SI-1 - Lesser Marsh

少泽 - Shào zé

Point Region: Finger

SI

Small Intestine Meridian

手太阳小肠经 - Shǒu Tàiyáng Xiǎochángjīng

Location & How to Find

Anatomical Location: On the little finger, at the corner of the nail on the outer side (away from the ring finger), about 0.1 cun from the corner, where the side edge of the nail meets the line of its base.

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. Look at your little fingernail
  2. Find its corner at the base, on the side away from your ring finger
  3. The point is just beside this corner
SI-1 (Lesser Marsh) acupressure point location: On the little finger, at the corner of the nail on the outer side (away from the ring finger), about 0.1 cun from the corner, where the side edge of the nail meets the line of its base.

How to Apply Pressure

Once you have located SI-1, use only a light fingertip touch beside the nail; do not pinch or dig into the nail bed. Avoid it if the skin around the nail is broken, infected, or recently injured, and stop if it hurts.

Traditional Indications

In TCM, this point is traditionally used for:

  • Insufficient lactation
  • Headache
  • Sore throat
  • Breast inflammation
  • Fever
  • Throat pain

Related Health Concerns

HeadacheCold and Flu OnsetFeeling Faint

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

Important Precautions

Avoid this point with:

  • Broken skin around nail
  • Severe nail infections
  • Recent nail injury