Acupuncture Points for Urinary Obstruction

3 sourced protocols, each with its citation.

Each card names its evidence kind. What these labels mean

Protocol (2 points)

100%

BL32 · BL33

BL32Second Bone Hole

BL32 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 次髎 (cì liáo)

🎯 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

BL33Middle Bone Hole

BL33 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 中髎 (zhōng liáo)

🎯 Location: On the sacrum medial and inferior to the BL32 just at the 3rd posterior sacral foramen.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution in sacroiliac dysfunction.

🛡️ Treats: Constipation, Abdominal Bloating, Pain, Urinary Retention, Infertility

Study-reported

Electroacupuncture · 12 sessions over 4 weeks

Point selection reported in a published study.

doi:10.1155/2019/1439141 ↗
Not corroborated. No other study in the index uses any of these points for this search.

Protocol (5 points)

100%

SP06 · BL22 · BL28 · CV03 · CV08

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

BL22Sanjiao Shu Point

BL22 acupoint
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🗺️ 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

BL28Bladder Shu Point

BL28 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 膀胱俞 (páng guāng shū)

🎯 Location: 1.5 thumb widths lateral to the du mai at the level of the 2nd posterior sacral foramen.

⚠️ Cautions: Avoid deep perpendicular needling.

🛡️ Treats: Diarrhea, Qi Deficiency, Constipation, Abdominal Pain, Swelling

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

Herbal plaster on points · 48 sessions

Did better than usual care

Point selection reported in a published study.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
Not corroborated. No other study in the index uses any of these points for this search.

Single-point entry

90%

BL33Middle Bone Hole

BL33 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 中髎 (zhōng liáo)

🎯 Location: On the sacrum medial and inferior to the BL32 just at the 3rd posterior sacral foramen.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution in sacroiliac dysfunction.

🛡️ Treats: Constipation, Abdominal Bloating, Pain, Urinary Retention, Infertility

Text or case report

Point selection recorded in a clinical text or case report.

Zhishun Liu. Electroacupuncture at Zhongliao Point in the Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia and Its Specificities of Acupoint. Journal of Clinical Acupuncture and Moxibustion, 2011
Substantiated by a study. BL33 also appears in a study-reported protocol for the same search. That study did not test this prescription. doi:10.1155/2019/1439141 ↗
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Points cited for Urinary Obstruction

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

  • BL33Middle Bone HoleBladder Meridian2 of 3
  • BL22Sanjiao Shu PointBladder Meridian1 of 3
  • BL28Bladder Shu PointBladder Meridian1 of 3
  • BL32Second Bone HoleBladder Meridian1 of 3
  • CV03Central PivotConception Vessel1 of 3
  • CV08Spirit Palace GateConception Vessel1 of 3
  • SP06Three Yin IntersectionSpleen Meridian1 of 3

How the studies delivered it

What the 2 studies behind the entries above ran, counted once per study. A record of the trials, not a recommendation.

  • Electroacupuncture1 of 2
  • Herbal plaster on points1 of 2

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

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