BL43 (Vital Region Shu Point)

膏肓俞gāo huāng yú

130

Indications

Protocols

Location

3 thumb widths lateral to the du mai at the level of the lower border of the spinous process of the 4th thoracic vertebra on the spinal border of the scapula.

Cautions

Avoid deep perpendicular needling due to risk of pneumothorax.

Indications

Conditions for which BL43 is listed as indicated. An indication list is a reference index, not a prescription – see the protocols below for sourced treatments.

Asthma Benefit Qi Yuan Benefit Qi Yuan Benefit Tonify Lung Boil / Furuncle Woolly Boil Furuncle Woolly Calm Spirit Shen Calm Spirit Shen Clove Sores Common Cold Common Cold Constriction Oesophagus Constriction Oesophagus Cough Coughing Blood Coughing Blood Deficiency Spleen Deficiency Spleen Deficiency Stomach Deficiency Stomach Deficiency Disease Heart Acute Disease Heart Acute Disease Stomach Disease Stomach Psychological Disorder Psychological Disorder Steaming Bone Disorder Steaming Bone Disorder Dizziness Dreaming Erectile Dysfunction Erectile / Impotence Problems Emaciation Enteritis Eyesight / Vision Dizzy Dizzy Vision Fever Heat Hemiplegia High Blood Pressure High Blood Pressure Injury Body Acute Climate Injury Body Acute Climate Injury Heart Grief Injury Heart Grief Injury Kidneys Damp Injury Kidneys Damp Injury Kidneys Fatigue Injury Kidneys Fatigue Injury Liver Anger Injury Liver Anger Injury Lungs Cold Food Drink Injury Lungs Cold Food / Drink Injury Seven Injuries Injury Seven Injuries Injury Spleen - Over Fullness Injury Spleen- Over-fullness Injury Will Fear & Indulgence Injury Will Fear & Indulgence Insomnia Lung Syndrome Deficiency Taxation Lung Syndrome Deficiency-taxation Poor Memory Poor Memory Nourish Heart Nourish Heart Nourish Kidneys Nourish Kidneys Nourish Lung Nourish Lung Nourish Spleen Nourish Spleen Nourish Stomach Nourish Stomach Nourish Yin Nourish Yin Numbness Foot Numbness Foot Numbness Hand Numbness Hand Numbness Back Pain Back Pain Lower Back Pain Lower Back Pain Headache Headache Knee Pain Knee Pain Shoulder Pain Shoulder Pain Stomach Ache Stomach Ache Papules Paralysis Phlegm Phlegm Heat Fire Phlegm-heat Fire Pulse / Heart Rate Pounding Pulse Heart Rate Pounding Organs Phase Stagnation Organs Phase Stagnation Undigested Food in Stool Undigested Food in Stool Stroke Sweating Night Sweats Sweating Night-time Deficiency Taxation Syndrome Deficiency-taxation Syndrome Wind Cold Acute Syndrome Wind-cold Acute Syndrome Wind Cold Interior Syndrome Wind-cold Interior Syndrome Taxation Five Taxations Taxation Five Taxations Tonify Lung Tuberculosis Pulmonary Tuberculosis Pulmonary Vomiting Vomiting Blood Vomiting Blood Weakness Heart Zang Weakness Heart Zang Weakness Limbs Weakness Limbs Weakness Wind Organs Phase Wind Organs Phase

Protocols using BL43

Asthma, Immune Dysregulation, Respiratory Chronic – BL13, BL43, CV14, CV22 (doi:10.1155/2015/896247 ↗)
Pneumothorax Spontaneous, Respiratory Dysfunction Postoperative, Pulmonary Infection Postoperative – BL13, BL23, BL43, CV22 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000014575 ↗)
Cancer Gastric, Cancer Advanced, Post-chemotherapy – LU10, ST16, ST36, SP18, BL21, BL23, BL43, GB42, CV12 (doi:10.1155/2020/8274021 ↗)
Nasal Congestion, Allergic Rhinitis, Sneezing, Nasal Itching, Rhinorrhea Clear – BL12, BL13, BL43 (doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29262 ↗)
Copd, Dyspnea, Exercise Capacity Reduced, Airflow Obstruction – ST40, BL13, BL20, BL23, BL43 (doi:10.1088/1742-6596/884/1/012134 ↗)
Fatigue, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – BL15, BL20, BL43 (doi:10.13702/j.1000-0607.2011.06.011 ↗)
Memory Loss, Mild Cognitive Impairment Amnestic – LU07, HT07, BL15, BL43, GV20 (doi:10.19917/j.cnki.1005-0779.022173 ↗)
Forgetfulness, Memory Impairment, Mild Cognitive Impairment – LU03, LU07, HT03, HT07, BL15, BL43, KD01, KD21, GV11, GV20 (doi:10.19917/j.cnki.1005-0779.022173 ↗)
Shoulder Pain, Neck Pain, Arm Numbness, Cervical Spondylotic Radiculopathy – BL43 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.2016.02.007 ↗)
Cough, Wheezing, Bronchial Asthma – LU01, BL13, BL43, CV17, GV14 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.20221003-k0001 ↗)
Cough Chronic, Asthma Cough-variant – ST36, BL13, BL43 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.20230509-0001 ↗)
Allergic Rhinitis, Sneezing – ST36, BL13, BL43, GV12 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.20231107-0005 ↗)
Cough, Dyspnea, Copd Stable – BL13, BL14, BL15, BL17, BL20, BL23, BL43, CV04, CV06, CV17, GV09, GV14 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.20240725-0001 ↗)
Cough, Cough Chronic, Asthma Cough Variant, Cold Wind Lung – ST36, BL12, BL43, XB01A, XB01B (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.20250301-k0001 ↗)
Cough, Dyspnea, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – BL13, BL43, GV14 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.20190903-0002 ↗)
Pulmonary Tuberculosis, Tuberculosis Tb, Cough, Sputum White, Sputum Blood, Haemoptysis, Chest Pain, Discomfort Chest, Fever, Sweating Nighttime, Fatigue, Poor Appetite, Weight Low, Diarrhea, Anxiety, Heat Five Palm, Listlessness, Temperature 37.8, Complexion Pallor, Malar Flush, Voice Weakness, Tongue Coating Pale, Tongue Body Thin, Tongue Coating Yellow, Pulse Deep, Pulse Thin, Pulse Weak, Shortness of Breath, Lung Yin Deficiency, Spleen Weakness, Stomach Weakness, Kidney Yin Deficiency, Fire Deficiency, Heat Deficiency, Lung Weakness, Upright Zheng Qi Weakness, Benefit Regulate Qi, Phlegm, Pulmonary Tuberculosis, Tuberculosis Tb, Sputum White, Sputum Blood, Chest Pain, Discomfort Chest, Sweating Nighttime, Poor Appetite, Weight Low, Heat Five Palm, Temperature 37.8, Complexion Pallor, Malar Flush, Voice Weakness, Tongue Coating Pale, Tongue Body Thin, Tongue Coating Yellow, Pulse Deep, Pulse Thin, Pulse Weak, Lung Yin Deficiency, Spleen Weakness, Stomach Weakness, Kidney Yin Deficiency, Fire Deficiency, Heat Deficiency, Lung Weakness, Upright Zheng Qi Weakness, Benefit Regulate Qi – LU01, ST36, BL13, BL43, KD03, CV12, CV17, GV13, XH15 (Acupuncture Point Prescriptions, entry ACC1)
Psychological Restlessness Disorder, Psychological Restlessness Disorder – LI04, SP06, HT05, HT07, SI03, BL15, BL43, BL44, KD01, KD06, PC06, PC07, LV03 (Deadman, Al-Khafaji & Baker, A Manual of Acupuncture — point group actions)
Sweating Nighttime, Sweating Nighttime – LI04, HT06, SI03, BL43, KD07, GV14 (Deadman, Al-Khafaji & Baker, A Manual of Acupuncture — point group actions)
Bronchial Asthma, Allergic Rhinitis, Copd, Bronchitis Chronic, Infection Respiratory Recurrent – BL13, BL15, BL17, BL23, BL43, CV17, GV14 (Fang Yi-gong et al. A Study on the Basic Drugs and Points for Point Application in Summer to Treat the Diseases with Attacks in Winter. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2010, 30(3): 180-183)
Cough, Phlegm, Bronchial Asthma, Dyspnea, Suffocation – BL13, BL20, BL23, BL43, PC06, CV04, CV08, CV17, CV22, GV14 (Wen BL, Liu BY, Peng J, Wang XF, Xiang XX, Liu XF, Hu JQ, Lu F, He LY, Zhu WZ, Fang YG, Wang Y. Clinical research of acupoint application for treatment of winterdisease in summer' used to prevent and treat bronchial asthma in children. J Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2012, 32(1): 31-39')
Bronchial Asthma – BL13, BL43, CV17, CV22 (Wen Bi-Ling et al.. Clinical research of acupoint application for ""treatment of winter disease in summer"" used to prevent and treat bronchial asthma in children.. Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan, 2012)
Epidemic Disease, Infection Prevention – ST25, ST36, BL13, BL43, CV04, CV06, CV08, CV12, CV14, GV13, GV14 (龚玉张旭东袁静云孙娇刘继鹏李音音刘鑫刘清国. 艾灸防治疫病的古代文献分析. 安徽中医药大学学报 ., 2022 [CNKI])
Fatigue, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – ST36, BL17, BL20, BL23, BL43, CV06 (钱桂凤谢韶东张云逸裴文娅张盘德. 基于数据挖掘探析《中华医典》针灸治疗慢性疲劳综合征选穴规律. 中国中医药图书情报杂志 ., 2025 [CNKI])
Leg Pain, Shoulder Pain, Neck Pain, Lumbar Pain, Yang Type Pain – SI06, BL23, BL28, BL40, BL43, BL60, PC07, GV09, GV14, GV20 (曹文忠. 提高针灸治痛疗效创新理论的探讨. 江西中医药 ., 2011 [CNKI])
Wei Syndrome Flaccid Paralysis, Muscular Atrophy – ST36, BL23, BL43, GV14 (魏子捷虎力. 基于古代文献的针灸治疗痿病选穴及配穴特点研究. 中医文献杂志 ., 2025 [CNKI])
Qi Blood Yin Yang Syndrome Deficiency – ST36, BL20, BL21, BL43, GB21, CV10, GV14 (Gao Xiyan, Wang Danyi, Gao Ling, Gao Ronghui. Relative specificity of acupuncture reinforcing and reducing methods. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2012 September 15; 32(3): 488-493.)
Asthma, Common Cold, Excess, Wind – LU07, LI04, BL12, BL13, BL43, GV12, GV14 (sacredlotus.com ↗)
Bi Syndrome, Fever Rheumatic, Arthritis Rheumatoid, Fibrositis, Neuralgia, Gout, Shoulder Blade Pain, Bi Syndrome, Fever Rheumatic, Arthritis Rheumatoid, Shoulder Blade Pain – SI11, SI12, SI14, BL43 (sacredlotus.com ↗)
Kidney Deficiency, Deficiency, Asthma Persistent, Kidney Deficiency, Asthma Persistent – BL13, BL23, BL43, KD03, CV06, CV17, GV12 (sacredlotus.com ↗)
Lung Deficiency, Deficiency, Asthma Persistent, Lung Deficiency, Asthma Persistent – LU09, ST36, SP03, BL13, BL43, GV12 (sacredlotus.com ↗)
Phlegm, Heat, Excess, Asthma Persistent, Asthma Persistent – LU05, ST40, BL13, BL43, CV22, GV12, XB01B (sacredlotus.com ↗)

BL43 (Vital Region Shu Point)

Location

Cautions

Indications

Protocols using BL43

Other points on the Bladder Meridian