List of acupuncture points

This article provides a comprehensive list of acupuncture points, locations on the body used in acupuncture, acupressure, and other treatment systems based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

Locations and basis

More than four hundred acupuncture points have been described, with the majority located on one of the twenty main cutaneous and subcutaneous meridians, pathways which run throughout the body and according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) transport qi. Twelve of these major meridians, commonly referred to as "the primary meridians", are bilateral and practitioners associate them with internal organs. The remaining eight meridians are designated as "extraordinary", and are also bilateral except for three, one that encircles the body near the waist, and two that run along the midline of the body. Only those two extraordinary meridians that run along the midline contain their own points, the remaining six comprise points from the aforementioned twelve primary meridians. There are also points that are not located on the fourteen major meridians but do lie in the complete nexus referred to as Jīngluò (). Such outliers are often referred to as "extra points".Deadman, P, Baker K, Al-Khafaji, M. 2007. A Manual of Acupuncture, 2nd Edition. Journal of Chinese Medicine Publications. .

There is no anatomical and physiological basis for acupuncture points and meridians.Napadow V, Ahn A, Longhurst J, et al. 2008. The status and future of acupuncture mechanism research. J Altern Complement Med 14(7): 861–869. In practice, acupuncture points are located by a combination of anatomical landmarks, palpation, and feedback from the patient.

Twelve Primary Meridians

Code Chinese name Pinyin English Korean Vietnamese LU shǒu tàiyīn fèi jīng Lung Thủ thái âm phế LI shǒu yángmíng dàcháng jīng Large Intestine Thủ dương minh đại trường ST zú yángmíng wèi jīng Stomach Túc dương minh vị SP zú tàiyīn pí jīng Spleen Túc thái âm tỳ HT shǒu shǎo yīn xīnjīng Heart Thủ thiếu âm tâm SI shǒu tàiyáng xiǎocháng jīng Small Intestine Thủ thái dương tiểu trường BL zú tàiyáng pángguāng jīng Bladder Túc thái dương bàng quang KI zú shǎo yīn shèn jīng Kidney Túc thiếu âm thận PC shǒu juéyīn xīnbāo jīng Pericardium Thủ quyết âm tâm bào TE shǒu shǎo yángsān jiāo jīng Triple Energizer Thủ thiếu dương tam tiêu GB zú shǎo yáng dǎn jīng Gallbladder Túc thiếu dương đởm LR zú juéyīn gān jīng Liver Túc quyết âm can

Eight Extraordinary Meridians

The eight extraordinary meridians () are of pivotal importance in the study of qigong, tai chi, and Chinese alchemy.T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Meditation by Da Liu, pages 35-41 - Routledge and Keegan Paul 1987 Though many are listed, only the Governing Vessel and the Conception Vessel meridians have points not associated with the previous 12 meridians.

Code Name Transliteration English Korean 한글 Pinyin Vietnamese GV Dumai Governing Vessel 독맥 dū mài Đốc mạch CV Renmai Conception Vessel 임맥 rén màiNhâm mạch TV Chongmai Thrusting Vessel 충맥 chòng mài Xung mạch BV Daimai Belt Vessel 대맥 dài mài Đới mạch YinHV Yinqiaomai Yin Heel Vessel 음교맥 yīn qiāo mài Âm kiều YangHV Yangqiaomai Yang Heel Vessel 양교맥 yáng qiāo màiDương kiều YinLV Yinweimai Yin Link Vessel 음유맥 yīn wéi mài Âm duy YangLV Yangweimai Yang Link Vessel 양유맥 yáng wéi mài Dương duy

Nomenclature

Some acupuncture points have several traditional names, for example tài yuān () and gui xin () are two names used for the 9th acupuncture point on the lung meridian. The World Health Organization (WHO) published A Proposed Standard International Acupuncture Nomenclature Report in 1991 and 2014, listing 361 classical acupuncture points organized according to the fourteen meridians, eight extra meridians, 48 extra points, and scalp acupuncture points,Regional Office for the Western Pacific, WHO. 1991. A Proposed Standard International Acupuncture Nomenclature Report of a WHO Scientific Group (pdf). World Health Organization. Retrieved Sep-05-2014. and published Standard Acupuncture Nomenclature in 1993, focused on the 361 classical acupuncture points.Regional Office for the Western Pacific, WHO. 1993. Standard Acupuncture Nomenclature, 2nd ed (pdf). World Health Organization. Archived from the original on 28 February 2011. Retrieved Sep-05-2014. Each acupuncture point is identified by the meridian on which it is located and its number in the point sequence on that channel. For example, Lu-9 identifies the 9th acupuncture point on the lung meridian. The only ambiguity with this unique systemized method is on the urinary bladder meridian, where the outer line of 14 points found on the back near the spine are inserted in one of two ways; following the last point of the inner line along the spine () and resuming with the point found in the crease of the buttocks (), or following the point in the center of the crease of the knee () and resuming with the point just below that (), found in the bifurcation of the gastrocnemius muscle. Although classification of the extra points often tries to utilize a similar shortcut method, where a numbered sequence along an assigned body part is used, there is no commonly agreed-upon system and therefore universal identification of these points relies on the original naming system of traditional Chinese characters.

The tables in this article follow the WHO numbering scheme to identify the acupuncture points of the main channels. For extra points the tables follow the numbering scheme found in A Manual of Acupuncture.

Lung meridian Abbreviated as LU, named "The Lung channel of Hand, Greater Yin". This refers to the meridian starting in the arm, the lung's association with yin, and that it is considered more easy to find. Point Name Transliteration English Pinyin Korean Vietnamese LU-1 Zhongfu Middle Assembly zhōng fǔ Trung phủ LU-2 Yunmen Cloud Gate yún mén Vân môn LU-3 Tianfu Upper Arm Assembly tiān fǔ Thiên phủ LU-4 Xiabai Supporting the Lung xiá bái Hiệp bạch LU-5 Chize Cubit Marsh chǐ zé Xích trạch LU-6 Kongzui Collection Hole kǒng zuì Khổng tối LU-7 Lieque Interrupted Sequence liè quē Liệt khuyết LU-8 Jingqu Channel Ditch jīng qú Kinh cừ LU-9 Taiyuan Great Deep Pool tài yuān Thái uyên LU-10 Yuji Fish Border yú jì Ngư tế LU-11 Shaoshang Lesser Metal shào shāng Thiếu thương

Large intestine meridian Abbreviated as LI or CO (colon), named "The Large Intestine channel of Hand, Yang Bright". Point Name Transliteration English Pinyin Korean Vietnamese LI-1 Shangyang Metal Yang shāng yáng Thương dương LI-2 Erjian Second Point èr jiān Nhị gian LI-3 Sanjian Third Point sān jiān Tam gian LI-4 He Gu Junction Valley hé gǔ Hiệp cốc LI-5 Yangxi Yang Stream yáng xī Dương khê LI-6 Pianli Diverging Passage piān lì Thiên lịch LI-7 Wenliu Warm Flow wēn liū Ôn lưu LI-8 Xialian Lower Point at the Border xià lián Hạ liêm LI-9 Shanglian Upper Point at the Border shàng lián Thượng liêm LI-10 Shousanli Arm Three Miles shǒu sān lǐ Thủ tam lý LI-11 Quchi Pool at the Bend qū chí Khúc trì LI-12 Zhouliao Elbow Bone Hole zhǒu liáo Trữu liêu LI-13 Shouwuli Arm Five Miles shǒu wǔ lǐ (Thủ) ngũ lý LI-14 Binao Upper Arm bì nào Tí nhu LI-15 Jianyu Shoulder and Clavicle jiān yú Kiên ngung LI-16 Jugu Large Bone jù gǔ Ngự cốt LI-17 Tianding Head's Tripod tiān dǐng Thiên đỉnh LI-18 Futu Beside the Prominence fú tū Phù đột LI-19 Kouheliao Mouth Grain Hole kǒu hé liáo Hòa liêu LI-20 Yingxiang Receiving Fragrance yíng xiāng Nghênh hương

Stomach meridian Abbreviated as ST, named "The Stomach channel of Foot, Yang Bright". Point Name Transliteration English Pinyin Korean VietnameseAlternative names ST-1 Chengqi Tears Container chéng qì seung eup Thừa khấp ST-2 Sibai Four Directions Brightness sì bái sa baek Tứ bạch ST-3 Juliao Large Bone Hole jù liáo geo ryo Cự liêu ST-4 Dicang Earth Granary dì cāng ji chang Địa thương ST-5 Daying Large Receptacle (Facial Artery) dà yíng dae yeong Đại nghênh ST-6 Jiache Jaw Bone jiá chē hyeop geo Giáp xa ST-7 Xiaguan Below the Arch xià guān ha gwan Hạ quan ST-8 Touwei Head's Corner tóu wéi du yu Đầu duy ST-9 Renying Man'sPrognosis (Carotid Artery) rén yíng in yeong Nhân nghênh Tianwuhui (Heaven's Five Meetings) ST-10 Shuitu Liquid Passage shǔi tū su dol Thủy đột ST-11 Qishe Residence of Breath Qi qì shè gi sa Khí xá ST-12 Quepen Empty Basin quē pén gyeol bun Khuyết bồn ST-13 Qihu Door of Breath qì hù gi ho Khí hộ ST-14 Kufang Breath Storeroom kù fáng go bang Khố phòng ST-15 Wuyi Hiding the Breath wū yì ok ye Ốc ế ST-16 Yingchuang Breast Window yìng chuāng eung chang Ưng song ST-17 Ruzhong Breast Centre (Nipple) rǔ zhōng yu jung Nhũ trung ST-18 Rugen Breast Root rǔ gēn yu geun Nhũ căn ST-19 Burong Not Contained bù róng bul yong Bất dung "Uncontainable" refers to vomiting ST-20 Chengman Receiving Fullness chéng mǎn seng man Thừa mãn ST-21 Liangmen Beam Gate liáng mén yang mun Lương môn ST-22 Guanmen Shutting the Gate guān mén gwan mun Quan môn ST-23 Taiyi Great Unity tài yǐ tae eul Thái ất ST-24 Huaroumen Chime Gate huá ròu mén hwal yung mun Hoạt nhục môn ST-25 Tianshu Heavenly Pivot tiān shū cheon chu Thiên xu ST-26 Wailing Outer Mound wài líng woe neung Ngoại lăng ST-27 Daju Great Bulge dà jù dae geo Đại cự ST-28 Shuidao Waterway shuǐ dào su do Thủy đạo Left ST 28 = Baomen "Gate of Uterus"; Right ST 28 = Zihu "Child's Door - Sun Si Miao ST-29 Guilai Restoring Position guī lái gui rae Qui lai ST-30 Qichong Qi Surge qì chōng gi chung Khí xung ST-31BiguanThigh Gatebì guānbi gwan Bễ quan ST-32 Futu Crouching Rabbit fú tù bok to Phục thỏ ST-33 Yinshi Yin Market yīn shì eum si Âm thị ST-34 Liangqiu Ridge Mound liáng qīu yang gu Lương khâu ST-35 Dubi Calf's Nose dú bí dok bi Độc tị ST-36 Zusanli Leg Three Miles zú sān lǐ [jok] sam ni Túc tam lý ST-37 Shangjuxu Upper Great Void shàng jù xū sang geo heo Thượng cự hư ST-38 Tiaokou Ribbon Opening tiáo kǒu jo gu Điều khẩu ST-39 Xiajuxu Lower Large Hollow xià jù xū ha geo heo Hạ cự hư ST-40 Fenglong Abundant Bulge fēng lóng pung nyung Phong long ST-41 Jiexi Dividing Cleft jiě xī hae gye Giải khê ST-42 Chongyang Surging Yang chōng yáng chung yang Xung dương ST-43 Xiangu Sunken Valley xiàn gǔ ham gok Hãm cốc ST-44 Neiting Inner Court nèi tíng nae jeong Nội đình ST-45 Lidui Running Point lì duì ye tae Lệ đoài

Spleen meridian Abbreviated as SP, named "The Spleen channel of Foot, Greater Yin". Point Name Transliteration English Pinyin Korean Romaji VietnameseAlternative names SP-1 Yinbai Hidden White yǐn bái im paku Ẩn bạch'in paku' SP-2 Dadu Great Pool dà dū dai to Đại đô SP-3 Taibai Great White taì bái tai haku Thái bạch SP-4 Gongsun Grandfather Grandson gōng sūn kō son Công tôn SP-5 Shangqiu Metal Mound shāng qiū shō kyū Thương khâu SP-6 Sanyinjiao Three Yin Intersection sān yīn jiāo san in kō Tam âm giao SP-7 Lougu Leaking Valley loù gǔ rō koku? Lậu cốc SP-8 Diji Earth Cure dì jī chi ki Địa cơ SP-9 Yinlingquan Yin Mound Spring yīn líng qúan in ryō sen Âm lăng tuyền SP-10 Xuehai Sea of Blood xuè hǎi kek kai Huyết hải SP-11 Jimen Separation Gate jī mén ki mon Cơ môn SP-12 Chongmen Surging Gate chōng mén shō mon Xung môn SP-13 Fushe Bpwel Abode fǔ shè fu sha Phủ xá SP-14 Fujie Abdomen Stagnation fù jié fuk ketsu Phúc kết SP-15 Da heng Great Horizontal dà héng dai ō Đại hoành SP-16 Fuai Abdomen Suffering fù āi fuku ai Phúc ai SP-17 Shidou Food Cavity shí dòu shoku tō Thực đậu SP-18 Tianxi Celestial Cleft tiān xī ten kei Thiên khê SP-19 Xiongxiang Chest Village xiōng xiāng kyō kyō? Hung hương SP-20 Zhourong Complete Nourishment zhōu róng shū ei Chu vinh SP-21 Dabao Great Embrace dà bāo tai hō Đại bao

Heart meridian Abbreviated as HE, HT or H, named "The Heart channel of Hand, Lesser Yin".