TB03 Zhongzhu (Central Islet)
中渚zhōng zhǔZhongzhu
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37
Indications
83
Protocols
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Location
When fist is clenched point is on the dorsum of the hand between 4th and 5th metacarpal bones in the depression the proximal to the 4th metacarpophalangeal joint.
Categories
- Shu-Stream point of the Triple Burner meridian
The classical groups this point belongs to, from Deadman, Al-Khafaji & Baker, A Manual of Acupuncture.
No specific contraindications.
Indications
Conditions for which TB03 is listed as indicated. An indication list is a reference index, not a prescription – see the protocols below for sourced treatments.
Arthritis FingerAversion ColdAversion WindChillsDeafnessDisease FebrilePsychological DisorderDizzinessEyesight / Vision Superficial ObstructionSuperficial Obstruction VisionFeverHeatFinger StiffnessImmobility FingerItchinessItchiness FaceMalaria ChronicLimbs NumbnessPainBack Heart Level PainEar Earache PainElbow PainEye PainHeadacheMigraineHeadache One-sided PainShoulder PainSpine PainTemples PainPharyngitis RednessRed EyesFacial RednessChannel StagnationSpontaneous Sweating SwellingTinnitus
TCM actions
What classical sources say TB03 does in the terms of Chinese medicine theory. These describe the point, not a condition.
Benefit EarsBenefit EyesBenefit Head
Protocols using TB03
The 50 best-sourced of 83, ranked by strength of evidence. The count above is the full figure.
- Shoulder Pain, Neck Pain, Limited Movement – SI11, TB02, TB03, GB34 (doi:10.1016/s0254-6272(09)60082-0 ↗)
- Cervical Spondylosis, Neck Pain, Arm Numbness, Stiffness Neck, Radicular Pain – SI15, TB03, GV14 (doi:10.1186/1745-6215-13-107 ↗)
- Tinnitus, Tinnitus Subjective – TB03, TB05, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB40, GB41, GV20, GV24 (doi:10.1186/1745-6215-13-224 ↗)
- Tingling Feet, Feet Numbness, Neuropathy Peripheral Chemotherapy-induced, Hands Numbness, Tingling Hands, Burning Extremities Pain – LI04, SP06, TB03, GB39, GB41, LV03 (doi:10.1186/1745-6215-14-254 ↗)
- Neck Pain, Radiating Arm Pain, Disc Herniation Cervical, Radiculopathy Cervical – LI04, SI03, BL10, BL11, BL12, TB03, TB10, GB20, GB21, GV16 (doi:10.3831/KPI.2012.15.2.036 ↗)
- Tinnitus, Tinnitus Subjective – TB03, TB17, GB02, GB43 (doi:10.1186/s13063-015-0630-4 ↗)
- Fatigue, Dizziness, Tinnitus, Headache, Constipation, Depression, Insomnia, Itchiness, Edema, Palpitation, Knee Pain, Back Pain, Vision Blurred, Cervical Pain, Stiffness Shoulder, Cramp Leg, Lower-limb Pain, Upper-limb Numbness, Lower-limb Numbness, Hemodialysis Complication – LU05, LU09, LI02, LI11, ST41, ST45, SP02, SP05, HT07, HT09, SI03, SI08, BL65, BL67, KD01, KD07, PC07, PC09, TB03, TB10, GB38, GB43, LV02, LV08 (doi:10.1155/2015/802846 ↗)
- Stiffness Neck, Neck Chronic Pain – LI11, HT07, SI03, SI15, BL10, BL65, PC06, TB03, TB15, GB20, GB34, GB39, GB41, CV14 (doi:10.1186/s12906-016-1027-y ↗)
- Tinnitus – ST36, ST37, SI19, TB03, TB09, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB08 (doi:10.1186/s12906-017-1589-3 ↗)
- Tinnitus – ST36, ST37, TB03, TB09 (doi:10.1186/s12906-017-1589-3 ↗)
- Pruritus, Dermatitis Atopic, Sleep Disturbance, Skin Eczema – LI02, LI11, ST36, ST43, SP03, SI02, SI03, BL66, PC06, TB03, TB06, GB41, LV03 (doi:10.1155/2017/1926806 ↗)
- Dyspepsia, Pruritus, Dermatitis Atopic, Skin Dryness, Skin Erythema – LI02, LI11, ST36, ST43, SP03, SI02, SI03, BL66, PC06, TB03, TB06, GB41, LV03 (doi:10.1155/2019/1907578 ↗)
- Tinnitus – ST36, ST40, SP06, SI19, KD03, TB03, TB05, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB20, GB34, LV03, GV20 (doi:10.1155/2019/1318639 ↗)
- Insomnia, Eczema, Dyspepsia, Pruritus, Dermatitis Atopic – LI02, LI11, ST36, ST43, SP03, SI02, SI03, BL66, PC06, TB03, TB06, GB41, LV03 (doi:10.1186/s12906-021-03306-1 ↗)
- Dizziness, Tinnitus, Forgetfulness, Knee Pain, Heel Pain, Infertility Female, Lumbosacral Pain, Infertility Advanced-reproductive-age, Kidney-qi-deficiency, Menstruation Dim-color, Menstruation Thin-texture, Libido Decreased – ST25, SP06, BL23, BL32, KD03, KD12, TB03, LV03, CV04, CV12, GV20 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000034768 ↗)
- Tinnitus, Tinnitus Unilateral – TB03, TB05 (doi:10.1016/j.jams.2019.05.002 ↗)
- Tinnitus, Vertigo, Hearing Loss Sensorineural, Hearing Loss Sensorineural Unilateral – LI04, SI19, KD03, TB03, TB17, TB18, TB21, LV03, CV04, CV06 (doi:10.1016/j.jams.2019.04.003 ↗)
- Dizziness, Vertigo Positional Paroxysmal – SP06, SI03, TB03, TB05, GB20, GV20 (doi:10.13702/j.1000-0607.20221189 ↗)
- Paresthesia, Neuropathy Peripheral Chemotherapy-induced, Extremities Numbness, Tingling Extremities – LI04, LI11, ST36, SP06, SP09, SI03, KD06, TB03, TB05, GB34, GB39 (doi:10.1186/s12906-024-04603-1 ↗)
- Anxiety, Palpitations, Insomnia, Nightmares, Irritability, Ptsd, Hypervigilance, Phobia Cynophobia, Avoidance – LU11, LI11, ST01, HT07, SI03, BL02, KD25, KD27, PC05, PC07, PC08, TB03, GB01, CV24, GV20, GV26 (doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1753017 ↗)
- Diplopia, Paralysis Abducens Nerve, Strabismus – TB03, TB23, GB01, GB20, GB37, GB44 (doi:10.13702/j.1000-0607.20240917 ↗)
- Tinnitus Unilateral – TB03, TB17, TB21, GB02, LV02 (doi:10.1186/1472-6882-12-97 ↗)
- Tinnitus – ST36, TB03, TB17, GB02, GB08, GB20, GV20 (doi:10.1186/1472-6882-12-97 ↗)
- Tingling, Feet Numbness, Neuropathy Peripheral Chemotherapy-induced, Hands Numbness, Cold Sensitivity, Extremities Pain – LI04, TB03, GB41, LV03 (doi:10.3831/KPI.2017.20.034 ↗)
- Tingling, Feet Numbness, Neuropathy Peripheral Chemotherapy-induced, Hands Numbness, Cold Sensitivity, Extremities Pain – LI04, TB03, GB41, LV03 (doi:10.3831/KPI.2017.20.034 ↗)
- 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 ↗)
- Tinnitus – ST36, SI19, TB03, TB17, GB07, GB08, GV20 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000034315 ↗)
- Myofascial Pain, Orofacial Pain, Arthralgia Temporomandibular – LI04, ST06, SI19, TB03, GB20, GB34, LV03 (doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32075 ↗)
- Anxiety, Depression, Stress Post-traumatic, Stress Psychological – SP06, HT03, HT07, TB03, CV04, CV06, CV12, CV17 (doi:10.1016/j.imr.2025.101251 ↗)
- Tinnitus, Tinnitus Subjective, Tinnitus Non-pulsating, Tinnitus Idiopathic – LI04, ST36, KD03, TB03, TB05, TB17, TB18, TB19, TB20, TB21, TB22, GB02, GB08, GB20 (doi:10.5114/pq.2021.108662 ↗)
- Parkinson's Disease, Sleep Disturbance, Restless Legs Syndrome – ST36, SP02, SP03, SP06, PC07, TB03, GB34, GV20 (doi:10.13288/j.11-2166/r.2024.16.009 ↗)
- Tinnitus – SI19, TB03, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB20, GV20 (doi:10.16305/j.1007-1334.2020.1906035 ↗)
- Tinnitus, Kidney-liver Deficiency – SI19, BL23, KD03, TB03, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB20, CV04, GV20 (doi:10.16305/j.1007-1334.2020.1906035 ↗)
- Tinnitus, Hearing Loss Sudden – SI17, SI19, BL23, KD03, TB03, TB05, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB20, GB37, LV03, GV20 (doi:10.27282/d.cnki.gsdzu.2020.000863 ↗)
- Shoulder Pain, Bi Syndrome Shoulder – LU01, LU09, LI04, LI20, SI03, SI19, TB03, TB23 (doi:10.27127/d.cnki.ghlzu.2025.000179 ↗)
- Tinnitus, Hearing Loss – SI19, KD03, TB03, TB05, TB17, TB21, GB02, LV03 (doi:10.27465/d.cnki.gzzyc.2020.000515 ↗)
- Anxiety, Tinnitus, Tinnitus Subjective – SI19, TB03, TB05, TB17, GB08, GB12, GV15, GV20, GV26 (doi:10.3389/fneur.2022.986805 ↗)
- Tinnitus, Hearing Loss, Tinnitus Subjective – ST36, SI19, TB03, TB17, GV20, XH03 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000034315 ↗)
- Tinnitus, Tinnitus Subjective, Tinnitus Chronic – ST36, SI19, KD03, TB03, TB05, TB17, GB02 (doi:10.2147/JPR.S433048 ↗)
- Tinnitus, Hearing Loss, Tinnitus Idiopathic – ST36, SI19, KD03, TB03, TB05, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB12, GB20, GB43, LV03, GV20 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000037107 ↗)
- Tinnitus, Hearing Loss – ST36, SI19, BL23, KD03, TB03, TB05, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB20, LV03 (doi:10.1159/000538236 ↗)
- Tinnitus, Hearing Loss, Hearing Loss Sensorineural, Sudden Hearing Loss – SI19, TB03, TB17, TB21, GB02 (doi:10.1016/j.imr.2024.101087 ↗)
- Hearing Loss, Hearing Loss Sensorineural, Sudden Hearing Loss – LI04, SI19, TB03, TB05, TB17, GB20, GB43 (doi:10.1016/j.imr.2024.101087 ↗)
- Tinnitus, Hearing Loss, Hearing Loss Sensorineural, Sudden Hearing Loss – SI19, TB03, TB17, TB21, GB02, GB40, LV03 (doi:10.1016/j.imr.2024.101087 ↗)
- Tinnitus, Hearing Loss, Hearing Loss Sensorineural, Sudden Hearing Loss – SI19, KD03, TB03, TB05, TB17, GB02, LV03, XH16 (doi:10.2196/69163 ↗)
- Tinnitus, Hearing Loss, Sensorineural Tinnitus – LI04, SI19, TB03, TB05, GB02 (doi:10.2147/JMDH.S550296 ↗)
- Tinnitus, Deafness, Hearing Loss, Hearing Loss Sudden Sensorineural, Sudden Hearing Loss – LI04, SI19, TB03, TB17, TB21, GB02, LV03 (doi:10.3389/fneur.2025.1689472 ↗)
- Anxiety, Insomnia, Ptsd, Phobia – LU11, LI11, ST01, HT07, SI03, BL02, KD25, KD27, PC05, PC07, PC08, TB03, GB01, CV24, GV20, GV26, XH01A, XH01B, XH01C, XH01D (doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1753017 ↗)
- Jaw Pain, Temporomandibular Disorder, Myofascial Craniomandibular Pain – LI04, ST06, SI19, TB03, GB20, GB34, LV03, XH03 (doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e32075 ↗)
- Diplopia, Paralysis Abducens Nerve, Strabismus, Abducens Nerve Palsy – TB03, TB23, GB01, GB20, GB37, GB44, XH05, XH07 (doi:10.13702/j.1000-0607.20240917 ↗)
Most often selected alongside TB03
How many sourced protocols in the index pair each point with TB03. Corpus frequency, not a combination to use.
- TB17Hurricane38 protocols
- GB02Hearing Convergence33 protocols
- SI19Palace Of Hearing32 protocols
- GB20Wind Pool24 protocols
- ST36Leg Three Miles24 protocols
- TB05Outer Gate24 protocols
- GV20100 Convergences23 protocols
- LV03Great Surge23 protocols
- LI04Junction Valley22 protocols
- SI03Back Stream20 protocols
- TB21Ear Gate20 protocols
- KD03Great Stream16 protocols