LI-15 - Shoulder Bone

肩髃 - Jiān yú

Point Region: Shoulder

LI

Large Intestine Meridian

手阳明大肠经 - Shǒu Yángmíng Dàcháng Jīng

Location & How to Find

Anatomical Location: On the shoulder, in the hollow between the front end of the outer edge of the bony top of the shoulder (the acromion) and the top of the upper-arm bone (the greater tubercle of the humerus).

How to Locate:

  1. Lift your arm out to the side
  2. Two hollows appear at the shoulder, one in front of the bony tip and one behind it
  3. The point is in the front hollow, the deeper of the two (TE-14 is in the back one)
LI-15 (Shoulder Bone) acupressure point location: On the shoulder, in the hollow between the front end of the outer edge of the bony top of the shoulder (the acromion) and the top of the upper-arm bone (the greater tubercle of the humerus).

How to Apply Pressure

Raise the arm slightly to the side; a hollow forms at the front edge of the bony top of the shoulder. Press into it with a fingertip, firm but never painful, and skip it after shoulder surgery, a dislocation or a fracture.

Traditional Indications

In TCM, this point is traditionally used for:

  • Shoulder pain
  • Motor impairment
  • Frozen shoulder
  • Shoulder stiffness
  • Arm weakness
  • Joint problems
  • Movement restriction

Related Health Concerns

Neck and Shoulder PainFatigue

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

Traditionally combined with:

LI-15 + TE-14
Shoulder Crevice
LI-15 + GB-21
Shoulder Well

Important Precautions

Avoid this point with:

  • Recent shoulder surgery
  • Severe shoulder dislocation
  • Acute shoulder fracture