How Does Acupressure Work Scientifically?
People still argue about how Acupressure works, scientifically speaking. Most agree it stimulates specific pressure points on the body, and those points correspond to certain meridians.
Some evidence does back it up. A study published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine found that Acupressure reduced pain and improved function in people with knee osteoarthritis.
Another study, in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, found it may help with nausea and vomiting after surgery. The evidence is growing, but we still need more research to know how far its therapeutic potential really goes.
Still, there’s enough there to suggest it may help with quite a few conditions.
So, how does Acupressure work scientifically?
The honest answer is that it’s still a bit unclear. Most researchers land here: it stimulates specific pressure points, and those points correspond to certain meridians. Meridians are pathways that energy (known as qi) flows through, and stimulating them is thought to restore balance and promote healing.
Some evidence supports using it for a range of conditions, and it may be a helpful option for quite a few problems.
More research is needed before anyone can say how far it goes. What we do know about its effects on the body points to it regulating dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain, and those play a big part in mood regulation.
It may also promote parasympathetic activity (relaxation) and reduce sympathetic (fight-or-flight) activity by slowing the heart rate and lowering blood pressure. That could help with a lot of problems tied to stress, anxiety, or depression.
Acupuncture Meridians:
Acupressure promotes healing by stimulating specific pressure points along “meridians,” the pathways energy (known as qi) flows through. Whether meridians actually exist is still up for debate, though some evidence suggests they may.
A study in the journal PLOS One, for example, found it may help regulate dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain, which play a big part in mood regulation. That could matter for conditions linked to stress, anxiety, or depression.
How does acupuncture work scientifically?
As I said above, Acupressure promotes healing by stimulating specific pressure points along “meridians,” pathways for energy (known as qi). Meridians aren’t proven, but some research does support the idea that they exist.
A study in the journal PLOS One, for example, found that Acupressure may help regulate dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain, which play a big part in mood regulation.
Another Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine study found it may help treat nausea and vomiting after surgery. More research is still needed to pin down the full extent of its therapeutic potential.
What we know about its effects on the body suggests it may regulate dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain, which play a big part in mood regulation. Acupuncture may also promote parasympathetic activity (relaxation) and reduce sympathetic (fight-or-flight) activity by slowing the heart rate and lowering blood pressure.
Acupressure may also help promote the body’s natural responses to pain in a way that can reduce dependency on pain medication. An Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine study found that Acupressure may help treat nausea and vomiting after surgery.
Still, more research is needed to know its full therapeutic potential. What we know about its effects on the body suggests it may regulate dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain, which play a big part in mood regulation.
So yes, there’s some evidence it may help regulate mood through dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain. It may also help you relax and ease stress-related symptoms by slowing the heart rate and lowering blood pressure.
More research is needed, but these findings suggest Acupressure could help with conditions tied to stress, anxiety, or depression. If you want to try it, talk to a health professional first and check it’s right for you.
If you’ve had any of the symptoms I’ve outlined, speak to your doctor. Some mental health conditions can come from undiagnosed medical problems, so rule those out first. If you do have a mental health condition, plenty of treatment options can help you manage your symptoms. Acupuncture may be one of them.
Whether meridians exist is still up for debate. Some evidence suggests they may.
A study in the journal PLOS One, for example, found that Acupressure may help regulate dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain, which play a big part in mood regulation.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Jian Times
Last updated: October 22, 2026