ST38 Tiaokou (Ribbon Opening)

Location

8 thumb widths below ST35, 1 finger breadth (middle finger) from anterior border of the tibia.

Indications

Conditions for which ST38 is listed as indicated. An indication list is a reference index, not a prescription – see the protocols below for sourced treatments.

Protocols using ST38

• Nausea, Bloating, Heartburn, Dyspepsia Functional, Abdominal Pain Epigastric, Early Satiety, Postprandial Fullness – ST32, ST33, ST35, ST38 (doi:10.1186/1745-6215-10-75 ↗)
• Shoulder Chronic Pain, Restricted Range Of Motion Shoulder – LI14, LI15, ST38, SI09, TB14 (doi:10.1186/1745-6215-15-130 ↗)
• Fatigue, Constipation, Numbness, Insomnia, Speech Slurred, Cognitive Impairment, Paralysis Hemiplegia, Paresthesia, Balance Impaired, Traumatic Brain Injury Severe, Tremor Pill-rolling, Vision Diplopia – LI04, LI11, LI14, LI15, ST36, ST38, ST41, SP06, KD03, TB05, GB34 (doi:10.7453/gahmj.2014.069 ↗)
• Shoulder Pain, Range Of Motion Restricted Shoulder, Adhesive Capsulitis – ST38, BL57 (doi:10.1155/2018/4197659 ↗)
• Stiffness Shoulder, Shoulder Chronic Pain, Range-of-motion Reduced Shoulder – ST38 (doi:10.1155/2020/5701042 ↗)
• Shoulder Pain, Shoulder Weakness, Limited Range Of Motion Shoulder, Tear Rotator Cuff – LI15, ST38, SI09 (doi:10.12659/MSM.923240 ↗)
• Shoulder Pain, Neck Pain, Limitation Of Movement Shoulder, Night Pain, Impingement Syndrome Supraspinatus, Rotator Cuff Tear Partial – LU01, LU03, LU04, LU11, LI14, LI15, LI16, ST38, SI09, SI10, SI11, SI12, SI13, SI14, SI15 (doi:10.3831/KPI.2021.24.4.206 ↗)
• Shoulder Pain, Cervical Pain, Adhesive Capsulitis, Limitation Of Movement Shoulder, Night Pain, Radiating To Fingers Pain, Calcified Tendinitis – LU01, LU03, LU04, LU11, LI14, LI15, LI16, ST38, SI09, SI10, SI11, SI12, SI13, SI14, SI15 (doi:10.3831/KPI.2021.24.4.206 ↗)
• Shoulder Pain, Tendonitis Calcific, Range-of-motion Limited Shoulder – LI04, LI14, LI15, ST37, ST38, SI09, SI12, TB05, TB14, GB21, GB34 (doi:10.1016/j.jams.2017.12.004 ↗)
• Depression, Shoulder Pain, Upper-limb Pain, Scapular-girdle Pain, Range-of-motion Restricted, Functional-limitation Upper-limb, Post-mastectomy – LU05, LI04, LI15, ST36, ST38, SP09, BL60, KD07, GB21, LV03, CV03 (doi:10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.3.809 ↗)
• Fatigue, Pain, Lymphedema Upper-limb, Upper-limb Weakness, Shoulder Dysfunction, Cancer Breast Post-surgical – LU05, LI04, LI15, ST36, ST38, SP09, BL60, KD07, GB21, LV03, CV03 (doi:10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.3.799 ↗)
• Shoulder Pain, Paralysis Shoulder, Deltoid Weakness, Biceps Weakness, Paralysis Cervical Postoperative, Palsy Nerve Root C5 – ST38, BL57 (doi:10.1155/prm/2625552 ↗)
• Anxiety, Depression, Shoulder Pain, Limited Range Of Motion Shoulder, Periarthritis Scapulohumeral, Range Of Motion Shoulder Restricted, Periarthritis Shoulder, Immobility Shoulder – LI15, ST38, SP09, SI09, BL57, TB14, GB34, GV14 (doi:10.13702/j.1000-0607.20240047 ↗)
• Shoulder Pain, Stiffness Shoulder, Restricted Range Of Motion Shoulder – ST38, BL57 (doi:10.20140/j.2095-7785.2025.04.16 ↗)
• Epigastric Pain, Early Satiety, Postprandial Fullness, Epigastric Burning, Functional Dyspepsia – ST32, ST33, ST35, ST38 (doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.2012.08.015 ↗)
• Shoulder Pain, Restricted Range Of Motion Shoulder, Adhesive Capsulitis – LI15, ST38, SI09, BL57, TB14, GB34 (doi:10.27180/d.cnki.gjxzc.2023.000109 ↗)
• Shoulder Pain, Restricted Range Of Motion Shoulder, Adhesive Capsulitis – LI15, ST38, HT01, SI09, BL57, TB14, GB34 (doi:10.27180/d.cnki.gjxzc.2023.000109 ↗)
• Shoulder Pain, Shoulder Periarthritis, Restricted Shoulder Movement – LI15, ST38, ST40, SI03, SI09, BL57, TB14, GB34 (doi:10.27368/d.cnki.gtzyy.2020.000102 ↗)
• Cancer Breast, Upper Limb Weakness, Lymphedema Upper Limb, Quality Of Life Impaired, Muscle Upper Limb Weakness – LU05, LI04, LI15, ST36, ST38, SP09, BL60, KD07, GB21, LV03, CV03 (doi:10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.3.799 ↗)
• Depression, Shoulder Pain, Cancer Breast, Limited Range Of Motion Shoulder, Upper Limb Pain, Immobility Shoulder – LU05, LI04, LI15, ST36, ST38, SP09, BL60, KD07, GB21, LV03, CV03 (doi:10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.3.809 ↗)
• Shoulder Pain, Shoulder Rotator Cuff Pain – LU01, LU03, LU04, LU11, LI14, LI15, LI16, ST38, SI09, SI10, SI11, SI12, SI13, SI14, SI15 (doi:10.3831/KPI.2021.24.4.206 ↗)
• Shoulder Pain, Tear Rotator Cuff, Shoulder Rotator Cuff Pain – LI15, ST38, SI09, XU12 (doi:10.12659/MSM.923240 ↗)
• Shoulder Chronic Pain – ST38 (doi:10.1155/2020/5701042 ↗)
• Blood Stagnation, Blood Stagnation – LI16, ST37, ST38, SP08, SP10, BL17, KD18 (Yang Yong-Xuan, clinical point-selection notes)
• Knee Pain, Swollen Knee, Limited Range Of Motion Knee – ST31, ST32, ST38, SP06, BL23, BL25, BL37, BL57, BL60, KD03, GB31, GB39, GB40, GB41, GB42, LV03 (Mikashima Y, Takagi T, Tomatsu T, Horikoshi M, Ikari K, Momohara S. Efficacy of acupuncture during post-acute phase of rehabilitation after total knee arthroplasty. J Tradit Chin Med 2012; 32(4): 545-548)
• Qi Deficiency, Blood Deficiency, Optic Atrophy, Qi Deficiency, Blood Deficiency, Optic Atrophy – ST38, SP06, BL01, GB20, GB37, XH07 (sacredlotus.com ↗)

Most often selected alongside ST38

How many sourced protocols in the index pair each point with ST38. Corpus frequency, not a combination to use.

• LI15Shoulder And Clavicle16 protocols
• SI09True Shoulder11 protocols
• BL57Mountain Support8 protocols
• GB34Yang Mound Spring6 protocols
• LI04Junction Valley6 protocols
• LI14Upper Arm Prominence6 protocols
• TB14Shoulder Bone Hole6 protocols
• BL60Kunlun (Mountains)5 protocols
• GB21Shoulder Well5 protocols
• LV03Great Surge5 protocols
• SP09Yin Mound Spring5 protocols
• ST36Leg Three Miles5 protocols

Other points on the Stomach Meridian