Herb & supplement monograph

Acupressure Drug Interactions, Uses, Effectiveness, Safety & More

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS ·Updated July 2026

What is this page for?

First and foremost: how Acupressure interacts with medications. The heart of this page is the interaction list — every drug Acupressure is known to interact with, and how serious each one is.

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Acupressure is, what people use it for and how strong the evidence is, its safety and side effects, and answers to the questions we’re asked most — written and reviewed by the clinical staff at HelloPharmacist. It’s educational information from our licensed clinical databases, not medical advice, and we don’t sell or endorse products. Our editorial policy

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Reviewed by licensed pharmacists Sourced from Natural Medicines

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Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Acupressure

0 medications have a known interaction with Acupressure, graded by severity. Select any drug for the full evidence-based detail.

We don’t currently list any known drug interactions for Acupressure. This doesn’t guarantee none exist — always confirm with your pharmacist before combining supplements with your medications.

Read The List Like a Pharmacist

What Severity, Likelihood & Evidence Mean

Severity — How Serious It Can Be

Major. Clinically significant; generally best avoided, or used only under direct professional supervision.
Moderate. May need monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one.
Minor. Generally not clinically significant, but still worth noting and mentioning to your pharmacist.
No known interaction. Checked against our sources with nothing documented — not the same as proven safety.

Likelihood — How Well It’s Documented

Likely. Well-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction
Probable. Interaction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
Possible. Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists
Unlikely. Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.

Where This Data Comes From

Interaction records are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database (TRC Healthcare), the same reference used by pharmacists and hospitals.
Each drug listed above links to the full report for that exact Acupressure combination — clinical detail, likelihood, evidence level, and citations.
Content is reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Monograph

Acupressure: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Reviewed July 2026 ·

The bottom line

Acupressure is a hands-on technique that applies physical pressure to specific points on the body, based on traditional Chinese medicine. It is not an herb or supplement. It is generally low-risk when done gently, and the best evidence is for easing certain types of nausea, though results for most other uses are mixed or limited.

Part used: Not applicable — acupressure is a physical technique, not a plant or supplement
Common forms: Finger or hand pressure on body points; acupressure wristbands; acupressure mats

People commonly use it for

Nausea and vomiting
Tension and stress
Pain relief
Headache
Sleep problems
Menstrual cramps

Popular and traditional uses — not proof it works. See “Uses & effectiveness” below for the evidence.

Safety at a glance

OverallLikely safe

Generally safe and low-risk when applied gently by a trained person or with proper instruction.

PregnancyPossibly Safe

When used appropriately. Acupressure has been safely used during pregnancy in clinical trials without significant adverse effects.

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingPossibly Safe

When used appropriately. Acupressure has been safely used during pregnancy in clinical trials without significant adverse effects.

Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center). Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Jump to a section

Overview

Acupressure is a hands-on therapy that comes from traditional Chinese medicine. Instead of needles (which are used in acupuncture), a practitioner — or you yourself — uses fingers, thumbs, palms, or special tools to press on certain spots on the body called acupoints.

It is important to know that acupressure is not an herb, plant, or dietary supplement. You do not swallow or apply anything. It is a physical technique, so there is no plant source, dose in milligrams, or product to digest.

People use acupressure for many everyday complaints, such as nausea, stress, headaches, and aches. It is often done in a quiet, relaxed setting and may be combined with massage, deep breathing, or other relaxation methods. Some products, like acupressure wristbands and acupressure mats, are sold to let people apply pressure at home.

How it works

In traditional Chinese medicine, acupressure is said to balance the flow of energy, or qi, through channels called meridians. Pressing on acupoints is thought to remove blockages and restore balance. This is a traditional concept and is not based on modern science.

From a modern viewpoint, researchers think pressure on the skin and muscles may send signals through the nervous system that affect how the brain processes pain and may trigger the release of natural chemicals like endorphins. Pressure and touch may also lower stress and promote relaxation, which can ease symptoms like nausea and tension.

These explanations are still partly theories. Much of the research is small or preliminary, and scientists do not fully understand exactly why acupressure helps some people.

Effectiveness

Does Acupressure work?

Here’s what the research actually shows for each use — graded by Natural Medicines and reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD.

Evidence overview · 59 uses evaluated

3 Possibly effective 1 Leans ineffective 55 Insufficient evidence

How to read these evidence grades

Natural Medicines’ 7-point scale. We show each rating’s label word-for-word.

1EffectiveStrong, consistent evidence it works.

2Likely EffectiveGood evidence, though not yet conclusive.

3Possibly EffectiveSome evidence suggests a benefit.

4Possibly IneffectiveSome evidence it may not help.

5Likely IneffectiveFairly strong evidence it doesn’t help.

6IneffectiveStrong evidence it doesn’t work.

7Insufficient Reliable Evidence to RateToo little research to say either way.

Possibly Effective Back pain