5 Reflexology and Acupuncture Points for COVID Vaccine Symptom Relief

Learn reflexology and acupressure points that can help relieve some of the common side effects of the COVID vaccine, including pain relief and how to reduce swelling after the COVID vaccine.

If you’re thinking of getting a COVID vaccine or you still need to get your booster shot, try some simple pressure points that can help alleviate pain and swelling in your arm, and other symptoms such as headaches and fatigue.

In this article, you’ll also learn what these side effects have in common from a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective so that you better understand what’s going on in your body and how you can bounce back faster.

How to Get Faster Relief from Common Side Effects of the COVID Vaccine

Recently, a student in my Sole Mastery program asked about Chinese Reflexology points to help her and her husband prepare for getting the COVID vaccine. 

According to the World Health Organization, “Typical side effects include pain at the injection site, fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills and diarrhoea.” 

To address these common COVID vaccine side effects with Chinese Reflexology and acupressure, it’s helpful to understand the Chinese Medicine perspective on these symptoms. This particular combination of symptoms is similar to what Chinese Medicine would refer to as wind-cold invasion

In Chinese Medicine, there are two types of common colds: wind-cold and wind-heat. The names for these different types of colds give clues on identifying which type of cold a person has. 

Wind-cold colds are due to an “invasion of cold” in the body. This is TCM lingo for a germ that upsets the body’s balance leading to symptoms that one would see if the body is too cool. 

For example, when you go outside on a freezing cold day, your body tenses up and you feel chilled. 

The TCM perspective is that the cold causes the body’s muscles to tense up and this constricts the flow of energy in the body. That’s what leads to the muscle aches, chills, and headaches. 

In addition, because there’s too much cold in the body, processes that require heat are going to be impeded. TCM views digestion as one of the processes that requires “fire” to “cook” the food—essentially the heat helps to break food down into nutrients. If the fire is low, then food doesn’t digest as well, and this could lead to diarrhea. 

Low fire also means less energy because the heat is considered part of the body’s overall life force energy. When the body is dealing with symptoms of a wind-cold invasion, it uses up a lot of energy to fight the invasion. The addition of extra cold in the body upsets the body’s natural balance between hot and cold, and the body draws on its reserve of energy to combat the cold. As a result, a person may experience fatigue and tiredness. 

So you may be wondering, what about the fever? Doesn’t that indicate there’s too much “heat” inside the body? You’d be right in thinking that. 

While a fever can accompany a wind-cold invasion, it’s usually a low-grade fever. If there was a wind-heat invasion, a person would have an extremely high fever. 

Given that this combination of symptoms (low-grade fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills and diarrhea) is similar to wind-cold and that the vaccine was designed to target a respiratory virus, we now have some big clues to help identify which would be the best Chinese Reflexology and acupressure points to massage. 

So let’s get to those points! But before we do, please note the following precautions:

Please note that the common side effects of the COVID vaccine can be due to different imbalances in the body, not just wind-cold invasion. Be sure to check with your doctor or licensed acupuncturist if you are unwell or experiencing persistent, worsening, or other symptoms. 

Reflexology and Acupressure Points to Reduce Swelling and Pain

When there’s movement, there is no pain. When there’s pain, there is no movement.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Saying

What this TCM saying means is that pain is due to a constriction or block in the normal flow of qi (life force energy) and blood throughout the body. When your qi and blood are flowing as they should, then there is no pain.

As you learned about wind-cold invasion, the cold inside the body causes tension and tightness, leading to aches and pain. In TCM lingo, the cold is constricting the flow of energy through the body’s energy meridians leading to pain.

With the common cold, wind-cold typically “invades” through the nose and upper respiratory tract. This affects the lungs resulting in mucus (aka runny nose) and coughing. The body is trying to expel the pathogen from the respiratory tract.

With the vaccine, the “pathogen” has been injected locally into the arm and the body is “fighting” it at the injection site. As a result, there’s swelling in the area and possible swelling in the lymph nodes. As a result, this further constricts the flow of qi and blood through the arm and shoulder, resulting in pain. 

Thus, to help reduce the swelling and relieve the pain from the COVID vaccine, you need to increase the flow of qi and blood through the arm and shoulder. The following three reflexology and acupressure points help improve circulation through the shoulder and the flow of qi and blood throughout your entire body.

1) Chinese Reflexology Shoulder Point 

Since people usually get the COVID vaccine injected in their upper arm, massaging the shoulder point for the corresponding arm helps improve the flow of qi and blood to and from the arm. Remember, when there’s movement, there is no pain. That’s why the shoulder reflexology point can help to relieve pain.

How to Locate and Massage the Chinese Reflexology Point for the Shoulder

shoulder reflexology point
  • Location: The shoulder point is located on the sole of your foot. It’s the fleshy rectangular area just below the pinky toe. While you have a shoulder reflexology point on each foot, you want to focus on the one that corresponds to the arm where you got the vaccine. The left foot is for the left shoulder and the right foot is for the right shoulder.
  • How to massage: To massage the shoulder point, press your thumb pad onto the point and massage in an up and down direction, where up is towards the tip of your toes and down is towards the heel. Use a firm pressure since this part of the sole is well-padded. If you’re a parent or have ever looked after little kids, think of it like the pressure you’d use to scrub away crayon marks from the dining room table. Yes, I have experience with this!!! Lol!
  • How often to massage: For the shoulder point, massage this point after you’ve had the vaccine to improve circulation in the shoulder and arm. The increase in qi and blood flow also helps the body to clear away cellular waste products and injured cells that result from the swelling. Massage in an up and down direction, 2 to 3 times a day for 30 seconds, for 3 to 5 days or until the swelling is reduced (whichever happens first).

2) Large Intestine 4 – Acupressure Point 

Large Intestine 4, also referred to as He Gu or LI-4, is one set of the Four Gates acupuncture points for relieving pain. When you massage this point in tandem with Liver 3 (described below), it’s a potent combination to powerfully move qi throughout the entire body, and that helps release constrictions in the body’s energy meridians. 

This acupressure point also has the added benefit of releasing the exterior. It’s one of the most commonly used acupuncture points to treat the common cold. Given the similarity of COVID vaccine side effects to wind-cold invasion, this is an especially potent point to stimulate.

WARNING: Do not massage Large Intestine 4 if you are pregnant because this point is used to induce labor.

Hegu Large Intestine 4 acupressure point

How to Locate and Massage Large Intestine 4 

  • Location: Large Intestine 4 is located on the back of your hand in the webbing between the thumb and index finger. To locate this point, press your thumb and index finger together, and this will cause the muscle in the area to bulge out. LI-4 is located on the highest point of the bulge. There is a Large Intestine 4 point located on each hand. 
  • How to massage: To massage this point, use the thumb of your opposite hand to press on the highest point of the bulge. Then relax the thumb and index finger of the hand while you continue pressing on the point with the opposite thumb. I recommend using the amount of pressure you would use to make an indent in soft clay or Play-Doh.
  • How often to massage: Press and hold on the point for 30 seconds, 2 to 3 times a day, for 3 to 5 days, or until the swelling is reduced (whichever comes first). 

3) Liver 3 – Acupressure Point

The second point in the Four Gates combo is Liver 3, also known as Tai Chong or LV-3. LI-4 and LV-3 are referred to as the Four Gates because there are four points in total: one on each hand and one on each foot. 

Liver 3 is located along the Liver meridian in your body. In Chinese Medicine, the Liver plays an important role in ensuring the smooth flow of qi throughout the body. That’s why these acupuncture points are so useful for helping to relieve pain and reduce swelling after the COVID vaccine.

WARNING: Do not massage Liver 3 if you are pregnant because this point is used to induce labor.

Liver 3, Tai Chong diagram, location of Liver 3

How to Locate and Massage Liver 3 

  • Location: This point is located on the top of your foot in the webbing between the big and second toes. To locate Liver 3, gently press on your foot to find the bones for these two toes. Slide down away from the toe tips until you feel where the bones intersect. It’s like the bones form a letter V. Approximately one thumb-width above the point of the V is where Liver 3 is located.
  • How to massage: Use your thumb to press and hold on this point, using the amount of pressure you would use to make an indent in soft clay or Play-Doh.
  • How often to massage: Press and hold on the point for 30 seconds, 2 to 3 times a day, for 3 to 5 days or until the swelling is reduced (whichever comes first). 

Reflexology and Acupressure Points to Help Detox the Lymphatic System and Boost the Immune System

Now that we’ve addressed ways to increase the flow of qi to help reduce pain and swelling, it’s time to take a slightly different approach. You also want to look at reflexology and acupuncture points that help the body detox via the lymphatic system, and also boost the immune system.

From an alternative health perspective, any foreign substance that doesn’t belong in the body can be viewed as a “toxin”—even if it promotes a positive immune response in the body. Chinese Medicine believes that “accumulated toxins” are detrimental to one’s health because if they are not flushed away in a timely manner, they impede the smooth flow of qi and blood.

The Four Gates points help get things flowing, but it’s also beneficial to support the body’s systems for flushing out toxins. Here are a couple of points to help detox and boost the immune system.  

4) Lymphatic Drainage Reflexology Point

The lymphatic system helps the body remove cellular waste and also plays an important role in supporting the immune system. The Chinese Reflexology point for lymphatic drainage supports the flow of lymph through the lymphatic system, which can help clear post-injection swelling. 

Since you have a lot of lymph nodes in the armpit area, and the nodes may become swollen while fighting infection, the lymphatic drainage reflexology point is helpful because it improves the flow of qi through this area.

Interestingly, this reflexology point overlaps the Liver 3 acupressure point. As a consequence, please note the following if you are pregnant.

WARNING: Do not massage the lymphatic drainage if you are pregnant because this reflexology point crosses over Liver 3, which is used to induce labor.

How to Locate and Massage the Chinese Reflexology Point for Lymphatic Drainage

  • Location: You’ll find the lymphatic drainage reflexology point on both of your feet in the webbing between the bones of the big toe and second toe.
  • How to massage: To massage this reflexology point, use the knuckle of your index finger to press and stroke the area, beginning at the base of the toes and stroking in ONE DIRECTION ONLY towards the point of the V that’s formed by the bones of the big toe and second toe. When you get to the bottom of the point at the V, lift up your knuckle and place it back at the base of your toes to begin another stroke. Please note if you feel any friction as you stroke, apply moisturizer or massage oil to reduce the friction since the skin on the top of the foot is much more delicate than on the sole of the foot. 
  • How often to massage: Massage 15 downward strokes on each foot, once per day for 3 to 5 days after the vaccine.

5) Stomach 36 – Acupressure Point 

The last point we’ll cover is the acupressure point, Stomach 36 (ST-36), also known as Zu San Li. In acupuncture, this point is used to boost the immune system and improve digestion so it can help the body deal with the effects of wind-cold invasion AND address the symptom of diarrhea.

How to Locate and Massage the Stomach 36 Acupressure Point

  • Location: Stomach 36 is located on the outer front side of your lower leg, just below the knee cap. There’s a Stomach 36 point on each leg. 

It’s a little tricky to locate this point, so I’ll walk you through it in four steps:

  1. Feel for the front of your knee cap while you’re seated. 
  2. Gently slide your fingers down to just below the knee cap. On the bottom outer edge of the knee cap, feel for a slight indentation, as marked by the top x in the diagram.
  3. Press the four fingers of your hand together, so that there are no gaps between the fingers.
  4. Place the four fingers directly below the indentation you found under your knee cap. The spot just below your fingers in line with the dent under the knee cap is where you’ll find Stomach 36. See lower x in the diagram.
  • How to massage: You can massage this acupressure point on both of your legs at the same time. Make a fist with both of your hands. Then press the knuckles onto the point and massage up and down. Use a firm pressure like you would use to give yourself a comfortable massage.
  • How often to massage: Massage both points on both legs simultaneously for 30 seconds, once per day, for 3 to 5 days after the vaccine. 

Putting It All Together

Now that we’ve covered five beneficial Chinese Reflexology and acupressure/acupuncture points for relief from some of the common side effects of the COVID vaccine—injection site pain, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills and diarrhea—let’s put it all together into a short practice routine.

Massage the following reflexology and acupuncture points after getting the COVID vaccine to help with pain relief, swelling and boosting energy levels:

  • Shoulder Reflexology Point: Massage in an up and down direction, 2 to 3 times a day, for 30 seconds, for 3 to 5 days or until the swelling is reduced (whichever comes first).
  • Large Intestine 4 Acupressure Point: Press and hold on the point for 30 seconds, 2 to 3 times a day, for 3 to 5 days, or until the swelling is reduced (whichever comes first). Do not massage if pregnant.
  • Liver 3 Acupressure Point: Press and hold on the point for 30 seconds, 2 to 3 times a day, for 1 to 5 days, or until the swelling is reduced (whichever comes first). Do not massage if pregnant.
  • Lymphatic Drainage Reflexology Point: Massage 15 downward strokes on each foot, once per day for 3 to 5 days. Do not massage if pregnant.
  • Stomach 36 Acupressure Point: Massage both points on both legs simultaneously for 30 seconds, once per day, for 3 to 5 days after the vaccine. 

WARNING: Do not massage Liver 3, Large Intestine 4 or the lymphatic drainage point if you are pregnant because this point is used to induce labor. I also wanted to remind you to see your health care practitioner if you are unwell or experiencing persistent, worsening, or other symptoms.

While there’s no guarantee this routine will work for everyone, I’ve heard from students and readers who used these points to recover faster from the effects of the COVID vaccine. One student said she got her vaccine and didn’t experience any swelling at all. She’d also been regularly practicing the lymphatic detox exercise that she learned in a Qi Gong workshop available in the Sole Circle—a place to nourish your body, mind, heart, and spirit.

Another reader emailed to say how he’d been experiencing pain and swelling for days, and nothing helps until he came across this reflexology and acupressure routine for relief from vaccine injection symptoms. So, why not give it a try?

Hope you’re feeling better soon!