Acupuncture Points for Cold Intolerance

4 sourced protocols, each with its citation.

Each card names its evidence kind. What these labels mean

Protocol (2 points)

100%

ST36 · SP06

ST36Leg Three Miles

ST36 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Stomach Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 足三里 (zú sān lǐ)

🎯 Location: 3 thumb widths below ST35, 1 finger breadth (middle finger) from anterior border of the tibia.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution in cases of severe varicose veins.

🛡️ Treats: Cough, Fever, Poor Appetite, Diarrhea, Shortness of Breath

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

Needling + Moxibustion · 1 session

Point selection reported in a published study.

doi:10.1016/j.jams.2016.12.008 ↗
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:10.13457/j.cnki.jncm.2016.09.016 ↗
Press Needles
2 needles for this course · 1 box, $19.99

Protocol (25 points)

100%

BL11 · BL13 · BL14 · BL15 · BL17 · BL18 · BL19 · BL20 · BL21 · BL22 · BL23 · BL25 · GV02 · GV03 · GV04 · GV05 · GV06 · GV07 · GV08 · GV09 · GV10 · GV11 · GV12 · GV13 · GV14

BL11Great Shuttle

BL11 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 大杼 (dà zhù)

🎯 Location: 1.5 thumb widths lateral to the GV13 at the level of the lower border of the spinous process of the 1st thoracic vertebra.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Heat Chest, Cough, Fever, Shortness of Breath, Knee Pain

BL13Lung Shu Point

BL13 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 肺俞 (fèi shū)

🎯 Location: 1.5 thumb widths lateral to the GV12 at the level of the lower border of the spinous process of the 3rd thoracic vertebra.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid deep perpendicular needling.

🛡️ Treats: Cough, Chest Pain, Fever, Shortness of Breath, Asthma

BL14Absolute Yin Shu Point

BL14 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 厥陰俞 (jué yīn shū)

🎯 Location: 1.5 thumb widths lateral to the du mai at the level of the lower border of the spinous process of the 4th thoracic vertebra.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid deep perpendicular needling.

🛡️ Treats: Cough, Chest Pain, Asthma, Palpitations, Vomiting

BL15Heart Shu Point

BL15 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 心俞 (xīn shū)

🎯 Location: 1.5 thumb widths lateral to the GV11 at the level of the lower border of the spinous process of the 5th thoracic vertebra.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid deep perpendicular needling – risk of pneumothorax. New, worsening or unstable cardiac symptoms need medical assessment before treatment.

🛡️ Treats: Cough, Chest Pain, Anxiety, Sweating, Coughing Blood

BL17Diaphragm Shu Point

BL17 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 膈俞 (gé shū)

🎯 Location: 1.5 thumb widths lateral to the GV09 at the level of the lower border of the spinous process of the 7th thoracic vertebra.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid deep perpendicular needling.

🛡️ Treats: Cough, Fever, Shortness of Breath, Sweating, Dizziness

BL18Liver Shu Point

BL18 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 肝俞 (gān shū)

🎯 Location: 1.5 thumb widths lateral to the GV08 at the level of the lower border of the spinous process of the 9th thoracic vertebra.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid deep perpendicular needling.

🛡️ Treats: Cough, Chest Pain, Dizziness, Coughing Blood, Jaundice

BL19Gallbladder Shu Point

BL19 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 膽俞 (dǎn shū)

🎯 Location: 1.5 thumb widths lateral to the GV07 at the level of the lower border of the spinous process of the 10th thoracic vertebra.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid deep perpendicular needling.

🛡️ Treats: Chest Pain, Palpitations, Jaundice, Common Cold, Vomiting

BL20Spleen Shu Point

BL20 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 脾俞 (pí shū)

🎯 Location: 1.5 thumb widths lateral to the GV06 at the level of the lower border of the spinous process of the 11th thoracic vertebra.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid deep perpendicular needling.

🛡️ Treats: Cough, Fever, Poor Appetite, Diarrhea, Spleen Qi Deficiency

BL21Stomach Shu Point

BL21 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 胃俞 (wèi shū)

🎯 Location: 1.5 thumb widths lateral to the du mai at the level of the lower border of the spinous process of the 12th thoracic vertebra.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid deep perpendicular needling.

🛡️ Treats: Chest Pain, Poor Appetite, Diarrhea, Jaundice, Vomiting

BL22Sanjiao Shu Point

BL22 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 三焦俞 (sān jiāo shū)

🎯 Location: 1.5 thumb widths lateral to the GV05 at the level of the lower border of the spinous process of the 1st lumbar vertebra.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid deep perpendicular needling.

🛡️ Treats: Stress, Fever, Diarrhea, Jaundice, Heat

BL23Kidney Shu Point

BL23 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 腎俞 (shèn shū)

🎯 Location: 1.5 thumb widths lateral to the GV04 at the level of the lower border of the spinous process of the 2nd lumbar vertebra.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid deep perpendicular needling.

🛡️ Treats: Cough, Diarrhea, Asthma, Tinnitus, Qi Deficiency

BL25Large Intestine Shu Point

BL25 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 大腸俞 (dà cháng shū)

🎯 Location: 1.5 thumb widths lateral to the GV03 at the level of the lower border of the spinous process of the 4th lumbar vertebra.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid deep perpendicular needling.

🛡️ Treats: Diarrhea, Common Cold, Constipation, Abdominal Bloating, Abdominal Pain

GV02Lumbar Point

GV02 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Governing Vessel

🇨🇳 Chinese: 腰俞 (yāo shū)

🎯 Location: In the hiatus of the sacrum.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution in sacral conditions.

🛡️ Treats: Hip Pain, Epilepsy, Hemorrhoids, Lower Back Pain, Spontaneous Sweating

GV03Yang Lumbar Gate

GV03 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Governing Vessel

🇨🇳 Chinese: 腰陽關 (yāo yáng guān)

🎯 Location: Below spinous process of the 4th lumbar vertebra at the level with iliac crest.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Numbness, Lower Back Pain, Urine White, Benefit Legs, Benefit Back Lumbar

GV04Life Gate

GV04 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Governing Vessel

🇨🇳 Chinese: 命門 (mìng mén)

🎯 Location: Below spinous process of the 2nd lumbar vertebra.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Fever, Anxiety, Kidney Deficiency, Dizziness, Tinnitus

GV05Suspended Pivot

GV05 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Governing Vessel

🇨🇳 Chinese: 懸樞 (xuán shū)

🎯 Location: Below spinous process of the 1st lumbar vertebra.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Hip Pain, Epilepsy, Hemorrhoids, Lower Back Pain, Spontaneous Sweating

GV06Spine Centre

GV06 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Governing Vessel

🇨🇳 Chinese: 脊中 (jǐ zhōng)

🎯 Location: Below spinous process of the 11th thoracic vertebra.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Fever, Diarrhea, Jaundice, Common Cold, Vomiting

GV07Central Pivot

GV07 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Governing Vessel

🇨🇳 Chinese: 中樞 (zhōng shū)

🎯 Location: Below spinous process of the 10th thoracic vertebra.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Fever, Jaundice, Common Cold, Vomiting, Absent Periods

GV08Sinew Contraction

GV08 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Governing Vessel

🇨🇳 Chinese: 筋縮 (jīn suō)

🎯 Location: Below spinous process of the 9th thoracic vertebra.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Fever, Jaundice, Common Cold, Vomiting, Wind

GV09Reaching Yang

GV09 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Governing Vessel

🇨🇳 Chinese: 至陽 (zhì yáng)

🎯 Location: Below spinous process of the 7th thoracic vertebra approximately at the level with inferior angle of the scapula.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Cough, Fever, Shortness of Breath, Jaundice, Qi Deficiency

GV10Spirit Tower

GV10 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Governing Vessel

🇨🇳 Chinese: 靈台 (líng tái)

🎯 Location: Below spinous process of the 6th thoracic vertebra.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Cough, Fever, Shortness of Breath, Asthma, Common Cold

GV11Spirit Path

GV11 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Governing Vessel

🇨🇳 Chinese: 神道 (shén dào)

🎯 Location: Below spinous process of the 5th thoracic vertebra.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Cough, Fever, Anxiety, Dizziness, Palpitations

GV12Body Pillar

GV12 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Governing Vessel

🇨🇳 Chinese: 身柱 (shēn zhù)

🎯 Location: Below spinous process of the 3rd thoracic vertebra.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Heat Chest, Cough, Fever, Shortness of Breath, Sweating

GV13Way Of Happiness

GV13 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Governing Vessel

🇨🇳 Chinese: 陶道 (táo dào)

🎯 Location: Below spinous process of the 1st thoracic vertebra.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Fever, Heat, Depression, Chills, Malaria

GV14Great Vertebra

GV14 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Governing Vessel

🇨🇳 Chinese: 大椎 (dà zhuī)

🎯 Location: Below spinous process of the 7th cervical vertebra approximately at the level of the shoulders.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution with C7 vertebra.

🛡️ Treats: Fever, Shortness of Breath, Weakness, Heat, Chest Fullness

Study-reported

Moxibustion · 12 sessions over 4 weeks

Point selection reported in a published study.

doi:10.1186/s12967-023-04250-z ↗
Not corroborated. No other study in the index uses any of these points for this search.

Protocol (3 points)

100%

ST25 · SP06 · CV08

ST25Celestial Pivot

ST25 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Stomach Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 天樞 (tiān shū)

🎯 Location: 2 thumb widths lateral to the center of the umbilicus.

⚠️ Cautions: Acute appendicitis is a surgical emergency – treatment here is adjunctive at most and must never delay surgical assessment. Avoid needling over the gravid uterus after the first trimester; where used in pregnancy, needle shallowly and only on a clear obstetric indication.

🛡️ Treats: Poor Appetite, Diarrhea, Constipation, Vomiting, Abdominal Bloating

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

CV08Spirit Palace Gate

CV08 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Conception Vessel

🇨🇳 Chinese: 神闕 (shén què)

🎯 Location: In the center of the umbilicus.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications; often use moxa only.

🛡️ Treats: Abdominal Bloating, Rectal Prolapse, Edema, Cold Blood, Loss of Consciousness

Study-reported

Point selection reported in a published study.

doi:10.13457/j.cnki.jncm.2016.09.016 ↗
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:10.1016/j.jams.2016.12.008 ↗

Single-point entry

100%

CV04Original Qi Gate

CV04 acupoint
Click to enlarge

Click to view all layers

🗺️ Meridian: Conception Vessel

🇨🇳 Chinese: 關元 (guān yuán)

🎯 Location: On the anterior midline 3 thumb widths below umbilicus.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid needling over the gravid uterus after the first trimester; where used in pregnancy, needle shallowly and only on a clear obstetric indication. Bleeding in pregnancy requires obstetric assessment.

🛡️ Treats: Cough, Diarrhea, Anxiety, Shortness of Breath, Kidney Deficiency

Study-reported

Moxibustion · 12 sessions over 4 weeks

Point selection reported in a published study.

doi:10.2147/IJGM.S481418 ↗
Not corroborated. No other study in the index uses any of these points for this search.
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 Cold Intolerance:

Points cited for Cold Intolerance

How often each point appears across the 4 entries ranked highest for Cold Intolerance. Citation frequency, not a recommendation.

  • SP06Three Yin IntersectionSpleen Meridian2 of 4
  • BL11Great ShuttleBladder Meridian1 of 4
  • BL13Lung Shu PointBladder Meridian1 of 4
  • BL14Absolute Yin Shu PointBladder Meridian1 of 4
  • BL15Heart Shu PointBladder Meridian1 of 4
  • BL17Diaphragm Shu PointBladder Meridian1 of 4
  • BL18Liver Shu PointBladder Meridian1 of 4
  • BL19Gallbladder Shu PointBladder Meridian1 of 4
  • BL20Spleen Shu PointBladder Meridian1 of 4
  • BL21Stomach Shu PointBladder Meridian1 of 4
  • BL22Sanjiao Shu PointBladder Meridian1 of 4
  • BL23Kidney Shu PointBladder Meridian1 of 4

How the studies delivered it

What the 4 studies behind the entries above ran, counted once per study. A record of the trials, not a recommendation.

  • Moxibustion3 of 4
  • Needling1 of 4

Sessions: the 3 studies that gave a count ran a median of 12 (middle half 7 to 12).

Course: the 3 studies that gave a length ran a median of 4 weeks (middle half 15 days to 4 weeks).

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

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