ACUPUNCTURE
Gao Huang Shu (Gaohuang)
Name
Gaohuang Shu (Gaohuang, BL-53)
Location
Three cun lateral to the Du channel, at the level of the lower border of the spinous process of the fourth thoracic vertebra, on the spinal border of the scapula.
Three cun lateral to the midline, level with the lower border of the spinous process of the fourth thoracic vertebra and level with UB-14 Jueyin Shu.
When the shoulder is relaxed, the three-cun line corresponds to the border of the scapula.
Needling
- Perpendicular insertion 0.3 to 0.5 cun.
- Oblique insertion 0.3 to 0.5 cun.
- Oblique insertion directed away from the spine, 0.5 to 1 cun.
Sensation: local distention and soreness, sometimes extending to the shoulder. Caution: do not needle too deeply, to avoid puncturing the lung. Moxibustion is applicable.
Actions
- Regulates the lung
- Nourishes lung yin
- Expands and relaxes the chest
- Regulates and tonifies qi and blood
- Moistens dryness
- Transforms phlegm and cold-phlegm
- Descends rebellious qi
- Tonifies kidney yin and yang
- Warms the yang
- Calms the shen
- Restores collapsed yang
- Regulates and tonifies heart qi
- Strengthens deficiency
- Nourishes the jing
- Invigorates the mind
- Stops cough and calms asthma
- Tonifies and nourishes lung, heart, kidney, spleen and stomach
- Nourishes yin
- Clears heat
- Fosters the original qi
Indications
Lung
- Pulmonary tuberculosis
- Cough
- Asthma
- Hemoptysis
- Night sweats
- Bronchitis
- Lung abscess
- Dyspnea
- Phlegm disease
Heart and mind
- Poor memory
- Forgetfulness
- Insomnia
- Palpitations
- Mania
- Insanity
- Phlegm-fire mania
- Anxiety
- Depression
Kidney and lower body
- Nocturnal emissions
- Seminal emission
- Seminal emission with dreams
- Low sexual energy
- Weariness of the four limbs
General deficiency
- Generalized weakness due to prolonged illness
- Chronic consumptive disorders due to deficiency
- Lung deficiency-taxation
- The five taxations
- The seven injuries
- Deficiency-taxation
- All types of deficiency
- Steaming bone disorder
- Emaciation
- Weakness and fatigue
Blood and skin
- Anemia
- Blood disorders
- Hematemesis
- Dry skin
- Skinniness
Head, chest and digestion
- Dizziness
- Visual dizziness
- Hiccups
- Vomiting
- Chest pain
- Esophageal constriction
- Undigested food in the stool
- Spleen and stomach deficiency
- Pounding of the heart
Pain and miscellaneous
- Muscular pain of the shoulder and back
- Pain along the spine
- Pleurisy
- Frozen shoulder
- Neurasthenia
Combinations
| UB-13 Feishu, UB-23 Shenshu | Pulmonary tuberculosis; use moxibustion |
| REN-22 Tiantu, M-BW-1 Dingchuan | Asthma |
| REN-4 Guanyuan, ST-36 Zusanli | General weakness caused by prolonged illness |
| M-HN-30 Bailiao | Consumptive disorders |
| M-BW-6 Huanmen, UB-17 Geshu, UB-19 Danshu | The hundred syndromes of deficiency-taxation |
| UB-42 Pohu | Consumption |
| DU-14 Dazhui, KI-7 Fuliu | Spontaneous sweating; use moxibustion |
| DU-11 Shendao, KI-21 Youmen, LU-7 Lieque | Poor memory |
Notes
Gaohuang Shu deeply revives the Fire of Life, and is the best point for the quality and quantity of blood. For extreme anemia, use fifty to one hundred moxa cones. It treats blood afflictions affecting speech and stuttering, where the Fire needs great replenishment at a deep level.
The name refers to this point's relationship to the innermost part of the body, thought to be fatty tissue between the heart and diaphragm. Diseases settling in this area are thought to be beyond cure, and this point effectively treats chronic conditions that do not respond to conventional treatment. Taoist practitioners believe that proper use of this point produces immortality.
It is used when the patient cannot remain sitting, cannot draw the knees up into the arms, or cannot bend the vertebral column. To tonify the qi of the whole body in a very debilitated person, use moxibustion. Where there is phlegm accumulation, stimulating the point makes the patient feel energy like a torrent of water.
Many classical texts forbid needling this point and recommend moxibustion alone; one hundred to five hundred moxa cones are recommended. If the patient is too fatigued to remain sitting up for treatment, they may lie on one side. REN-3 Zhongji, REN-4 Guanyuan and REN-6 Qihai may be combined with this treatment. In case of excess heat, moxa ST-36 Zusanli to bring the heat down to the lower part of the body. Texts also recommend that after moxibustion here, moxa should be applied to REN-6 Qihai and REN-4 Guanyuan in order to conduct the heat downward.
This is a good emotional control point, and an excellent point for chronic and difficult cases.
Do not moxa in patients under 20 years old, as it can cause an accumulation of heat in the upper jiao.
Sources and further reading
We cite classical materia medica and modern reference works. This article is health education, not medical advice.
- Shennong Bencao Jing (The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica), Han dynasty.
- Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica), Li Shizhen, 1578.
- Chinese Pharmacopoeia, current edition — identity, quality and safety monographs.
- NCCIH and WHO reference material on traditional medicine safety.
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