LU1

Zhongfu

Star

中府 (Zhōngfǔ) — Central Treasury

Lung channel · point 1

Not yet clinically reviewed

Front-Mu point of the LungMeeting point of the Lung and Spleen channels

Traditionally used for

Cough & breathing
Pain & joints

Cautions & contraindications

No deep needling

Location

On the anterior thoracic wall, level with the first intercostal space, lateral to the infraclavicular fossa, 6 cun lateral to the anterior midline; 1 cun inferior to LU2.

How to locate: Find the depression below the lateral end of the clavicle (LU2), then drop one cun to the first intercostal space. It lies on the same transverse line along the first intercostal space as ST14, KI26 and CV20, not on the ribs themselves.

Regional anatomy: Superficial to the pectoralis major and minor; the lung apex lies deep to this region, which is why the needle is angled away from the chest wall.

Distances are in cun, a proportional unit — how to measure.

Body map, front: LU1 · Chest — Fig. — LU1 · Chest After Albinus, 1747

The thorax, from in front — Gray's Anatomy plate — The thorax, from in front Gray's Anatomy, 1918

3D view

3D view not available for this point: its position can't be carried onto the 3D model reliably (it failed a placement check). The 2D maps above show it.

The lung is not drawn: the anatomical model used here does not include it as a surface. This is a limit of the model, not of the anatomy. The pneumothorax risk above still applies.

Needling

Cited needling

⚠ Pneumothorax

Transverse-oblique insertion — medially along the intercostal space

Depth 0.5–1 cun

skindeeper

Depths describe average adult habitus in the cited population, never a single safe number for the patient in front of you. Palpate and adjust.

Sources (2)

World Health Organization. Guidelines on basic training and safety in acupuncture. Geneva: WHO; 1999. WHO/EDM/TRM/99.1 — Section II §5.2 (Lung and pleura), p. 25 Supports: pneumothorax (names this region)
Deadman P, Al-Khafaji M, Baker K. A Manual of Acupuncture. Hove: Journal of Chinese Medicine Publications; 1998 — p. 76 Supports: techniques (names this point)

Site notes · not cited

No deep needling

Depth: 0.5–0.8 cun

Angle: Oblique or transverse, directed laterally away from the midline

⚠ Cautions: Do not needle perpendicularly or deeply — the apex of the lung lies beneath, and deep perpendicular insertion risks pneumothorax.

Functions

Disseminates and descends Lung qi
Transforms phlegm and clears heat from the chest and upper burner
Regulates the water passages
Harmonises the Lung and Spleen
Moves qi locally and in the sinew channel

Indications

Coughwheezing and asthmafullness or oppression of the chestpain in the chest, shoulder and upper backcopious phlegm

Clinical Notes

As the Front-Mu of the Lung it is both a diagnostic point (tender on palpation in Lung disorders) and a treatment point. Its meeting with the Spleen channel is the classical basis for using it where phlegm from Spleen deficiency is congesting the Lung.

Similar Points

Ranked by shared patterns and conditions

Chize how are these connected? Fenglong how are these connected? Quchi how are these connected? Feishu how are these connected? Yuji how are these connected? Jianshi how are these connected?

Sources

World Health Organization. WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations in the Western Pacific Region. Manila: WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific, 2008. (Location.)
Focks C, ed. Atlas of Acupuncture. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2008. (Locating method and actions.)

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