CV-4 - Gate of Origin
关元 - Guān yuán
Point Region: Lower abdomen
Location & How to Find
Anatomical Location: On the lower abdomen, on the midline, 3 cun below the centre of the navel.
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:
- From the centre of your navel, measure four finger-widths down the midline
- The point is there
How to Apply Pressure
Follow the centre line three cun down from the navel and touch there. Use steady, comfortable pressure only; do not press deeply or painfully. Do not press during pregnancy, acute abdominal inflammation, or after recent abdominal surgery.
Traditional Indications
In TCM, this point is traditionally used for:
- Amenorrhea
- Painful menstruation
- Bedwetting
- Impotence
- Abdominal pain
- Chronic fatigue
- Infertility
- Digestive weakness
- Low energy
- Sexual dysfunction
Related Health Concerns
Related Acupoints
Select a point to see its location, how to find it, and its traditional uses.
Important Precautions
Avoid this point with:
- Pregnancy
- Acute abdominal inflammation
- Recent abdominal surgery