HT-4 - Spirit Pathway

灵道 - Líng dào

Point Region: Forearm

HT

Heart Meridian

手少阴心经 - Shǒu Shàoyīn Xīn Jīng

Location & How to Find

Anatomical Location: On the front and inner side of the forearm, just on the thumb side of the tendon at the little-finger edge of the wrist (flexor carpi ulnaris), 1.5 cun above the wrist crease. It lies 1.5 cun above HT-7.

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:

  1. Turn your palm up and find the tendon at the little-finger edge of your wrist
  2. From the wrist crease, measure two finger-widths up the forearm
  3. The point is just on the thumb side of the tendon
HT-4 (Spirit Pathway) acupressure point location: On the front and inner side of the forearm, just on the thumb side of the tendon at the little-finger edge of the wrist (flexor carpi ulnaris), 1.5 cun above the wrist crease.

How to Apply Pressure

When you have found HT-4, keep contact gentle and avoid forceful pressure around the wrist. Skip it with a wrist injury or acute inflammation, and stop if pressure causes pain or tingling.

Traditional Indications

In TCM, this point is traditionally used for:

  • Arm pain
  • Voice loss
  • Hoarseness
  • Eye pain
  • Elbow contracture
  • Finger numbness
  • Throat problems
  • Wrist pain
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Forearm tension

Select a point to see its location, how to find it, and its traditional uses.

Important Precautions

Avoid this point with:

  • Avoid excessive pressure on radial artery
  • Use caution with wrist injuries
  • Avoid if carpal tunnel inflammation acute