Acupuncture Points for Muscular Dystrophy

3 sourced protocols, each with its citation.

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No study in this index covers Muscular Dystrophy

Every protocol below comes from a clinical text or a website. Nothing here has a published trial behind it, so no two independent sources have been shown to agree. How often that happens

Each card names its evidence kind. What these labels mean

Protocol (7 points)

90%

ST31 · ST34 · ST36 · ST41 · BL20 · BL23 · GB30

Point 1 of 7

ST31Thigh Gate

ST31 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Stomach Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 髀關 (bì guān)

🎯 Location: On the anterior side of the thigh on the line connecting asis and laterosuperior corner of the patella on the level of the inferior pubis symphasis when thigh is fixed in the depression the lateral to the sartorius.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution with depth near femoral vessels.

🛡️ Treats: Jaundice, Pain, Thigh Pain, Sciatica, Lower Back Pain

ST34Ridge Mound

ST34 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Stomach Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 梁丘 (liáng qiū)

🎯 Location: When knee is flexed point is 2 thumb widths above the laterosuperior border of the patella.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution with depth.

🛡️ Treats: Knee Pain, Wind, Numbness, Leg Pain, Pain

ST36Leg Three Miles

ST36 acupoint
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🗺️ 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

ST41Dividing Cleft

ST41 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Stomach Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 解谿 (jiě xī )

🎯 Location: On the dorsum of the foot at the midpoint of the transverse crease of the ankle joint in the depression the between tendons of the extensor digitorum longus and hallucis longus approximately at the level of the tip of the external malleolus.

⚠️ Cautions: Rule out fracture, dislocation and joint instability before needling, and do not needle into an acutely swollen joint or a haemarthrosis.

🛡️ Treats: Knee Pain, Dizziness, Palpitations, Constipation, Abdominal Bloating

BL20Spleen Shu Point

BL20 acupoint
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🗺️ 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

BL23Kidney Shu Point

BL23 acupoint
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🗺️ 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

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

Text or case report

Needling · a 30-day course

Same patient; prescription changed for a later course

Point selection recorded in a clinical text or case report.

Zhang Dengbu. Acupuncture Cases from China: A Digest of Difficult and Complicated Case Histories. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, 1994
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Protocol (6 points)

90%

SP09 · BL20 · BL23 · BL36 · GB30 · GB34

Point 1 of 6

SP09Yin Mound Spring

SP09 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Spleen Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 陰陵泉 (yīn líng quán)

🎯 Location: On the lower border of the medial condyle of the tibia in the depression the posterior and inferior to the medial condyle of the tibia.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid in cases of knee inflammation.

🛡️ Treats: Heat Chest, Fever, Diarrhea, Shortness of Breath, Jaundice

BL20Spleen Shu Point

BL20 acupoint
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🗺️ 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

BL23Kidney Shu Point

BL23 acupoint
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🗺️ 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

BL36Support

BL36 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 承扶 (chéng fú)

🎯 Location: On the posterior side of the thigh at the midpoint of the inferior gluteal crease.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Back Pain, Pain, Hemorrhoids, Sciatica, Lower Back Pain

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

GB34Yang Mound Spring

GB34 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Gallbladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 陽陵泉 (yáng líng quán)

🎯 Location: In the depression the anterior and inferior to the head of the fibula.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Fever, Knee Pain, Jaundice, Constipation, Vomiting

Text or case report

Needling · a 150-day course

Same patient; prescription changed for a later course

Point selection recorded in a clinical text or case report.

Zhang Dengbu. Acupuncture Cases from China: A Digest of Difficult and Complicated Case Histories. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, 1994
Press Needles
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Protocol (6 points)

90%

SP05 · SP09 · SP10 · BL40 · BL54 · BL60

Point 1 of 6

SP05Metal Hill

SP05 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Spleen Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 商丘 (shāng qiū)

🎯 Location: In the depression the distal and inferior to the medial malleolus midway between tuberosity of the navicular bone and tip of the medial malleolus.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Cough, Fever, Jaundice, Common Cold, Constipation

SP09Yin Mound Spring

SP09 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Spleen Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 陰陵泉 (yīn líng quán)

🎯 Location: On the lower border of the medial condyle of the tibia in the depression the posterior and inferior to the medial condyle of the tibia.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid in cases of knee inflammation.

🛡️ Treats: Heat Chest, Fever, Diarrhea, Shortness of Breath, Jaundice

SP10Sea Of Blood

SP10 acupoint
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🗺️ 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

BL40Middle Of The Crease

BL40 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 委中 (wěi zhōng)

🎯 Location: Midpoint of the transverse crease of the popliteal fossa between tendons of the biceps femoris and semitendinosus.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution in weakness/fatigue; avoid strong stimulation.

🛡️ Treats: Fever, Diarrhea, Knee Pain, Vomiting, Abdominal Pain

BL54Lowermost In Order

BL54 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 秩邊 (zhì biān)

🎯 Location: On the level of the 4th posterior sacral foramen 3 thumb widths lateral to the median sacral crest.

⚠️ Cautions: No specific contraindications.

🛡️ Treats: Kidney Deficiency, Pain, Urinary Retention, Hemorrhoids, Sciatica

BL60Kunlun (Mountains)

BL60 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 崑崙 (kūn lún)

🎯 Location: In the depression the between tip of the external malleolus and achilles tendon.

⚠️ 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: Cough, Shortness of Breath, Heat, Chest Fullness, Abdominal Pain

Text or case report

Needling

Same patient; prescription changed for a later course

Point selection recorded in a clinical text or case report.

Zhang Dengbu. Acupuncture Cases from China: A Digest of Difficult and Complicated Case Histories. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, 1994
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Related symptoms

Often treated alongside Muscular Dystrophy:

Points cited for Muscular Dystrophy

How often each point appears across the 3 entries ranked highest for Muscular Dystrophy. Citation frequency, not a recommendation.

  • BL20Spleen Shu PointBladder Meridian2 of 3
  • BL23Kidney Shu PointBladder Meridian2 of 3
  • GB30Jumping CircleGallbladder Meridian2 of 3
  • SP09Yin Mound SpringSpleen Meridian2 of 3
  • BL36SupportBladder Meridian1 of 3
  • BL40Middle Of The CreaseBladder Meridian1 of 3
  • BL54Lowermost In OrderBladder Meridian1 of 3
  • BL60Kunlun (Mountains)Bladder Meridian1 of 3
  • GB34Yang Mound SpringGallbladder Meridian1 of 3
  • SP05Metal HillSpleen Meridian1 of 3
  • SP10Sea Of BloodSpleen Meridian1 of 3
  • ST31Thigh GateStomach Meridian1 of 3

How the studies delivered it

None of the studies behind these entries says how the points were stimulated or for how long.

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

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