Zu San Li: TCM Acupoint Guide

Name

Zusanli (ST-36)

Location

On the anterolateral aspect of the lower leg, three cun below ST-35 Dubi, one finger-breadth lateral to the anterior crest of the tibia.

To find it reliably: locate GB-34 Yanglingquan and ST-36 Zusanli. Zusanli lies one cun inferior and one finger-breadth lateral to the tibial crest. It is also one handbreadth below ST-35 Dubi.

Needling

• Perpendicular insertion 1 to 1.5 cun.
• Perpendicular insertion 0.5 to 1.2 cun.

Sensation: local distention and soreness, sometimes extending to the top of the head, the temple, forehead or eyes. Caution: do not needle too deeply, to avoid puncturing the lung. Moxibustion is applicable.

Command functions

• He-Sea point of the Stomach channel
• Earth point of the Stomach channel
• Gao Wu Command point
• Ma Dan-Yang Heavenly Star point
• Point of the Sea of Water and Grain
• Uniting point of the Stomach channel
• Divine objectivity point
• Immunization point
• Center Reunion particular point of energy
• He-Sea point of the upper jiao
• Vitality and longevity point

Actions

• Harmonizes the spleen and stomach
• Fortifies the spleen
• Regulates qi and blood
• Resolves dampness
• Supports the righteous qi
• Fosters the original qi
• Tonifies qi
• Nourishes blood and yin
• Clears fire
• Calms the shen
• Activates the channel
• Alleviates pain
• Revives the yang and dispels cold
• Restores consciousness
• Strengthens the body
• Strengthens weak and deficient conditions
• Brightens the eyes
• Regulates the ying and wei
• Regulates the intestines
• Expels wind and dampness
• Resolves edema
• Regulates qi contravection in the stomach and intestines
• Reduces digestive stagnation
• Regulates stomach qi and yin
• Regulates the middle and lower jiaos
• Drains pathogenic influences from the stomach
• Calms the fetus

Indications

Digestive

• Epigastric pain, nausea, vomiting and bitter vomiting
• Vomiting of pus and blood; hiccup and belching
• Distention and pain of the abdomen; fullness and distention of the Heart and abdomen
• Heat in the middle jiao with a propensity to hunger; hunger with no desire to eat; poor appetite
• Difficult ingestion; borborygmus, with or without constipation; flatulence
• Diarrhea and dysenteric disorder; undigested food in the stool
• Stomach pain, gastric spasms, gastroenteritis, gastritis and dyspepsia
• Indigestion and other disorders of the digestive system
• Abdominal distention and pain; abdominal pain and distention
• Inflammation of the abdomen and of the Small Intestine
• Diaphragmatic spasms
• Blood stagnation in the abdomen
• Hard abdominal masses or tumors; hardness of the lower abdomen
• Lower abdominal pain and swelling with inability to urinate
• Acute and chronic enteritis; chronic diarrhea; cold in the intestines
• Sudden turmoil disorder
• Appendicitis; intestinal carbuncle; intestinal abscess; peritonitis
• Yin problems in the Stomach; problems of the mouth; all mouth problems
• Bitter taste in the mouth
• Sensation of strong heat in the abdomen; cholera
• Cold in the middle jiao with borborygmus
• Esophageal cancer; inability to swallow food; dysphagia; sore throat preventing speech

Qi, blood and deficiency patterns

• Dizziness, including postpartum blood dizziness and dizziness of vision
• Palpitations and cardiac arrhythmia
• Hypertension and high blood pressure
• Emaciation, anorexia and asthenia
• General weakness, fatigue and weakness of the four limbs
• Insufficiency of yuan qi, zang qi or stomach qi
• Deficient dyspnea, shortness of breath and cough
• Cough with profuse phlegm; shortness of breath with inability to stand for long
• Cold Bi and chronic Bi; Bi syndrome of the knees
• Diseases with heat at the top of the body and cold below
• Insufficiency of lactation due to deficiency
• Collapse syndrome due to deficiency
• Restless fetus disorder due to qi deficiency
• Abortion

Mental and emotional

• Outrageous laughter, singing and laughing abusively
• Agitation with heat in the body
• Mania-depression; manic singing, raving and abusive talk
• Anger, fright and a tendency to sadness
• Depression, anxiety and fear of the future
• Psychosis, mental disorders and all nervous system disorders
• Neurasthenia; insomnia due to a digestive disorder
• Mutism

Head, face and sense organs

• Headache, pain of the brain and cold nose
• Vertigo and loss of consciousness
• Lockjaw and clonic spasm
• Chills and fever; febrile disease with absence of sweat
• Febrile disease with heavy head and pain of the forehead
• Tinnitus and impaired hearing
• Eye disorders
• Maxillary pain; swelling of the lower jaw
• Throat bi with inability to speak

Chest, heart and blood

• Fullness of the chest and lateral costal region; pain of the lateral costal region
• Sudden Heart pain and violent Heart pain
• Qi rushing up to the chest (running piglet)
• Blood stasis in the interior and in the chest
• Shock; first aid for poisoning and food poisoning
• Pain control

Lower limb and joints

• Pain of the thigh and shin; pain of the knee and calf
• Hemiplegia and paralysis
• Muscle pain; aching low back and legs
• Lumbago; lumbar pain with inability to turn; acute lower back pain
• Aching of the knee and leg; knee painful and weak
• Rheumatism of the knee
• Imperception and neuralgia of the lower limb
• Paralysis of the dorsiflexor of the foot
• Pain in the Kidneys with weak knees
• Lower limb weakness and inability to walk

Urogenital and reproductive

• Reproductive system diseases and diseases of the reproductive system
• Impotence
• Incontinence of urine, loss of urine and enuresis
• Difficult urination; qi-type painful urinary dysfunction
• The five types of painful urinary dysfunction; renal Bi syndrome
• Urolithiasis; chronic nephritis
• Hardened lymph nodes in the groin
• Organ prolapse, especially of the Stomach and Intestines

Gynecology

• Dysmenorrhea due to Cold
• Late menstruation due to blood deficiency
• Leukorrhea
• Restless fetus disorder due to deficiency
• Postpartum syncope

Liver, gallbladder and spleen

• Hepatitis
• Acute diseases of the biliary tract; cholelithiasis
• Jaundice
• Splenomegaly
• Ascites and edema of the legs due to dampness
• Swelling of the limbs; edema of the limbs; cutaneous edema

Breast

• Breast abscess, swelling of the breast and breast carbuncle
• Mastitis

Other disorders

• Shan disorder
• Anemia; emaciation in children and childhood nutritional impairment
• Pulmonary tuberculosis, chronic consumptive disorders and the five types of tuberculosis
• Long lasting fever; very high fever with great chills
• Common cold
• Allergies; chronic urticaria and eczema due to blood deficiency
• Beriberi; leg qi
• Car sickness; no sweating but frequent vomiting
• Torticollis; stiffness of the neck
• Rheumatoid arthritis; arthritis of the shoulder
• Pleurisy; asthma
• Arteriosclerosis
• Constipation; sudden turmoil disorder
• External pathogens located in the tendons, bones, flesh and vessels
• The five taxations and the seven injuries; the seven injuries
• Hernia; swollen testis
• Sensation of energy rising from the abdomen to the upper body

Combinations

Contraindications

Forbidden during the eighth month of pregnancy. Do not moxa children under seven years old.

Notes

Zusanli is the single most important point for stimulating the spleen and stomach to generate qi and blood, and it is said that by using this point all diseases can be treated. Daily moxibustion here is said to preserve health and extend life.

The point has a direct effect on the stomach: reinforcing needling stimulates gastric motility and gastric acid secretion, improving appetite and digestion. It is also said that from the age of thirty onward, this point should be moxaed to send energy to the eyes.