BL22 Sanjiaoshu (Sanjiao Shu Point)

Location

1.5 thumb widths lateral to the GV05 at the level of the lower border of the spinous process of the 1st lumbar vertebra.

Categories

• Back-Shu point of the Triple Burner

The classical groups this point belongs to, from Deadman, Al-Khafaji & Baker, A Manual of Acupuncture.

Indications

Conditions for which BL22 is listed as indicated. An indication list is a reference index, not a prescription – see the protocols below for sourced treatments.

TCM actions

What classical sources say BL22 does in the terms of Chinese medicine theory. These describe the point, not a condition.

Protocols using BL22

• Dysmenorrhea, Menstrual Pain, Mood Changes, Damp-heat Lower-jiao – LI11, ST28, ST29, ST40, SP06, SP09, BL22, BL32, GB34, LV02 (doi:10.1093/ecam/nep239 ↗)
• Anxiety Procedural, Procedural Pain – BL21, BL22, BL23, BL52, GB25 (doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000734 ↗)
• Back Low Pain, Claudication Neurogenic, Leg Radiating Pain, Spondylolisthesis Lumbar Degenerative – LI04, ST36, BL22, BL23, BL24, BL25, LV03 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000010667 ↗)
• Diarrhea, Abdominal Pain, Ulcerative Colitis, Blood In Stool – ST25, ST36, SP04, BL16, BL20, BL21, BL22, BL25, KD03, CV04, GV02, GV06 (doi:10.1186/s12906-020-03101-4 ↗)
• Anxiety, Stool Loose, Menstruation Irregular, Vision Visual Field Defect, Vision Blind Spot, Neck Myofascial Pain – LI04, LI10, ST36, SP03, SP06, SP09, SP10, HT08, SI03, SI13, BL10, BL18, BL20, BL22, BL23, BL65, PC06, PC07, GB20, GB21, GB34, LV03, GV14, GV20, MS14 (doi:10.1177/21649561211021081 ↗)
• Tremor, Parkinson's Disease, Low Back Pain, Bradykinesia, Postural Deformity Pisa Syndrome, Scoliosis Lateral Trunk Flexion, Muscle Rigidity Paraspinal – BL22, BL23, BL24, BL25 (doi:10.12998/wjcc.v10.i30.11023 ↗)
• Leg Numbness, Lumbar Pain, Back Low Pain, Lower-limb Pain, Lower-limb Numbness, Disc-herniation Lumbar, Herniation Disc Lumbar – SP06, BL22, BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL40, KD03, GB30 (doi:10.12998/wjcc.v11.i10.2308 ↗)
• Headache, Sore Throat, Joint Pain, Muscle Pain, Fatigue Chronic, Sleep Unrefreshing, Memory Impaired, Fatigue Post-exertional, Cold Intolerance, Concentration Impaired, Yang Deficiency Spleen-kidney, Lumbar Weakness – BL11, BL13, BL14, BL15, BL17, BL18, BL19, BL20, BL21, BL22, BL23, BL25, GV02, GV03, GV04, GV05, GV06, GV07, GV08, GV09, GV10, GV11, GV12, GV13, GV14 (doi:10.1186/s12967-023-04250-z ↗)
• Fatigue, Constipation, Insomnia, Weight Loss, Eating Disorder Arfid, Food Avoidance, Abdominal Bloating, Taste Disturbance, Tongue Pain – LI04, ST19, ST20, ST24, ST25, ST36, ST40, SP04, SP06, HT07, SI03, BL15, BL19, BL20, BL21, BL22, KD06, PC06, GV20 (doi:10.7759/cureus.61912 ↗)
• Sciatica, Lumbago, Leg Pain, Lower Back Pain – BL22, BL23, BL24, BL25, BL52, GV03, GV04, GV05 (doi:10.3831/KPI.2012.15.006 ↗)
• Contracture Knee, Brachial Plexus Injury, Muscle Atrophy, Paralysis Upper Extremity, Paralysis Lower Extremity, Contracture Ankle, Contracture Shoulder, Contracture Elbow, Scoliosis, Neuromotor Impairment, Steppage Gait – LU01, LI04, LI05, LI11, LI14, ST34, ST36, ST41, SP09, SP10, SI05, SI06, SI07, SI09, BL11, BL12, BL22, BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL36, BL37, BL39, BL55, BL56, BL57, BL58, BL60, BL61, BL62, KD03, KD04, KD05, KD06, TB09, GB20, GB21, GB40 (doi:10.3831/KPI.2013.16.009 ↗)
• Hyperglycemia, Insulin Resistance, Type 2 Diabetes – LI04, LI11, ST36, SP06, SP09, SP10, BL13, BL17, BL20, BL21, BL22, BL23, BL52, KD03, CV04, CV06, CV12 (doi:10.3892/etm.2017.4379 ↗)
• Leg Pain, Buttock Pain, Low Back Pain, Mobility Reduced, Spinal Stenosis Lumbar, Neurogenic Claudication – ST36, ST40, BL22, BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL53, BL54, GB30, GB31, GB34, LV03, GV03, GV04, GV05 (doi:10.1016/j.imr.2025.101204 ↗)
• Leg Pain, Leg Numbness, Leg Weakness, Radiculopathy Lumbar, Lower-back Pain – BL22, BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL27, BL31, BL32, BL33, BL34, BL54, GB30, GV03, GV04 (doi:10.3831/KPI.2025.28.4.269 ↗)
• Urinary Retention Post-stroke – SP06, SP09, BL22, BL23, BL28, BL67, KD03, CV03, CV04, CV06 (doi:10.13048/jkm.16001 ↗)
• Lumbar Pain, Low Back Pain – BL22, BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26 (doi:10.15294/kemas.v16i2.22650 ↗)
• Urinary Retention – LI04, ST28, ST36, SP06, SP09, SP10, BL22, BL23, BL28, BL32, BL54, KD03, LV03, CV02, CV03, CV04, CV06, GV20 (doi:10.13288/j.11-2166/r.2013.23.017 ↗)
• Parkinson's Disease, Postural Deformity Pisa Syndrome, Pisa Syndrome – BL22, BL23, BL24, BL25 (doi:10.12998/wjcc.v10.i30.11023 ↗)
• Visual Field Defect, Neck Pain – LI04, LI10, ST36, SP03, SP06, SP09, SP10, HT08, SI03, SI13, BL10, BL18, BL20, BL22, BL23, BL65, PC06, PC07, GB20, GB34, LV03, GV14, GV20, MS14 (doi:10.1177/21649561211021081 ↗)
• Insomnia, Weight Loss, Bloating Abdominal, Eating Disorder Arfid – LI04, ST19, ST20, ST24, ST25, ST36, ST40, SP04, SP06, HT07, SI03, BL15, BL19, BL20, BL21, BL22, KD06, PC06 (doi:10.7759/cureus.61912 ↗)
• Leg Pain, Low Back Pain, Spinal Stenosis Lumbar Degenerative, Claudication Neurogenic – ST36, ST40, BL22, BL23, BL24, BL25, BL26, BL53, BL54, GB30, GB31, GB34, LV03, GV03, GV04, GV05, XB02L1, XB02L2, XB02L3, XB02L4, XB02L5 (doi:10.1016/j.imr.2025.101204 ↗)
• Procedural Pain – BL21, BL22, BL23, BL52, GB25 (doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000734 ↗)
• Infertility Female, PCOS, Anovulation – SP06, SP08, BL22, BL23, BL32, KD12, CV03, CV04, CV06, XC01 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.2018.03.009 ↗)
• Low Back Pain – BL22, BL23, BL24, BL25, BL52, GV03, GV04, GV05 (doi:10.3831/KPI.2012.15.006 ↗)
• Damp – SP03, SP06, SP09, BL20, BL22, BL23, LV13, CV04, CV06 (Deadman, Al-Khafaji & Baker, A Manual of Acupuncture – point group actions)
• Ooedema – LU07, LI04, SP06, SP09, BL22, BL23, KD03, KD07, CV09 (Deadman, Al-Khafaji & Baker, A Manual of Acupuncture – point group actions)
• Heat Bladder, Damp Bladder, Heat Bladder, Damp Bladder – ST28, SP11, SP12, HT08, BL22, BL27, BL28, BL31, BL35, BL36, BL39, KD10 (Yang Yong-Xuan, clinical point-selection notes)
• Heat Stomach, Damp Spleen, Damp Stomach, Heat Spleen, Heat Stomach, Damp Spleen, Damp Stomach, Heat Spleen – ST22, ST44, SP02, SP04, BL18, BL20, BL22 (Yang Yong-Xuan, clinical point-selection notes)
• Damp Stomach, Damp Stomach – ST30, ST40, SP04, BL22 (Yang Yong-Xuan, clinical point-selection notes)
• Stomach Food Stagnation, Stomach Food Stagnation – ST30, ST34, ST37, BL21, BL22, KD18, KD21 (Yang Yong-Xuan, clinical point-selection notes)
• Renal Colic Pain – BL21, BL22, BL23, BL24, BL26, BL45, BL46, BL47, BL48, BL49 (Acupuncture Versus Titrated Morphine in Patients With Renal Colic. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02781415)
• Eczema, Atopic Dermatitis, Eczema Atopic, Pruritus Skin – LI11, ST25, ST36, SP10, BL13, BL15, BL17, BL19, BL22, BL40, CV12, GV14 (刘悦汤晓冬李伟红 翟舒婕余洋. 基于Apriori算法的针灸治疗特应性皮炎选取腧穴规律研究. 河北医学 ., 2023 [CNKI])

Most often selected alongside BL22

How many sourced protocols in the index pair each point with BL22. Corpus frequency, not a combination to use.

• BL23Kidney Shu Point23 protocols
• BL25Large Intestine Shu Point13 protocols
• BL24Sea Of Qi Shu Point12 protocols
• SP06Three Yin Intersection12 protocols
• ST36Leg Three Miles12 protocols
• BL20Spleen Shu Point9 protocols
• BL21Stomach Shu Point9 protocols
• LI04Junction Valley9 protocols
• SP09Yin Mound Spring9 protocols
• BL26Original Qi Gate Shu Point7 protocols
• KD03Great Stream7 protocols
• CV04Original Qi Gate6 protocols

Other points on the Bladder Meridian