Acupuncture Points for Childbirth Pain

11 sourced protocols, each with its citation.

Each card names its evidence kind. What these labels mean

Protocol (7 points)

100%

LI04 · BL31 · BL32 · BL33 · BL34 · GB30 · LV03

LI04Junction Valley

LI04 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Large Intestine Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 合谷 (hé gǔ)

🎯 Location: On the dorsum of the hand between 1st & 2nd metacarpal bones approximately in the middle of the 2nd metacarpal bone on the radial side.

⚠️ Cautions: Traditionally forbidden in pregnancy – these are the points used to bring on labour at term. Controlled data show no excess of preterm birth or stillbirth (Carr 2015), but in pregnancy needle only on a clear obstetric indication.

🛡️ Treats: Fever, Tinnitus, Release Exterior, Absent Periods, Wind

BL31Upper Bone Hole

BL31 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 上髎 (shàng liáo)

🎯 Location: On the sacrum at the midpoint between posterior superior iliac spine and posterior midline just at the 1st posterior sacral foramen.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution in sacroiliac dysfunction.

🛡️ Treats: Fever, Knee Pain, Common Cold, Vomiting, Back Pain

BL32Second Bone Hole

BL32 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 次髎 (cì liáo)

🎯 Location: On the sacrum medial and inferior to the posterior superior iliac spine just at the 2nd posterior sacral foramen.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution in sacroiliac dysfunction.

🛡️ Treats: Constipation, Pain, Urinary Retention, Infertility, Sciatica

BL33Middle Bone Hole

BL33 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 中髎 (zhōng liáo)

🎯 Location: On the sacrum medial and inferior to the BL32 just at the 3rd posterior sacral foramen.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution in sacroiliac dysfunction.

🛡️ Treats: Constipation, Abdominal Bloating, Pain, Urinary Retention, Infertility

BL34Lower Bone Hole

BL34 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 下髎 (xià liáo)

🎯 Location: On the sacrum medial and inferior to the BL33 just at the 4th posterior sacral foramen.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution in sacroiliac dysfunction.

🛡️ Treats: Diarrhea, Constipation, Swelling, Lower Back Pain, Painful Urination

GB30Jumping Circle

GB30 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Gallbladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 環跳 (huán tiào)

🎯 Location: At the junction of the lateral ⅓ and medial ⅔ of the distance between prominence of the greater trochanter and hiatus of the sacrum, GV02; when locating point put patient in the lateral recumbent position the with thigh flexed.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution with sciatic nerve.

🛡️ Treats: Knee Pain, Back Pain, Leg Pain, Hip Pain, Pain

LV03Great Surge

LV03 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Liver Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 太衝 (tài chōng)

🎯 Location: On the dorsum of the foot in the depression the distal to the junction of the 1st and 2nd metatarsal bones.

⚠️ Cautions: Monitor blood pressure and avoid strong stimulation where hypertension is uncontrolled or unstable; hypertensive crisis is a medical emergency.

🛡️ Treats: Cough, Diarrhea, Anxiety, Shortness of Breath, Sweating

Study-reported

Acupressure

Did better than usual care

Point selection reported in a published study.

doi:10.2147/JPR.S46693 ↗
Corroborated by a second study. LI04, BL32 also appear in another study-reported protocol for the same search. A second publication is not necessarily a second research group. doi:10.4103/ijnmr.IJNMR_257_19 ↗
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Protocol (2 points)

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LI04 · BL67

LI04Junction Valley

LI04 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Large Intestine Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 合谷 (hé gǔ)

🎯 Location: On the dorsum of the hand between 1st & 2nd metacarpal bones approximately in the middle of the 2nd metacarpal bone on the radial side.

⚠️ Cautions: Traditionally forbidden in pregnancy – these are the points used to bring on labour at term. Controlled data show no excess of preterm birth or stillbirth (Carr 2015), but in pregnancy needle only on a clear obstetric indication.

🛡️ Treats: Fever, Tinnitus, Release Exterior, Absent Periods, Wind

BL67Reaching Yin

BL67 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 至陰 (zhì yīn)

🎯 Location: On the lateral side of the small toe about 0.1 thumb width from corner of the nail.

⚠️ Cautions: Traditionally forbidden in pregnancy – these are the points used to bring on labour at term. Controlled data show no excess of preterm birth or stillbirth (Carr 2015), but in pregnancy needle only on a clear obstetric indication.

🛡️ Treats: Chest Pain, Tinnitus, Deafness, Labour Prolonged, Labour Delayed

Study-reported

Acupressure

Point selection reported in a published study.

doi:10.4103/ijnmr.IJNMR_257_19 ↗
Corroborated by a second study. LI04 also appears in another study-reported protocol for the same search. A second publication is not necessarily a second research group. doi:10.2147/JPR.S46693 ↗
Press Needles
1 box, $19.99

Protocol (2 points)

100%

LI04 · SP06

LI04Junction Valley

LI04 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Large Intestine Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 合谷 (hé gǔ)

🎯 Location: On the dorsum of the hand between 1st & 2nd metacarpal bones approximately in the middle of the 2nd metacarpal bone on the radial side.

⚠️ Cautions: Traditionally forbidden in pregnancy – these are the points used to bring on labour at term. Controlled data show no excess of preterm birth or stillbirth (Carr 2015), but in pregnancy needle only on a clear obstetric indication.

🛡️ Treats: Fever, Tinnitus, Release Exterior, Absent Periods, Wind

SP06Three Yin Intersection

SP06 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Spleen Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 三陰交 (sān yīn jiāo)

🎯 Location: 3 thumb widths directly above the tip of the medial malleolus posterior to the medial border of the tibia.

⚠️ Cautions: Traditionally forbidden in pregnancy – these are the points used to bring on labour at term. Controlled data show no excess of preterm birth or stillbirth (Carr 2015), but in pregnancy needle only on a clear obstetric indication.

🛡️ Treats: Diarrhea, Dizziness, Tinnitus, Palpitations, Abdominal Bloating

Study-reported

Acupressure

Point selection reported in a published study.

doi:10.4103/ijnmr.IJNMR_257_19 ↗
Corroborated by a second study. LI04 also appears in another study-reported protocol for the same search. A second publication is not necessarily a second research group. doi:10.2147/JPR.S46693 ↗
Press Needles
1 box, $19.99

Protocol (2 points)

100%

LI04 · BL32

LI04Junction Valley

LI04 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Large Intestine Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 合谷 (hé gǔ)

🎯 Location: On the dorsum of the hand between 1st & 2nd metacarpal bones approximately in the middle of the 2nd metacarpal bone on the radial side.

⚠️ Cautions: Traditionally forbidden in pregnancy – these are the points used to bring on labour at term. Controlled data show no excess of preterm birth or stillbirth (Carr 2015), but in pregnancy needle only on a clear obstetric indication.

🛡️ Treats: Fever, Tinnitus, Release Exterior, Absent Periods, Wind

BL32Second Bone Hole

BL32 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 次髎 (cì liáo)

🎯 Location: On the sacrum medial and inferior to the posterior superior iliac spine just at the 2nd posterior sacral foramen.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution in sacroiliac dysfunction.

🛡️ Treats: Constipation, Pain, Urinary Retention, Infertility, Sciatica

Study-reported

Acupressure

Point selection reported in a published study.

doi:10.4103/ijnmr.IJNMR_257_19 ↗
Corroborated by a second study. LI04, BL32 also appear in another study-reported protocol for the same search. A second publication is not necessarily a second research group. doi:10.2147/JPR.S46693 ↗
Press Needles
1 box, $19.99

Single-point entry

100%

SP06Three Yin Intersection

SP06 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Spleen Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 三陰交 (sān yīn jiāo)

🎯 Location: 3 thumb widths directly above the tip of the medial malleolus posterior to the medial border of the tibia.

⚠️ Cautions: Traditionally forbidden in pregnancy – these are the points used to bring on labour at term. Controlled data show no excess of preterm birth or stillbirth (Carr 2015), but in pregnancy needle only on a clear obstetric indication.

🛡️ Treats: Diarrhea, Dizziness, Tinnitus, Palpitations, Abdominal Bloating

Study-reported

Acupressure · 1 session

Did better than usual care

Point selection reported in a published study.

doi:10.5812/ircmj.16461 ↗
Corroborated by a second study. SP06 also appears in another study-reported protocol for the same search. A second publication is not necessarily a second research group. doi:10.4103/ijnmr.IJNMR_257_19 ↗
Press Needles
1 needles for this course · 1 box, $19.99

Single-point entry

100%

SP06Three Yin Intersection

SP06 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Spleen Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 三陰交 (sān yīn jiāo)

🎯 Location: 3 thumb widths directly above the tip of the medial malleolus posterior to the medial border of the tibia.

⚠️ Cautions: Traditionally forbidden in pregnancy – these are the points used to bring on labour at term. Controlled data show no excess of preterm birth or stillbirth (Carr 2015), but in pregnancy needle only on a clear obstetric indication.

🛡️ Treats: Diarrhea, Dizziness, Tinnitus, Palpitations, Abdominal Bloating

Study-reported

Acupressure

Did better than sham needling

Point selection reported in a published study.

doi:10.1590/1518-8345.0739.2738 ↗
Corroborated by a second study. SP06 also appears in another study-reported protocol for the same search. A second publication is not necessarily a second research group. doi:10.4103/ijnmr.IJNMR_257_19 ↗
Press Needles
1 box, $19.99
AcuiQ Self-Treatment Guide
Acupressure you can do at home, every protocol traced to a trial. – $12.99, free updates for life

Related symptoms

Often treated alongside Childbirth Pain:

Points cited for Childbirth Pain

How often each point appears across the 11 entries ranked highest for Childbirth Pain. Citation frequency, not a recommendation.

  • LI04Junction ValleyLarge Intestine Meridian6 of 11
  • SP06Three Yin IntersectionSpleen Meridian4 of 11
  • BL32Second Bone HoleBladder Meridian3 of 11
  • BL31Upper Bone HoleBladder Meridian1 of 11
  • BL33Middle Bone HoleBladder Meridian1 of 11
  • BL34Lower Bone HoleBladder Meridian1 of 11
  • BL67Reaching YinBladder Meridian1 of 11
  • GB21Shoulder WellGallbladder Meridian1 of 11
  • GB30Jumping CircleGallbladder Meridian1 of 11
  • LV03Great SurgeLiver Meridian1 of 11

How the studies delivered it

What the 5 studies behind the entries above ran, counted once per study. A record of the trials, not a recommendation.

  • Acupressure5 of 5

After a treatment: what large safety surveys recorded, and which reactions need a doctor.

Disclaimer: The acupoint information provided is for educational purposes only.