LI18 Futu (Beside The Prominence)

Location

On the lateral side of the neck, level with tip of the adam's apple between sternal and clavicular heads of the scm muscle.

Indications

Conditions for which LI18 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 LI18 does in the terms of Chinese medicine theory. These describe the point, not a condition.

Protocols using LI18

• Dizziness, Tinnitus, Headache, Vomiting, Nausea – LI18, SI11, SI14, GB20, GB21, GV16, GV20 (doi:10.1016/s0254-6272(09)60079-0 ↗)
• Fatigue, Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Confusion, Mood Negative – LI18, SI17, GB12 (doi:10.5539/gjhs.v7n4p40 ↗)
• COPD, Dyspnea Exertional, Respiratory Obstruction – LU01, LU09, LI18, ST36, BL13, BL20, BL23, GB12 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000004879 ↗)
• Weight Loss, COPD, Dyspnea, Malnutrition, Exercise Intolerance – LU01, LU09, LI18, ST36, BL13, BL20, BL23, KD03, GB12, CV04, CV12 (doi:10.1186/s12906-018-2341-3 ↗)
• Fatigue, COPD, Dyspnea, Dyspnea Exertional, Exercise Intolerance, Fatigue Leg – LU01, LU09, LI18, ST36, BL13, BL20, BL23, KD03, GB12, CV04, CV12 (doi:10.1186/s12906-024-04353-0 ↗)
• Neck Pain, Stiffness Neck, Limited Range Of Motion Neck – LI04, LI05, LI17, LI18, SI03, SI14, SI15, SI16, BL10, BL11, BL60, TB03, TB10, TB16, GB20, GB21, GB39, GV14, GV16 (doi:10.1016/j.imr.2018.01.002 ↗)
• Chronic Pain, Temporomandibular Joint Pain, Masticatory Muscle Pain, Restricted Movement Jaw – LI18, ST06, ST07, SI19, TB17, GB20, GB21 (doi:10.1016/j.imr.2024.101044 ↗)
• Thyroid Disease – LI04, LI11, LI18, LI20 (doi:10.13481/j.1671-587x.1962.01.012 ↗)
• Thyroid Surgery Anesthesia – LI04, LI18, PC06 (doi:10.13192/j.issn.1000-1719.2015.12.050 ↗)
• Breathing Problems, COPD, Dyspnea, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – LU01, LU09, LI18, ST36, BL10, BL13, BL20, BL23, KD03, CV04, CV12, CV17 (doi:10.1183/23120541.00668-2024 ↗)
• COPD – LU01, LU09, LI18, ST36, BL13, BL20, BL23, GB12 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000004879 ↗)
• Weight Loss, Copd Stable – LU01, LU09, LI18, ST36, BL13, BL20, BL23, KD03, GB12, CV04, CV12 (doi:10.1186/s12906-018-2341-3 ↗)
• Paralysis Facial, Trismus – LI04, LI18, LI19, LI20, ST04, ST06, ST07, SI17, SI19, LV03, GV20 (doi:10.1136/acupmed-2013-010484 ↗)
• Achalasia, Dysphagia Post-stroke – LI17, LI18, CV22, CV23 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.20190117-00014 ↗)
• Temporomandibular Disorder – LI18, ST06, ST07, SI19, TB17, GB20, GB21, XH05 (doi:10.1016/j.imr.2024.101044 ↗)
• Dysphagia Post-stroke – LU05, LI18, ST10, CV17, CV22 (doi:10.5114/aoms/204368 ↗)
• Perioperative Pain, Thyroid Surgery Anesthesia – LI18 (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗)
• Perioperative Pain – LI04, LI18, TB06, CVC02, IAC03, TF10 (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗)
• Difficulty Swallowing, Difficulty Swallowing – LI04, LI18, ST09, PC06, LV03, CV22 (Deadman, Al-Khafaji & Baker, A Manual of Acupuncture – point group actions)
• Voice Lost, Voice Lost – LI04, LI18, ST09, HT05, PC05, CV23, GV15 (Deadman, Al-Khafaji & Baker, A Manual of Acupuncture – point group actions)
• Soreness Throat, Soreness Throat – LU01, LU10, LU11, LI01, LI04, LI18, ST09 (Deadman, Al-Khafaji & Baker, A Manual of Acupuncture – point group actions)
• Liver Qi Stagnation, Liver Qi Stagnation – LI17, LI18, ST09, ST15, ST16, ST18, ST25, ST26, ST27, SP13, SP18, HT03, HT04, SI11, BL14, BL16, BL18, BL31, KD21, XB02T9 (Yang Yong-Xuan, clinical point-selection notes)
• Thyroid Surgery Anesthesia, Anesthesia Thyroid Surgery, Intraoperative Pain – LI04, LI18, PC06 (肖鑫冉陈唯依余安胜. 针刺麻醉在甲状腺手术中的作用机制. 中华中医药杂志 ., 2022 [CNKI])
• Surgical Analgesia Pain, Perioperative Analgesia Thyroid Surgery, Thyroid Surgery – LI04, LI18, PC06 (高寅秋时金华刘俊岭薛继秀王均炉汤义寇立华孙新潮高永辉贾擎谢珅雷剑魏滨薛冰李逸飞. 甲状腺手术针药复合麻醉应用指南. 世界中医药 ., 2017 [CNKI])
• Dysphagia Post-stroke, Dysarthria Post-stroke – LI04, LI18, HT05, CV23 (She Rui-Ping et al.. [Clinical observation on medulla oblongata palsy after brainstem infarction treated with electroacupuncture at eight-neck-occiput points].. Zhongguo zhen jiu = Chinese acupuncture & moxibustion, 2014)
• Goiter – LI18, ST09, ST10, ST11, PC06 (吴开肖 et al.. 运用“天牖五穴”治疗内分泌疾病3则. 世界针灸杂志：英文版, 2016)
• Soreness Throat, Yin Deficiency, Tonsilitis, Pharyngitis Chronic, Soreness Throat, Yin Deficiency, Pharyngitis Chronic – LU07, LU10, LI18, KD03, KD06, CV23 (sacredlotus.com ↗)

Most often selected alongside LI18

How many sourced protocols in the index pair each point with LI18. Corpus frequency, not a combination to use.

• LI04Junction Valley11 protocols
• LU01Central Mansion7 protocols
• BL13Lung Shu Point6 protocols
• BL20Spleen Shu Point6 protocols
• BL23Kidney Shu Point6 protocols
• GB12Mastoid Process6 protocols
• LU09Great Source6 protocols
• ST36Leg Three Miles6 protocols
• KD03Great Stream5 protocols
• PC06Inner Gate5 protocols
• ST09Man's Prognosis5 protocols
• CV04Original Qi Gate4 protocols

Other points on the Large Intestine Meridian