Acupuncture Points for Urinary Retention Spinal Cord Injury

5 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 · a 4-week course

Point selection reported in a published study.

doi:10.13702/j.1000-0607.20250263 ↗
Corroborated by a second study. BL32, BL33 also appear in another study-reported protocol for the same search. A second publication is not necessarily a second research group. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗

Protocol (4 points)

100%

CV03 · CV04 · CV06 · CV08

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

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

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

Moxibustion · 56 sessions

Did better than usual care

Point selection reported in a published study.

doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.2019.09.010 ↗
Not corroborated. No other study in the index uses any of these points for this search.

Protocol (2 points)

100%

ST28 · BL54

ST28Waterway

ST28 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Stomach Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 水道 (shuǐ dào)

🎯 Location: 3 thumb widths below umbilicus 2 thumb widths lateral to the CV04.

⚠️ 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

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

Study-reported

Needling · 30 sessions over 60 days

Point selection reported in a published study.

doi:10.13703/j.0255-2930.2019.04.004 ↗
Corroborated by a second study. ST28, BL54 also appear in another study-reported protocol for the same search. A second publication is not necessarily a second research group. doi:10.3969/j.issn.1003-0034.2019.06.003 ↗
Press Needles
60 needles for this course · 1 box, $19.99

Protocol (5 points)

100%

BL31 · BL32 · BL33 · BL34 · BL35

BL31Upper Bone Hole

BL31 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 上髎 (shàng liáo)

🎯 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

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

BL34Lower Bone Hole

BL34 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 下髎 (xià liáo)

🎯 Location: On the sacrum medial and inferior to the BL33 just at the 4th posterior sacral foramen.

⚠️ Cautions: Caution in sacroiliac dysfunction.

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

BL35Meeting Of Yang

BL35 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Bladder Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 會陽 (huì yáng)

🎯 Location: On the sacrum 0.5 thumb widths lateral to the tip of the coccyx.

⚠️ Cautions: Do not needle into thrombosed or actively inflamed haemorrhoidal tissue, and observe strict asepsis in this region.

🛡️ Treats: Diarrhea, Leg Pain, Dysentery, Rectal Prolapse, Hemorrhoids

Study-reported

Electroacupuncture

Did better than another treatment

Point selection reported in a published study.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
Corroborated by a second study. BL32, BL33 also appear in another study-reported protocol for the same search. A second publication is not necessarily a second research group. doi:10.13702/j.1000-0607.20250263 ↗

Protocol (2 points)

100%

ST28 · BL54

ST28Waterway

ST28 acupoint
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🗺️ Meridian: Stomach Meridian

🇨🇳 Chinese: 水道 (shuǐ dào)

🎯 Location: 3 thumb widths below umbilicus 2 thumb widths lateral to the CV04.

⚠️ 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

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

Study-reported

Electroacupuncture · 30 sessions over 60 days

Did better than another treatment

Point selection reported in a published study.

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1003-0034.2019.06.003 ↗
Corroborated by a second study. ST28, BL54 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.0255-2930.2019.04.004 ↗
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Related symptoms

Often treated alongside Urinary Retention Spinal Cord Injury:

Points cited for Urinary Retention Spinal Cord Injury

How often each point appears across the 5 entries ranked highest for Urinary Retention Spinal Cord Injury. Citation frequency, not a recommendation.

  • BL32Second Bone HoleBladder Meridian2 of 5
  • BL33Middle Bone HoleBladder Meridian2 of 5
  • BL54Lowermost In OrderBladder Meridian2 of 5
  • ST28WaterwayStomach Meridian2 of 5
  • BL31Upper Bone HoleBladder Meridian1 of 5
  • BL34Lower Bone HoleBladder Meridian1 of 5
  • BL35Meeting Of YangBladder Meridian1 of 5
  • CV03Central PivotConception Vessel1 of 5
  • CV04Original Qi GateConception Vessel1 of 5
  • CV06Sea Of QiConception Vessel1 of 5
  • CV08Spirit Palace GateConception Vessel1 of 5

How the studies delivered it

What the 5 studies behind the entries above ran, counted once per study. A record of the trials, not a recommendation.

  • Electroacupuncture3 of 5
  • Moxibustion1 of 5
  • Needling1 of 5

Sessions: the 3 studies that gave a count ran a median of 30 (middle half 30 to 43).

Course: the 3 studies that gave a length ran a median of 60 days (middle half 44 days to 60 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.