Foot Massage Pressure Points

Kent Ninomiya is a veteran journalist with over 23 years experience as a television news anchor, reporter and managing editor. He traveled to more than 100 countries on all seven continents, including Antarctica. Ninomiya holds a Bachelor of Arts in social sciences with emphasis in history, political science and mass communications from the University of California at Berkeley.

A working knowledge of pressure points in the feet will vastly improve your ability to give a good foot massage. This is important for relieving tired feet, helping feet recover from injury, and giving pleasure to another person. A foot massage using pressure points can produce sensations of euphoria, if the person receiving it is not ticklish. Pressure should be applied gently to all pressure points for five seconds then released. Wait a few seconds then repeat.

Find the bone that sticks out of your ankle on the inside of your foot. Locate the point two finger widths below that bone. Press the point and apply direct pressure inward. This is a great stress reliever and a good starting point for your foot massage. Be careful not to press too hard. This can hurt a bit. You should feel a slight buzzing sensation in your head.

Place your finger between the big toe and the next toe. Trace a path up the foot between the toe bones. Stop when you feel the bones connect. This is about one inch from the webbing of the toes. Apply pressure straight down with a single finger. Believers of acupressure say this pressure point can alleviate anger, rid you of frustration and help your liver operate properly.

Look at the big toe and find the lower inside corner of its toenail. This is the lower right side corner on your right foot and the lower left side corner on your left foot. Apply slow, gentle pressure straight downward with a single finger. Be careful. This can cause pain for people with toenail problems. Believers of acupressure say this pressure point can make you feel better about yourself.

Find the same spot on the fourth toe counting from the big toe outward. Again, this is the point on the lower right side corner on the fourth toe of your right foot and the lower left side corner of the fourth toe of your left foot. Be very careful as you apply downward pressure with one finger. Believers of acupressure say this pressure point clears your mind and helps your gall bladder.

Rubbing the bottom of the foot is a very effective way to relieve stress during a foot massage. Use lotion or oil on your hands so your fingers slide along the muscles of the sole. Find the ball of the foot. Apply pressure to the pressure point immediately below the ball of the foot, directly beneath the space between the big toe and the toe next to it. A wave of euphoria is often released within the person getting the foot massage when you press this pressure point.