Pressure Points in Dogs – Lung Meridian

Learn the most important pressure points used for acupuncture and acupressure in dogs. Here’s the trajectory of the Lung Meridian, including the location and clinical application of the most powerful points.

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Pressure Points on the Lung Meridian

The Lung Merdian in Dogs

The Lung meridian is the Yin meridian of the Metal element. It starts with LU 01 which is located on both sides of the chest. it then courses over the elbow joint and runs distally on the medial aspect of the forelimb.
The main indication to use Lung points are issues of the respiratory tract. But they can do more than that. LU 07, for instance, is the Masterpoint for the Head and Neck. It’s being used for a variety of conditions affecting this area.

Clinical Application of Pressure Points

• LU 01 – cough, chest pain, asthma, shoulder pain.
• LU 05 – cough with fever, as asthma with Phlegm, elbow problems and dermatitis.
• LU 07 – neck and headache, cough, runny nose, acute respiratory conditions, cardiac problems.
• LU 09 – palpitations, cardiac problems, asthma, chronic airway diseases and carpal pain.

How to Treat Pressure Points

There are multiple different ways how to work with acupuncture points. Professional practitioners use needles or acupuncture lasers to stimulate them. But you can achieve a beneficial effect by massaging them with your hand as well. This technique is called acupressure.

Massage Techniques for Acupressure

During acupressure, you will use your hands to be aware of any changes happening in the body. These could either be an existing blockage or the free flow of Qi after removing a blockage by acupressure treatment. Learning to sense what the body is communicating takes practice. You can educate your hands by focusing on the various sensations experienced during these sessions and by learning what the sensations indicate.

Massage Techniques:

• The One-Finger Technique: During this technique, you’ll use the finger pad of your thumb. Place it on the acupressure point and apply gentle pressure to it. Depending on the location, you can gently move your thumb and work a little bit deeper into the tissue. This technique is best used on fleshy, well-muscled body parts or on the limbs of larger dogs.
• The Two-Finger Technique: To perform this technique, place your middle finger over the nail on your pointer finger and apply gentle pressure on your dog’s body surface. Use this technique on smaller dogs or on the legs.

Practise, Practise, Practise!

The meridians and acupoints that will be treated are just under the skin, so you only need to apply gentle pressure. Extreme pressure could cause additional pain. If your dog ever shows signs of discomfort at any point, stop to apply pressure and move on to a different area.

If you are unable to feel changes in your dog’s body at first, that’s ok! It takes time to learn how to feel the sensation of moving Qi and removing blockages through the hands. Simply apply gentle pressure to the acupoint for approximately 30 seconds. If you don’t manage to stay on the point for the full 30 seconds, don’t worry, that’s ok too, it will still work. While performing your acupressure session, look for signs in your dog. Your furry friend will tell you when you’re getting better at what you’re doing.

How do I Know it’s Working?

Your dog’s body will give you clear signs that your massage is having a positive effect on their well-being. Releasing blockages and promoting the free flow of Qi will make your dog feel much better and show you release signs such as:

• Calming down
• Relaxing
• Yawning
• Groaning
• Becoming dozy and even falling asleep
• Stretching

After a few days of doing acupressure, you will notice that you’re not only helping your dog’s health and well-being with your daily acupressure session, but also you’ll see the bond between the two of you growing much stronger.

Metal Element

The Five Elements theory forms the basis of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Each of the five elements Wood, Fire, Earth, Water, and Metal include subcategories such as climate, body tissue, emotion, and internal organ…

You can find more information on the five elements here.

The five-element system also applies to your dog’s personality and physical constitution. Every dog can be categorized into one of the five elements. This gives us more information on dietary preferences and disease predispositions.

The Metal Element Dog

Metal type dogs are confident and consistent, they always stick to the rules and tend to be leaders. The hair coat of the metal type dog is good, they are clean and slim.
Disease predispositions: Lung problems – cough, asthma, runny nose. Large intestine problems: constipation.

Canine Acupressure Workbook

I highly recommend checking out the canine acupressure workbook. This comprehensive guide is filled with step-by-step instructions, point charts for various health issues, and high-quality images to help you locate the acupressure points on your dog’s body.

By using acupressure, you can help your dog alleviate pain and discomfort, reduce stress and anxiety, and promote relaxation. With this easy-to-use workbook, you’ll have everything you need to get started with acupressure and enhance the health and happiness of your furry friend.

More Meridians:

• How to Treat Cats with Acupressure
• Equine Acupressure Point – The Heart Meridian in the Horse
• Equine Acupuncture Charts – The Small Intestine Meridian
• Equine Acupressure Charts – The Triple Heater Meridian
• Equine Acupressure Charts – The Liver Merdian in the Horse