Dr. William Fitzgerald identified three pressure points for analgesia. Which areas are these?

• A. Tongue, palate, and back of the pharynx
• B. Ear, nose, and throat
• C. Toes, ankles, and knees
• D. Palms, wrists, and fingers

Answer: (A)

Stimulation of specific reflex points can produce analgesia through a reflex-like nervous response. Dr. Fitzgerald identified three pressure points that, when pressed, were thought to trigger a systemwide calming of pain signals. Those areas are the tongue, the palate, and the back of the pharynx. The idea is that applying pressure to these oral regions can modulate nervous activity to lessen pain elsewhere in the body, a concept that informed early reflex-analgesia ideas and was notably explored in dental contexts. The other options don’t align with Fitzgerald’s identified points, which is why the tongue, palate, and back of the pharynx are the correct focus for this question.