Verscienta
ST37

Shangjuxu

Star

上巨虛 (Shàngjùxū) — Upper Great Void

Stomach channel · point 37

Not yet clinically reviewed

Lower He-Sea point of the Large IntestineSea of Blood point

Traditionally used for

  • Digestion
  • Bowel health
  • Nerves & recovery

Location

On the anterior lower leg, on the line connecting ST35 and ST41, 6 cun below ST35, over tibialis anterior (about one finger-breadth lateral to the anterior crest of the tibia).

How to locate: With the knee flexed or the patient supine, find ST36 (3 cun below ST35) and go a further 3 cun down, one finger-breadth lateral to the anterior crest of the tibia; the point sits in the belly of tibialis anterior.

Regional anatomy: Beneath the skin and subcutaneous tissue the needle enters tibialis anterior and continues toward the interosseous membrane; the anterior tibial artery and deep fibular nerve run deep to the point.

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

Body map, front: ST37 · Lower leg
Fig. — ST37 · Lower leg After Albinus, 1747
Body map, front: ST37 · Lower leg

ST37 · Lower leg · Albinus, Tabulae sceleti et musculorum, 1747

Bones of the leg — Gray's Anatomy plate
Bones of the leg Gray's Anatomy, 1918
Bones of the leg — Gray's Anatomy plate

Bones of the leg · Gray's Anatomy, 1918

3D view

Approximate placement, carried over from our 2D body map onto a single adult male model (BodyParts3D) and checked against the point's location text. Shown on one side of the body. Locate the point on your patient by the location text and palpation, not by this model.

Cun on this part of the body
From the popliteal crease to the prominence of the lateral malleolus: 16 B-cun (WHO 2008, General Guidelines, Proportional Bone (Skeletal) Measurements, p. 13). On the model, the popliteal crease = knee joint line (femoral condyles / tibial plateau).
Needle angle and depth
  1. Perpendicular (90° to the skin), 1–1.5 cun. Deadman P, Al-Khafaji M, Baker K, p. 162
  2. Oblique (45° to the skin), 1–1.5 cun. Deadman P, Al-Khafaji M, Baker K, p. 162

3D anatomy: BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science licensed under CC Attribution 4.0 International (licence). Subset, simplified and recoloured by Verscienta — changes and licence details.

Needling

Cited needling

Techniques — the source gives these as alternatives:

  1. Perpendicular insertion
    Depth 1–1.5 cun
    skindeeper
  2. Oblique insertion
    Depth 1–1.5 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 (1)
  1. Deadman P, Al-Khafaji M, Baker K. A Manual of Acupuncture. Hove: Journal of Chinese Medicine Publications; 1998 — p. 162 Supports: techniques (names this point)

Site notes · not cited

Depth: 1.0–2.0 cun
Angle: Perpendicular

Functions

  • Regulates the Spleen, Stomach and intestines and resolves stagnation
  • Clears damp-heat and relieves abdominal pain and diarrhoea
  • Opens the channel and alleviates pain

Indications

Diarrhoea and dysenteryconstipationabdominal pain and borborygmusappendicitisleg weakness and paralysis

Balance Method partners

Under Dr. Tan's six systems, ST37 at the lower leg balances these channels at the regions its segment images.

  • 1. Same Chinese name
    Large Intestine channel
    Forearm · Mirror (arm ↔ leg)
    Upper arm · Reversed mirror
    Chest, Upper back · Image, head at the hand/foot
    Upper abdomen, Lower back · Image, head toward the elbow/knee
    Solve for the Large Intestine channel →
  • 2. Branching (Bie Jing / Zang Fu Bie Tong)
    Pericardium channel
    Forearm · Mirror (arm ↔ leg)
    Upper arm · Reversed mirror
    Chest, Upper back · Image, head at the hand/foot
    Upper abdomen, Lower back · Image, head toward the elbow/knee
    Solve for the Pericardium channel →
  • 3. Interior–exterior pair
    Spleen channel
    Lower leg, Calf · Same segment, opposite side
    Chest, Upper back · Image, head at the hand/foot
    Upper abdomen, Lower back · Image, head toward the elbow/knee
    Solve for the Spleen channel →
  • 4. Chinese clock opposite
    Pericardium channel
    Forearm · Mirror (arm ↔ leg)
    Upper arm · Reversed mirror
    Chest, Upper back · Image, head at the hand/foot
    Upper abdomen, Lower back · Image, head toward the elbow/knee
    Solve for the Pericardium channel →
  • 5. Chinese clock neighbour
    Large Intestine channel
    Forearm · Mirror (arm ↔ leg)
    Upper arm · Reversed mirror
    Chest, Upper back · Image, head at the hand/foot
    Upper abdomen, Lower back · Image, head toward the elbow/knee
    Solve for the Large Intestine channel →
  • 6. Same channel
    Stomach channel
    Lower leg, Calf · Same segment, opposite side
    Chest, Upper back · Image, head at the hand/foot
    Upper abdomen, Lower back · Image, head toward the elbow/knee
    Solve for the Stomach channel →

Clinical Notes

The Lower He-Sea of the Large Intestine — the distal point of first choice for intestinal disease, and a key point in acute appendicitis.

Combinations Using This Point

Tianshu and Shangjuxu

ST25 and ST37, the Front-Mu and lower He-Sea points of the Large Intestine — for diarrhoea, constipation, distension and acute abdominal conditions.

Similar Points

Ranked by shared patterns and conditions

Quchi how are these connected? (Quchi) Tianshu how are these connected? (Tianshu) Neiting how are these connected? (Neiting) Zhigou how are these connected? (Zhigou) Dachangshu how are these connected? (Dachangshu) Yinlingquan how are these connected? (Yinlingquan)

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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