ST-16 - Breast Window

膺窗 - Yīng chuāng

Point Region: Chest

ST

Stomach Meridian

足阳明胃经 - Zú Yángmíng Wèi Jīng

Location & How to Find

Anatomical Location: On the front of the chest, in the third space between the ribs, 4 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:

  1. Find the fourth rib space (in men, level with the nipples) and move up one rib to the third
  2. Follow it to the line straight up from your nipple
  3. The point is there
ST-16 (Breast Window) acupressure point location: On the front of the chest, in the third space between the ribs, 4 cun out from the midline.

How to Apply Pressure

Because ST-16 sits on the chest near breast tissue, keep contact to a light fingertip hold and never press between the ribs. Avoid it with breast implants, after recent chest or breast surgery, or during breathing difficulty, which needs medical attention.

Traditional Indications

In TCM, this point is traditionally used for:

  • Chest tightness
  • Intercostal discomfort
  • Rib pain
  • Respiratory problems

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

Important Precautions

Avoid this point with:

  • Recent chest surgery
  • Severe respiratory conditions
  • Chest wall injuries
  • Breast implants