, diarrhea, cough, asthma, shortness of breath, insomnia, dizziness, lack of appetite, and even depression.
St-36 is located on the front of your leg. Find the very bottom part of your knee and move your finger about 1 inch outwards from the center (your finger should be in the middle between the centerline of your leg and the outermost part of your leg). From here, move your finger down about 4 finger-widths distance – and you have found this acupoint.
Acupoint: GB-34 (Other Names: Gallbladder-34/Yang Ling Quan/Yang Mound Spring)
The final on our list of acupressure points for leg cramps is Gb-34, located on the gall bladder meridian. This acupoint, like St-36, is great for calf cramps as well as shoulder pain, numbness in the lower extremities, vomiting, jaundice, convulsion, and more. Gb-34 is also one of the best acupressure points for knee pain – be sure to check out that article if you suffer from acute or major knee pain.
The Yang Mound Spring acupoint is located on the outer part of the leg. Place your finger on the outermost part of your leg, in line with the bottom-most part of your knee. From here, move your finger down about half an inch (you will feel a knobby bone) to locate and stimulate this acupressure point.
