ST-37 - Upper Great Hollow
上巨虚 - Shàng jù xū
Point Region: Lower leg
Location & How to Find
Anatomical Location: On the front of the lower leg, on the line from ST-35 to ST-41, 6 cun below ST-35, on the tibialis anterior muscle.
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:
- Find ST-36, four finger-widths below ST-35
- Measure another four finger-widths down the same line
- The point is on the muscle just outside the shin bone
How to Apply Pressure
After finding ST-37 on the front shin muscle, use steady, non-painful fingertip pressure and avoid pressing against the bone. Skip it after recent leg surgery, and see a doctor for lasting or bloody diarrhea instead of relying on pressure.
Traditional Indications
In TCM, this point is traditionally used for:
- Chronic diarrhea
- Abdominal cramping
- Beriberi
- Limb numbness
- Leg soreness
- Bowel problems
- Intestinal inflammation
- Leg weakness
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:
- Recent leg surgery
- Severe intestinal disorders
- Acute leg injury