Acupuncture Points for Oligospermia

4 sourced protocols, each with its citation.

Each card names its evidence kind. What these labels mean

Protocol (4 points)

100%

BL20 · BL23 · CV03 · CV08

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

CV03Central Pivot

CV03 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Conception Vessel

🇨🇳 Chinese: 中極 (zhōng jí)

🎯 Location: On the anterior midline 4 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. Empty the bladder before needling.

🛡️ Treats: Absent Periods, Back Pain, Pain, Damp, Edema

CV08Spirit Palace Gate

CV08 acupoint
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🗺️ 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

Electrical stimulation on the skin + Moxibustion · a 90-day course

Did better than another treatment

Point selection reported in a published study.

doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.20200404-k0004 ↗
Corroborated by a second study. BL23 also appears in another study-reported protocol for the same search. A second publication is not necessarily a second research group. doi:10.1136/acupmed-2017-011365 ↗

Protocol (4 points)

100%

ST36 · BL23 · CV01 · CV04

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

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

CV01Meeting Of Yin

CV01 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Conception Vessel

🇨🇳 Chinese: 會陰 (huì yīn)

🎯 Location: Between anus and root of the scrotum in the males/posterior labial commissure in the females.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution with genitourinary infection.

🛡️ Treats: Depression, Absent Periods, Rectal Prolapse, Uterine Prolapse, Coma

CV04Original Qi Gate

CV04 acupoint
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🗺️ 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

Electrical stimulation on the skin · a 60-day course

Did better than sham needling

Point selection reported in a published study.

doi:10.1136/acupmed-2017-011365 ↗
Corroborated by a second study. ST36, BL23, CV04 also appear in another study-reported protocol for the same search. A second publication is not necessarily a second research group. doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.2019.08.012 ↗

Protocol (3 points)

100%

ST36 · BL23 · CV04

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

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

CV04Original Qi Gate

CV04 acupoint
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🗺️ 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 90 days

Did better than usual care

Point selection reported in a published study.

doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.2019.08.012 ↗
Corroborated by a second study. ST36, BL23, CV04 also appear in another study-reported protocol for the same search. A second publication is not necessarily a second research group. doi:10.1136/acupmed-2017-011365 ↗

Protocol (7 points)

90%

ST36 · SP06 · BL23 · LV03 · CV04 · CV06 · GV04

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

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

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

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

CV04Original Qi Gate

CV04 acupoint
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🗺️ 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

CV06Sea Of Qi

CV06 acupoint
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🗺️ 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

GV04Life Gate

GV04 acupoint
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🗺️ 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

Text or case report

Point selection recorded in a clinical text or case report.

杨雪圆林雅思何欢林梦姣向时竹陈其华. 针灸治疗男性不育症腧穴配伍规律的复杂网络分析. 中国男科学杂志 ., 2022 [CNKI]
Substantiated by a study. ST36, BL23, CV04 also appear in a study-reported protocol for the same search. That study did not test this prescription. doi:10.1136/acupmed-2017-011365 ↗
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Related symptoms

Often treated alongside Oligospermia:

Points cited for Oligospermia

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

  • BL23Kidney Shu PointBladder Meridian4 of 4
  • CV04Original Qi GateConception Vessel3 of 4
  • ST36Leg Three MilesStomach Meridian3 of 4
  • BL20Spleen Shu PointBladder Meridian1 of 4
  • CV01Meeting Of YinConception Vessel1 of 4
  • CV03Central PivotConception Vessel1 of 4
  • CV06Sea Of QiConception Vessel1 of 4
  • CV08Spirit Palace GateConception Vessel1 of 4
  • GV04Life GateGoverning Vessel1 of 4
  • LV03Great SurgeLiver Meridian1 of 4
  • SP06Three Yin IntersectionSpleen Meridian1 of 4

How the studies delivered it

What the 3 studies behind the entries above ran, counted once per study. A record of the trials, not a recommendation.

  • Electrical stimulation on the skin2 of 3
  • Moxibustion2 of 3

Course: the 3 studies that gave a length ran a median of 90 days (middle half 75 days to 90 days).

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

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