When Not to Self-Treat

Acupressure is a self-care practice for everyday discomfort. It is not a response to an emergency, and it is not a treatment for serious illness. This guide used to have pages for the conditions below. They were removed because self-applied acupressure has no place in them.

Call 911 right away

Outside the United States, call your local emergency number. Do not stop to try acupressure first.

Heart attack

Major warning signs include chest pain or discomfort; feeling weak, light-headed or faint; pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck or back, or in one or both arms or shoulders; and shortness of breath. If you notice these in yourself or someone else, call 911 immediately.

Stroke

Signs come on suddenly: trouble walking, dizziness or loss of balance; trouble seeing; numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side; confusion or trouble speaking; a severe headache with no known cause. If you see any of them, call 911 right away.

Seizure

Call 911 if a seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes, another follows soon after, the person has trouble breathing or waking up afterwards, is injured, or the seizure happens in water. Also call if it is a first seizure, or the person is pregnant or has diabetes and loses consciousness.

Trouble breathing

Sudden or severe difficulty breathing is an emergency. Call 911.

See a doctor

Paralysis or new weakness needs a medical diagnosis. Sudden weakness on one side of the body can be a stroke: call 911.

Schizophrenia and other serious mental illness need care from a doctor or mental health professional. In the United States, if you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7.

Sources

About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (CDC)
Signs and Symptoms of Stroke (CDC)
First Aid for Seizures (CDC)
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (988 Lifeline)