TE-11 - Clear Cold Abyss

清冷渊 - Qīng lěng yuān

Point Region: Upper arm

TE

Triple Energizer Meridian

手少阳三焦经 - Shǒu Shàoyáng Sānjiāo Jīng

Location & How to Find

Anatomical Location: On the back of the upper arm, on the line from the tip of the elbow to the back corner of the shoulder (the acromial angle), 2 cun above the tip of the elbow.

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. Straighten your arm
  2. From the tip of the elbow, measure two thumb-widths up the back of the arm
  3. The point is on the line toward the back corner of the shoulder
TE-11 (Clear Cold Abyss) acupressure point location: On the back of the upper arm, on the line from the tip of the elbow to the back corner of the shoulder (the acromial angle), 2 cun above the tip of the elbow.

How to Apply Pressure

After finding TE-11 on the back of the upper arm, use steady, non-painful fingertip pressure and skip it if reaching behind your back causes strain. Avoid it after recent shoulder surgery, with an arm fracture, or over an acute shoulder dislocation.

Traditional Indications

In TCM, this point is traditionally used for:

  • Shoulder pain
  • Ocular pain
  • Arm pain
  • Eye pain
  • Upper arm tension
  • Rib pain

Related Health Concerns

Neck and Shoulder Pain

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

Important Precautions

Avoid this point with:

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