ACUPUNCTURE
Shi Dou: TCM Acupoint Guide
SHIDOU
Name
Shi Dou (Shidou)
Location
On the lateral side of the chest, in the fifth intercostal space, 6 cun lateral to the midline. Note: the 6 cun line is located 2 cun lateral to the mammillary line.
Needling
- Transverse-oblique insertion along the intercostal space, 0.5 to 1 cun.
- Caution: perpendicular insertion, especially in thin patients, carries a substantial risk of inducing a pneumothorax.
- Caution: avoid deep insertion.
- Slanted insertion, 0.5 to 0.8 cun.
- Puncture obliquely, 0.3 to 0.5 cun.
- Moxibustion is applicable.
Actions
- Dissipates accumulation of food and fluid
- Promotes digestion
Indications
- Fullness of the chest and lateral costal region
- Ceaseless pain of the lateral costal region
- Abdominal distention
- Water swelling of the abdomen
- Borborygmus
- Swelling of the breasts
- Jaundice
- Ascites
- Retention of urine
- Esophageal pain
- Pain of the diaphragm
- Belching
- Vomiting immediately after eating
- Undigested food in the stool
- Cough
- Chronic spleen malaria
- Intercostal neuralgia
- Gastritis
- Fullness and pain in the chest and hypochondriac region
Notes
It is said that in severe diseases, when life is hanging by a thread, 200 to 300 moxa cones on this point will insure the patient survival. Use this point in any major spleen disease.
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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