Traditionally, acupoints are a large group of pressure points throughout your body to help relieve pain naturally through improved blood flow. Acupressure is a way to activate these acupoints and balance the flow of energy.
These points are connected to different organs on your body through pathways known as meridians. Some of these meridians connect to your bladder and can be an effective treatment option for UTIs.
Pressure can be applied to bladder acupuncture points in order to induce urination, which will then flush away bacteria and start to heal the body.
Stimulating these points can reduce inflammation, improve immunity and reduce pain caused by UTI symptoms.
Pressure Points to Help With a Urinary Tract Infection
Here are some of the best pressure points to relieve UTI pain, induce urination, and help your body heal itself.
1. Liver 2 (LV 2) - Xingjian or Moving Between
The Liver 2 (or LV 2) acupoint is the most commonly used acupressure point for UTIs.
It is located on the top of your foot at the base of your toes, between your big toe and your second toe.
The LV 2 pressure point is a point of the liver meridian that is capable of draining heat from the body and relieving pain or burning from urination.
Applying firm pressure to this acupoint can also help with insomnia, eye pain, and even heavy and irregular periods.
In traditional Chinese medicine, the LV 2 acupoint is the Ying-Spring point of the liver meridian. A Ying-Spring spot is where the qi, or life energy, dribbles down the meridian.
2. Kidney 3 (KD 3) - Tai Xi or Supreme Stream
The KD 3 pressure point is found between the ankle bone and the Achilles tendon.
This acupoint is connected to the kidney and bladder and is excellent for healing UTIs.
Aside from these vital organs, the KD 3 acupoint also helps relieve ankle and heel pain and is effective at treating many diseases throughout the body.
For kidney function, this acupoint relieves the organ of heat and removes energy blockages to promote proper functioning.
3. Spleen 6 (SP 6) - Sanyinjiao or Returning Current
The SP 6 acupoint is located four fingers above your ankle bone.
This acupoint is the junction point of the liver, kidney, and spleen meridians, and as such, it’s extremely useful for treating many health issues.
The SP 6 helps with UTIs by encouraging healthy urination and invigorating the kidneys.
It can also help with strengthening the liver, stomach, and uterus, as well as regulating menstruation.
4. Spleen 9 (SP 9) - Shady Side of the Mountain
The SP 9 acupoint is situated under the knee on the inside of the leg and drains heat from the body mainly through urination.
Stimulating this acupoint will help if you're suffering from a UTI.
Pressure applied to this acupoint can also help to heal chronic yeast infections, regulate the spleen, and resolve dampness.
In other instances, the SP 9 acupoint treats swelling, varicose veins, and edema, as well as pain in the reproductive organs.
This acupoint is considered to be the He-Sea point of the spleen meridian. In other words, this is where the meridian’s qi enters deeper into the body.
5. Kidney 1 (KD 1) - Yongquan or Gushing Spring
The Kidney 1 pressure point is just behind the ball of your foot, about two-thirds of the way up from your heel.
When pressure is applied to this area, symptoms of and pain associated with UTI will be soothed.
In traditional Chinese medicine, KD 1 is a Jing-Well point where qi from the body bubbles up.
As such, this is a very important and powerful acupoint that can treat many other conditions aside from UTI.
Since this acupoint is so powerful, it also has the ability to help with serious conditions such as epilepsy, loss of consciousness, paralysis, and mental health issues.
Is Acupressure Really Efficient When Having a UTI?
While there is a lot of debate about how efficient acupressure really is, there is growing evidence of its medicinal advantages.
For example, a recent study from 2019 found anatomical evidence of the existence of meridians and their pathways through the body.There have been several studies that seek to answer how helpful activating acupoints is to healing or preventing UTIs.
A few of the major literature on this question found that acupuncture is a worthwhile treatment to prevent the recurrence of UTI.
In one controlled study, the rate of women treated with acupuncture and who suffered from UTI was only one-third of women who didn’t undergo the procedure.
Since both acupressure and acupuncture rely on activating acupoints, acupressure is also naturally a powerful way to avoid the disease.
The way this procedure works is through the acupoints you learned about earlier. By freeing the natural flow of qi from its blockages, the body becomes better able to heal itself.
As a natural remedy, acupressure is a viable and non-invasive procedure that’s just as effective as medication.
Many of those who treated this condition with acupressure and acupuncture have seen impressive results and noticed a considerable difference in their well-being.
Other Home Remedies When Dealing With a UTI
Over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen and acetaminophen are popular pain reliever options, but depending on your health condition, it may not always be a good option.
Home remedies are often safer and more natural. If you’d like to try out some other home remedies alongside acupressure, here are a few options that will help with UTIs:
Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated is always important, but it’s key when dealing with a UTI.
Water helps flush out bacteria, wash germs away, and diminishes the burning feeling when you pee. Simply drinking more water will also prevent UTIs from recurring.
When your acupressure treatment begins to work, you will notice that it will become easier to pee.
Drinking plenty of water will provide you with a consistent indicator of how well the treatment is working.
Avoid drinking alcohol, citrus juices, coffee, and other drinks with caffeine because they can aggravate your bladder and urinary symptoms more.
Relax
When dealing with a UTI, you don’t want to add any more stress to your body than it’s already under.
Give yourself some time off from school or work and find a comfy spot near a restroom so you can pee as often as you need to.
Even just sitting on your toilet for a longer period of time than you normally would is completely acceptable!
UTIs are uncomfortable and tedious; give yourself a break while you’re dealing with them.
Cranberries
Cranberries are fantastic for maintaining a healthy bladder and urinary tract.
However, regular grocery store cranberry juice won’t really help. This is because it’s mostly sugar and artificial flavors, so look for the unsweetened cranberry juice.
The best thing to do is to eat raw cranberries. Alternatively, buy cranberry juice that contains real cranberries and as little sugar as possible or sugar-free.
When to Seek Medical Attention
When dealing with a UTI, it’s important to know when to make a doctor’s appointment.
If your symptoms are staying the same despite your at-home treatments, or if they’re getting worse, it’s a sign for you to make an appointment with your health care provider immediately.
The following symptoms are also things to watch out for:
- You have an unusual temperature
- You feel very drowsy
- More frequent urination
- You have pain in your lower back or stomach, underneath your ribs
- You have bloody urine
If you become aware of any of these symptoms, visit your doctor immediately. Leaving your UTI untreated can lead to a kidney infection or worse.
Sources:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5388088/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6448339/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9612877/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1447293/
- https://www.va.gov/WHOLEHEALTHLIBRARY/tools/urinary-tract-infections.asp#ref-2
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32406571/
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/more-water-fewer-utis-2018101515035
- https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/10/20/558912620/to-reduce-risk-of-recurring-bladder-infection-try-drinking-more-water
