Acupoints for Menstrual Cramps

🗺️ 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: 外陵 (wài líng)

🎯 Location: 1 thumb width below umbilicus 2 thumb widths lateral to the cv7.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution in pregnancy.

🛡️ Treats: Abdominal Bloating, Abdominal Pain, Absent Periods, Pain, Shan Disorder

🗺️ Meridian: Stomach Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 水道 (shuǐ dào)

🎯 Location: 3 thumb widths below umbilicus 2 thumb widths lateral to the cv4.

⚠️ 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: Constipation, Back Pain, Shoulder Pain, Edema, Urinary Retention

🗺️ 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

🗺️ Meridian: Spleen Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 地機 (dì jī)

🎯 Location: 3 thumb widths below sp9 on the line connecting tip of the medial malleolus and sp9.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Poor Appetite, Diarrhea, Abdominal Bloating, Abdominal Pain, Blood Stagnation

🗺️ Meridian: Spleen Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 血海 (xuè hǎi)

🎯 Location: When knee is flexed point is 2 thumb widths above the mediosuperior border of the patella on the bulge of the medial portion of the quadriceps femoris.

⚠️ Cautions: Anticoagulant therapy or a coagulopathy raises the risk of haematoma at the needling site – apply prolonged pressure on withdrawal. The precaution governs technique; bleeding disorders remain a treatable indication.

🛡️ Treats: Knee Pain, Absent Periods, Blood Stagnation, Pain, Hives

🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 氣海俞 (qì hǎi yú)

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

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid deep perpendicular needling.

🛡️ Treats: Diarrhea, Abdominal Pain, Hemorrhoids, Menstrual Cramps, Leg Weakness

🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 大腸俞 (dà cháng yú)

🎯 Location: 1.5 thumb widths lateral to the du3 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

🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 上髎 (shàng hé)

🎯 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

🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 次髎 (cì hé)

🎯 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

🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 下髎 (xià hé)

🎯 Location: On the sacrum medial and inferior to the ub33 just at the 4th posterior sacral foramen.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution in sacroiliac dysfunction.

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

🗺️ Meridian: Kidney Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 水泉 (shuǐ quán)

🎯 Location: 1 thumb width directly below kd3 in the depression of the medial side of the tuberosity of the calcaneum.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Abdominal Pain, Absent Periods, Uterine Prolapse, Urinary Problems, Menstrual Cramps

🗺️ Meridian: Kidney Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 照海 (zhào hǎi)

🎯 Location: In the depression the below tip of the medial malleolus.

⚠️ 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: Heat Deficiency, Dizziness, Constipation, Chest Fullness, Abdominal Bloating

🗺️ Meridian: Kidney Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 交信 (jiāo xìn)

🎯 Location: 05 thumb widths anterior to the kd7, 2 thumb widths above the kd3 posterior to the medial border of the tibia.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Diarrhea, Heat, Absent Periods, Swelling, Dysentery

🗺️ Meridian: Kidney Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 四滿 (sì mǎn)

🎯 Location: 2 thumb widths below umbilicus 05 thumb widths lateral to the cv5.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution in pregnancy.

🛡️ Treats: Abdominal Pain, Absent Periods, Blood Stagnation, Uterine Prolapse, Urinary Problems

🗺️ Meridian: Pericardium Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 間使 (jiān shǐ)

🎯 Location: 3 thumb widths above the transverse crease of the wrist between tendons of the palmaris longus and flexor carpi radialis.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Phlegm, Palpitations, Vomiting, Abdominal Pain, Aversion Cold

🗺️ Meridian: Liver Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 蠡溝 (lǐ gōu)

🎯 Location: 5 thumb widths above the tip of the medial malleolus on the midline of the medial surface of the tibia.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Anxiety, Palpitations, Common Cold, Depression, Swelling

🗺️ Meridian: Conception Vessel

🇨🇳 Chinese: 曲骨 (qū gǔ)

🎯 Location: On the midpoint of the upper border of the symphysis pubis.

⚠️ 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: Deficiency, Damp, Fullness, Bedwetting, Painful Urination

🗺️ 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: Extra Points: Chest & Abdomen

🇨🇳 Chinese: 臍中四邊 (qí zhōng sì biān)

🎯 Location: On the middle part of the abdomen, 1 thumb width respectively lateral to the up, lower, left and right middle of the umbilicus. includes shuifen (cv9) above the navel and yinjiao (cv7) below the navel, which are acupoints of the conception the vessel..

⚠️ Cautions: Caution in pregnancy.

🛡️ Treats: Diarrhea, Abdominal Pain, Spleen Deficiency, Edema, Benefit Digestion