ST16 Yingchuang (Breast Window)

Location

In the 3rd intercostal space 4 thumb widths lateral to the anterior midline.

Indications

Conditions for which ST16 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 ST16 does in the terms of Chinese medicine theory. These describe the point, not a condition.

Protocols using ST16

• Lactation Deficiency, Postpartum Insufficient Milk Production – ST13, ST15, ST16, ST18, ST36, SP06, SP10, GB21, CV17 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000016456 ↗)
• Cancer Gastric, Cancer Advanced, Post-chemotherapy – LU10, ST16, ST36, SP18, BL21, BL23, BL43, GB42, CV12 (doi:10.1155/2020/8274021 ↗)
• Lactation Insufficiency, Breastfeeding Postpartum – LU01, LU02, ST13, ST14, ST16, ST18, ST36, SP06, SP10, CV12, CV17 (doi:10.22038/ijp.2020.54458.4305 ↗)
• Lactation Insufficiency, Breastfeeding Postpartum – ST13, ST15, ST16, ST18, ST36, SP06, SP10, GB21, CV17 (doi:10.22038/ijp.2020.54458.4305 ↗)
• Hypogalactia, Breastfeeding Insufficiency, Lactation Postpartum – LU01, LU02, ST13, ST14, ST16, ST18, ST36, SP06, SP10, CV12, CV17 (doi:10.1186/s13643-025-02773-8 ↗)
• Hypogalactia, Breastfeeding Insufficiency, Lactation Postpartum – ST13, ST15, ST16, ST18, ST36, SP06, SP10, GB21, CV17 (doi:10.1186/s13643-025-02773-8 ↗)
• Depression Post-stroke, Stroke Sequelae, Depression Moderate-severe – LI04, ST16, ST40, SP06, HT07, PC06, LV03, GV20, GV24, XH03 (doi:10.1186/s12906-021-03277-3 ↗)
• Breathing Problems, COPD, Dyspnea, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – ST16, ST18, ST25, ST40, CV04, CV12, CV17 (doi:10.1016/j.imr.2024.101117 ↗)
• Pulmonary Disease Chronic Obstructive – ST16, ST18, ST25, CV04, CV12, CV17 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.20200813-0001 ↗)
• Lactation Insufficiency – ST13, ST15, ST16, ST18, ST36, SP06, SP10, GB21, CV17 (doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000016456 ↗)
• Cancer Gastric Advanced – LU10, ST16, ST36, SP18, BL21, BL23, BL43, GB42, CV12, XB04 (doi:10.1155/2020/8274021 ↗)
• Postoperative Pain – LU05, LU07, ST16, ST25, ST44, SP06, LV03, CV17 (doi:10.1007/s11695-023-06654-8 ↗)
• Postoperative Pain – LI10, ST16, ST44, SP16, PC06, TB03, GB41, LV02, CV17 (doi:10.1007/s11695-023-06654-8 ↗)
• Lactation Insufficiency – ST16, ST18, ST36, SP06, SI03, CV17, AH14, IN01 (doi:10.1177/08903344221078802 ↗)
• Lactation Insufficiency – LI04, ST15, ST16 (doi:10.30787/gaster.v22i1.1412 ↗)
• 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)
• Hypogalactia – ST16, SP04, PC06, CV17 (Henry C. Lu. Clinical Cases of Acupuncture)
• Mastitis – ST16, PC06, GB21 (Henry C. Lu. Clinical Cases of Acupuncture)
• Breast Hyperplasia – ST16, ST36, LV03, CV17 (Zhang Dengbu. Acupuncture Cases from China: A Digest of Difficult and Complicated Case Histories. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, 1994)
• Hypoplasia Breast – LI04, ST16, ST18, ST29, ST36, SP06, PC01, PC06, GB34, LV03, LV08, LV14, CV06, CV17 (Zhu Bing, Wang Hongcai (eds). Case Studies from the Medical Records of Leading Chinese Acupuncture Experts. London: Singing Dragon, 2011)

Most often selected alongside ST16

How many sourced protocols in the index pair each point with ST16. Corpus frequency, not a combination to use.

• CV17Chest Centre14 protocols
• ST18Breast Root11 protocols
• ST36Leg Three Miles11 protocols
• SP06Three Yin Intersection10 protocols
• CV12Stomach Centre6 protocols
• SP10Sea Of Blood6 protocols
• ST13Qi Door6 protocols
• ST15Roof6 protocols
• GB21Shoulder Well5 protocols
• PC06Inner Gate5 protocols
• LV03Great Surge4 protocols
• ST25Celestial Pivot4 protocols

Other points on the Stomach Meridian