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Dizziness and vertigo are among the most common complaints seen in Canadian primary care — and one of the most underserved. The term "vertigo" specifically refers to the false sensation of spinning or movement, whereas general dizziness covers lightheadedness, unsteadiness, and near-fainting. Both can be debilitating and both have long wait times for specialist workup.
Acupressure isn't a cure for vertigo, and it's not appropriate for all types. But for chronic, mild-to-moderate dizziness — particularly the kinds associated with motion sickness, neck tension, and the systemic fatigue patterns that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) classifies as "Kidney deficiency" — there's a reasonable evidence base and a set of well-established points to work with.
Critical safety note first: Sudden, severe vertigo accompanied by hearing loss, tinnitus, facial numbness, double vision, difficulty speaking, or loss of coordination is a neurological emergency. Call 911 or go to emergency. This page is for chronic, recurring, mild-to-moderate dizziness in people who have already had appropriate medical evaluation.
Understanding the Types of Vertigo
Not all dizziness is the same, and this matters for acupressure because different types have different mechanisms — and acupressure is more helpful for some than others.
BPPV (Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo) is the most common cause of vertigo, accounting for roughly 20–40% of cases. It's caused by displaced calcium carbonate crystals (otoliths) in the semicircular canals of the inner ear. The primary treatment is the Epley maneuver — a series of head positioning movements performed by a physiotherapist or ENT. This is highly effective and acupressure is at best an adjunct for symptom management between sessions. GB20 and PC6 may help with the nausea and anxiety that accompany acute BPPV episodes.
Meniere's disease involves excess fluid pressure in the inner ear, causing episodic vertigo, tinnitus, hearing fluctuation, and a sensation of ear fullness. Acupressure is supportive for managing stress (a known Meniere's trigger), nausea, and anxiety between episodes — not for stopping acute attacks.
Cervicogenic dizziness arises from neck tension and poor proprioception in the cervical spine. This is the type where acupressure has the most direct potential benefit — particularly GB20 at the skull base, which directly addresses the neck tension component.
Orthostatic hypotension (dizziness when standing up quickly) is caused by a brief drop in blood pressure and is not appropriate for acupressure treatment. If this is your primary symptom, speak to your doctor about underlying causes.
The Evidence: What Research Shows
The strongest evidence for acupressure and dizziness involves PC6 (Neiguan) and motion sickness or nausea-related dizziness. Multiple systematic reviews have confirmed that PC6 stimulation significantly reduces nausea and vomiting — which is the mechanism behind Sea-Band wristbands, a commercially available product that works by applying continuous pressure to PC6. A 2004 Cochrane review found reasonable evidence for PC6 in postoperative nausea; subsequent trials have extended this finding to motion sickness and morning sickness.
For broader vestibular dizziness, acupuncture and acupressure research is more limited but promising. Several RCTs have found that acupuncture reduces dizziness frequency and severity in chronic sufferers, with GB20 and ear-adjacent points appearing most consistently. Acupressure self-care extrapolates from these acupuncture findings — the same points, applied with finger pressure rather than needles.
In TCM theory, vertigo is primarily attributed to two patterns: Liver Yang Rising (associated with stress, high blood pressure, and ringing in the ears — treated with GB20, GB43, and LI4) and Phlegm Accumulation (associated with foggy-headed heaviness, brain fog, and stomach issues — treated with ST40 and CV12). While TCM diagnostic frameworks don't map directly to biomedical diagnoses, the points these frameworks highlight have proven useful clinically.
Key Acupressure Points for Vertigo and Dizziness
The five points below are the ones that come up most consistently in both TCM practice and acupuncture research for vestibular and dizziness conditions. For a broader reference of point locations across the whole body, see our complete acupressure points guide.
Location
On the inner wrist, exactly 3 finger-widths up from the wrist crease, between the two tendons running down the centre of the forearm. To find the tendons: flex your wrist gently and you'll see them stand out. PC6 is between them, at the 3-finger-width mark. This is the exact point that Sea-Band wristbands target — worn on both wrists, they apply constant pressure to PC6.
Why it's used
PC6 has the strongest evidence of any single acupoint for nausea and motion sickness-related dizziness. It modulates the vagus nerve and the autonomic nervous system, reducing the visceral unease that accompanies vestibular disturbance. If your dizziness comes with nausea, sweating, or a sick stomach feeling — PC6 is the first point to try.
Technique
Firm thumb pressure, held 1–2 minutes per wrist. Rotate slowly while pressing for added effect. For travel sickness, apply Sea-Band wristbands before you feel sick — they're less effective once nausea is established.
Location
At the base of the skull, in the hollows on either side of the large neck muscles (the sternocleidomastoid). Tilt your head back slightly and run your thumbs up the back of your neck toward the skull — you'll feel two hollows where the skull meets the neck, just lateral to the midline. Those are GB20. They're often significantly tender in people with dizziness and neck tension.
Why it's used
GB20 is particularly valuable for cervicogenic dizziness and dizziness with a headache component. It directly addresses the neck tension that interferes with proper proprioception and circulation to the brain. In TCM it's used to "calm Liver Yang" — which in clinical terms maps to reducing stress-related vascular tone and neck muscle hypertonicity. People who carry tension in their shoulders and neck often notice immediate head-clearing relief from sustained GB20 pressure.
Technique
Interlace your fingers behind your head, with both thumbs pressing up into the GB20 hollows. Apply sustained upward pressure for 60–90 seconds. Can be done lying down with your head resting on your thumbs — one of the more comfortable self-application positions.
Location
On the outer lower leg, at the midpoint between the kneecap and the ankle, approximately 2 finger-widths lateral to the shin bone (tibia). Find the midpoint of your lower leg, shift laterally to the outside of the shin — that's approximately ST40. It's often in a slight muscular depression.
Why it's used
In TCM, ST40 is the primary point for "resolving Phlegm" — a category that encompasses foggy-headedness, mental cloudiness, and the heavy, cotton-wool quality of certain kinds of dizziness. People who describe their dizziness as feeling like their head is stuffed or foggy, rather than the spinning sensation of true vertigo, are often in the "Phlegm" pattern. ST40 is also used clinically for mucus congestion and upper respiratory phlegm, which adds to its coherence as a "clearing" point.
Technique
Firm thumb or knuckle pressure for 60–90 seconds per leg. Can be tender, especially in people with sluggish digestion or chronic mucus issues. The sensation should be a dull ache rather than sharp pain.
Location
On the inner ankle, in the hollow midway between the inner ankle bone (medial malleolus) and the Achilles tendon. There is a distinct depression here that you can palpate with your fingertip — it's often more tender on the left than right in people with fatigue-related symptoms.
Why it's used
In TCM, the Kidneys govern hearing, bone marrow, and the brain — making Kidney deficiency a key pattern for age-related dizziness, tinnitus, and balance decline. KI3 as the Kidney source point is used to nourish this system. From a biomedical perspective, it's associated with calming the nervous system and addressing adrenal fatigue. For seniors experiencing chronic dizziness alongside fatigue, low back weakness, and hearing decline, KI3 is consistently included in TCM treatment protocols.
Technique
Gentle to moderate pressure — KI3 responds better to sustained gentle pressure than aggressive stimulation. Hold 90 seconds to 2 minutes per ankle. Suitable for elderly individuals and those with depleted energy states.
Location
At the crown of the head, at the intersection of a line running up from the tips of the ears and the midline of the skull. In most adults, this is roughly 5 inches back from the hairline. You can feel a slight natural indentation at this point. It's also located approximately where a baby's anterior fontanelle was.
Why it's used
GV20 is used for lightheadedness, the floating-and-ungrounded sensation that some people describe as "disconnected" or "about to faint." In TCM it "raises clear Yang" — essentially pulling mental clarity upward when there's a sense of being cut off from one's own head. It's particularly used for orthostatic lightheadedness (though not the underlying blood pressure cause), the post-illness spaciness that follows viral infections, and anxiety-related dizziness where the world seems unreal.
Technique
Gentle circular fingertip pressure or light tapping at the crown. Unlike most points, GV20 responds to lighter stimulation. 30–60 seconds. Can be self-applied at any time — a small amount of focused pressure here during a dizzy moment may help provide rapid grounding.
A Simple Daily Protocol
For chronic recurring dizziness, consistency matters more than any single session. A daily 5-minute protocol:
- PC6 — 2 minutes (1 minute per wrist). Do this first, especially if you have any nausea component.
- GB20 — 90 seconds. Head slightly tilted forward, thumbs in the skull-base hollows.
- KI3 — 90 seconds per ankle. Best done seated with legs accessible.
- ST40 — 60 seconds per leg. If your dizziness has a foggy or heavy quality.
- GV20 — 30 seconds. Light pressure at the crown to close the session.
Morning is ideal, when dizziness is often most pronounced. If you experience dizziness episodes at specific times (e.g., with weather pressure changes or in the afternoon), apply the protocol 30 minutes beforehand.
Canadian Context: Why Self-Care Matters Here
Approximately 35% of Canadians over the age of 40 experience significant dizziness or vertigo at some point. Yet specialist access remains a persistent problem: neurologist wait times in most provinces range from 6 to 18 months, and ENT specialist referrals are similarly backlogged in urban centres. Many family physicians have limited training in vestibular disorders and may not refer to physiotherapy for vestibular rehabilitation — which is evidence-based and highly effective for BPPV in particular.
If you haven't had a medical evaluation for your vertigo, that's the first step. But while waiting — and after — a structured daily acupressure practice is a low-risk, zero-cost adjunct that many Canadians have found helpful for managing day-to-day dizziness symptoms.
For vertigo with a headache or migraine component, see our acupressure for migraines guide and our headache acupressure page. For dizziness linked to anxiety — which is common, as the vestibular system and anxiety circuits interact closely — see our anxiety and stress acupressure guide.
The Bottom Line
Acupressure is not a cure for vertigo. For BPPV — the most common type — the Epley maneuver from a physiotherapist is the gold standard, and nothing replaces it. But for the many Canadians managing chronic dizziness while waiting for specialist care, or dealing with the residual unsteadiness and nausea that persists after treatment, a structured daily practice using PC6, GB20, KI3, ST40, and GV20 is a reasonable, evidence-informed addition to their self-care toolkit.
Keep it consistent, keep it gentle, and always work within what has been medically evaluated. Dizziness that is worsening, new, or accompanied by neurological symptoms requires immediate medical attention — not a pressure point.