Acupuncture Points for Critical Illness

🗺️ 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

🗺️ 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

🗺️ Meridian: Stomach Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 上巨虛 (shàng jù xū)

🎯 Location: 6 thumb widths below ST35, 1 finger breadth (middle finger) from anterior border of the tibia.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Diarrhea, Shortness of Breath, Spleen Weakness, Stomach Weakness, Common Cold

🗺️ Meridian: Stomach Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 下巨虛 (xià jù xū)

🎯 Location: 9 thumb widths below ST35, 1 finger breadth (middle finger) from anterior border of the tibia.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Diarrhea, Pain, Breast Abscess, Dysentery, Pharyngitis

🗺️ Meridian: Spleen Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 大橫 (dà héng)

🎯 Location: 4 thumb widths lateral to the center of the umbilicus lateral to the rectus abdominis.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution in pregnancy.

🛡️ Treats: Diarrhea, Common Cold, Constipation, Qi Stagnation, Damp

🗺️ Meridian: Pericardium Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 內關 (nèi guān)

🎯 Location: 2 thumb widths above the transverse crease of the wrist between tendons of the palmaris longus and flexor carpi radialis.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution in severe deficiency conditions.

🛡️ Treats: Fever, Diarrhea, Anxiety, Dizziness, Spleen Qi Deficiency

🗺️ 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

🗺️ Meridian: Conception Vessel

🇨🇳 Chinese: 氣海 (qì hǎi)

🎯 Location: On the anterior midline 1.5 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.

🛡️ Treats: Diarrhea, Shortness of Breath, Constipation, Yang Weakness, Abdominal Bloating

🗺️ Meridian: Conception Vessel

🇨🇳 Chinese: 下脘 (xià wǎn)

🎯 Location: On the anterior midline 2 thumb widths above the umbilicus.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution in pregnancy.

🛡️ Treats: Upper Stomach Pain, Nausea, Food Stagnation, Abdominal Fullness, Urine Dark

🗺️ Meridian: Conception Vessel

🇨🇳 Chinese: 中脘 (zhōng wǎn)

🎯 Location: On the anterior midline 4 thumb widths above the 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.

🛡️ Treats: Poor Appetite, Diarrhea, Shortness of Breath, Common Cold, Depression

🗺️ Meridian: Conception Vessel

🇨🇳 Chinese: 上脘 (shàng wǎn)

🎯 Location: On the anterior midline 5 thumb widths above the umbilicus.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution in pregnancy.

🛡️ Treats: Phlegm, Palpitations, Jaundice, Heat, Vomiting