While some instances of vertigo and nausea require immediate medical attention -- for instance, if you become momentarily blind or feel sharp pain -- many times, you can manage and mitigate these symptoms with acupressure. Acupressure is the manual stimulation of certain points on your body in order to affect your muscles, organs, nerves and their functioning. Use your fingertip or the tip of your second knuckle on your index finger, unless noted, to stimulate specific points for 15 to 30 seconds each until you gain relief. If one point doesn't work, continue until you find one that does.
Meridians
Meridians are channels that are recognized by traditional Chinese medicine as transporting energy throughout your body. Each meridian refers to an organ of the body, because the path impacts functions that correspond to that organ, even though these relationships may seem very different than what Western medicine recognizes. When you stimulate an acupressure point, you are attempting to clear the path of that meridian so your body can come into balance and resolve the problem. Your body has 14 meridians. Acupressure points are referred to by meridian and point numbers.
Bladder
The bladder meridian runs across the head, down the spine and into the bladder. To control nausea, apply pressure to acupressure point Bladder 21, on the back, in line with the elbows, by placing your thumbs on either side of the spine, right next to it. To help with vertigo, try Bladder 60, in the depression behind the outside of the ankle bone on both sides, and Bladder 65, just behind the lowest knuckle of the smallest toes.
Gallbladder
The gallbladder meridian flows through the head, into the lining of the chest and through the viscera. Acupressure stimulation of points 20 and 35 can help relieve vertigo. Gallbladder 20 is on either side of the spine, at the base of the skull. Use your thumbs to press both sides at once. Gallbladder 35 is above the outer ankle bone, approximately the width of two palms and one thumb up. Stimulate one side, then the other.
Kidney
The kidney meridian begins at the little toe, crosses the foot up into the torso and ends at the tongue. Kidney 1 may help with vertigo. It is located in the middle of the sole of the foot, just behind the ball. This may be a very sensitive area at first, so stimulate it for longer than 30 seconds to deepen pressure if you need it.
Liver
The liver meridian rises up the legs from the big toes into the liver. Stimulation of Liver 2 and 3 can help ease vertigo. Liver 2 is on the dorsum or top of the foot, between the big and 2nd toe, just above the separation of the toes. Liver 3 is approximately two thumb widths higher up the foot. Stimulate both points on one side before moving to the other foot.
Pericardium
This meridian runs from the pericardium or sac that protects the heart in the center of the chest and down the arms. Both vertigo and nausea may be helped by stimulating the point known as Pericardium 6. Press in between the two large tendons just below your palm on the inside of your wrist, using your middle and index fingers.
Spleen
The spleen meridian rises up the legs to the spleen, past the diaphragm and to the root of the tongue. Spleen 6 may relieve nausea. It's located approximately one palm width above the inner anklebone, behind the shin. This point is usually used in conjunction with Stomach 36, described below. If you use both points together, stimulate both points, spleen first, on one side of the body, then the other.
Stomach
The stomach meridian passes from the sides of the head, into the diaphragm and stomach and into the legs. Stimulation of Stomach 36 may ease nausea, particularly with Spleen 6, detailed above. Stomach 36 is located approximately one palm's width down from the outer-bottom edge of the knee cap in between the shin and the leg muscle. To work the stomach and spleen points together, press on the spleen point first and follow with the stomach point on each side.
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