BL-43 - Vital Region Shu

膏肓 - Gāo huāng

Point Region: Upper back

Bladder Meridian

足太阳膀胱经 - Zú Tàiyáng Pángguāng Jīng

Location & How to Find

Anatomical Location: On the upper back, level with the lower edge of the spinous process of the fourth thoracic vertebra (T4), 3 cun out from the midline.

Distances are in cun, a unit that scales with each person's body. As a guide, the width of your thumb at its joint is 1 cun, and your four fingers held together, measured across the middle joints, are 3 cun.

How to Locate:

Find T3, the spinal bump on the line joining the inner ends of the bony ridges of the shoulder blades (standing, arms by your sides), then count one bump down to T4
Go to the level just below the bump of T4
The point is four finger-widths out from the midline (in line with the inner edge of the shoulder blade)

BL-43 (Vital Region Shu) acupressure point location: On the upper back, level with the lower edge of the spinous process of the fourth thoracic vertebra (T4), 3 cun out from the midline.

How to Apply Pressure

Using a fingertip, apply gentle, steady pressure in the groove just below the bump of the fourth thoracic spinal bone (one bump below the shoulder-blade-ridge level), four finger-widths out from the midline. Firm but never painful pressure is enough; stop if it hurts. If you cannot reach the spot comfortably, skip it rather than strain, and skip this point over irritated or broken skin.

Traditional Indications

In TCM, this point is traditionally used for:

Coughing blood
Cough
Night sweats
Forgetfulness
Nocturnal emissions
Chronic fatigue