Table 3.
Location and indication of MDD-related acupoints.
| Acupoints | Location |
|---|---|
| Head, face, and neck | |
| Baihui (GV20) | On the head, 5.0 cun directly above the midpoint of the anterior hairline. Or, at the midpoint of the line connecting the apexes of the two auricles. |
| Yintang (GV29) | At the forehead, at the midpoint between the two medial ends of the eyebrow. |
| Sishencong (EX-HN1) | At the vertex of the head, a group of four points, 1.0 cun, respectively, anterior, posterior and lateral to Baihui (GV 20). |
| Shenting (GV24) | On the head, 0.5 cun directly above the midpoint of the anterior hairline. |
| Shuigou (GV26) | On the face, at the junction of the superior 1/3 and middle 1/3 of the philtrum. |
| Taiyang (EX-HN5) | In the region of the temples, in the depression about one finger-breadth posterior to the midpoint between the lateral end of the eyebrow and the outer canthus. |
| Fengchi (GB20) | On the nape, below the occiput, at the level of Fengfu (GV 16), in the depression between the upper portion of m. sternocleidomastoideus and m. trapezius. |
| Upper limbs | |
| Quchi (LI11) | With the elbow flexed, the point is on the lateral end of the transverse cubital crease, at midpoint between Chize (LU 5) and the lateral epicondyle of the humerus. |
| Hegu (LI4) | On the dorsum of the hand, between the 1st and 2nd metacarpal bones, in the middle of the 2nd metacarpal bone on the radial side. |
| Pianli (LI6) | With the elbow flexed, the point is on the dorsal radial side of the forearm, on the line connecting Yangxi (LI 5) and Quchi (LI 11), 3 cun above the wrist crease |
| Yanggu (SI5) | On the ulnar aspect of the wrist, in the depression between the styloid process of the ulna and the triquetral bone. |
| Zhizheng (SI7) | On the dorsal ulnar aspect of the forearm, 5 cun above the transverse crease of the wrist, on the line connecting Yanggu (SI 5) and Xiaohai (SI 8). |
| Chize (LU5) | On the cubital crease, on the radial side of the tendon m. biceps brachii. |
| Yuji (LU10) | In the depression behind the thenar eminence of the thumb, about the midpoint of the palmar side of the thumb, on the junction of the red and white skin. |
| Neiguan (PC6) | On the palmar aspect of the forearm, 2 cun above the transverse crease of the wrist, on the line connecting Quze (PC 3) and Daling (PC 7), between the tendons of m. palmaris longus and m. flexor carpi radialis. |
| Shaohai (HT3) | When the elbow is flexed, the point is at the midpoint of the line connecting the medial end of the transverse cubital crease and the medial epicondyle of the humerus. |
| Tongli (HT5) | On the palmar aspect of the forearm, the point is on the radial side of the tendon m. flexor carpi ulnaris, 1.0 cun above the transverse crease of the wrist. |
| Shenmen (HT7) | On the wrist, at the ulnar end of the transverse crease of the writs, in the depression on the radial side of the tendon m. flexor carpi ulnaris. |
| Lower limbs | |
| Zusanli (ST36) | On the anterior aspect of the lower leg, 3 cun below Dubi (ST 35), one finger-breadth (middle finger) from the anterior crest of the tibia. |
| Fenglong (ST40) | On the anterior aspect of the lower leg, 8 cun superior to the external malleolus, lateral to Tiaokou (ST 38), two finger-breadth (middle finger) from the anterior crest of the tibia. |
| Jiexi (ST41) | At the junction of the dorsum of the foot and the lower leg. in the depression at the midpoint of the transverse crease of the ankle between the tendons m. extensor hallucis longus and digitorum longus. |
| Yanglingquan (GB34) | On the lateral aspect of the lower leg, in the depression anterior and inferior to the head of the fibula. |
| Waiqiu (GB36) | On the lateral aspect of the lower leg, 7 cun above the tip of the external malleolus, on the anterior border of the fibula, at the level of Yangjiao (GB 35). |
| Qiuxu (GB40) | On the foot, anterior and inferior to the external malleolus, in the depression on the lateral side of the tendon of m. extensor digitorum longus. |
| Shenmai (BL62) | In the depression directly below the external malleolus. |
| Sanyinjiao (SP6) | On the medial aspect of the lower leg, 3 cun above the medial malleolus, on the posterior border of the medial aspect of the tibia. |
| Yinlingquan (SP9) | On the medial aspect of the lower leg, in the depression of the lower border of the medial condyle of the tibia. |
| Taichong (LR3) | On the dorsum of the foot, in the depression proximal to the 1st metatarsal space. |
| Taixi (KI3) | On the medial aspect of the foot, posterior to the medial malleolus, in the depression between the tip of the medial malleolus and tendo calcaneus. |
| Zhaohai (KI6) | On the medial aspect of the foot, in the depression below the tip of the medial malleolus. |
| Xingjian (LR2) | On the dorsum of the foot, proximal to the margin of the web between the 1st and 2nd toes, at the junction of the red and white skin. |
| Back and lumbar | |
| Dazhui (GV14) | On the posterior median line, in the depression below the spinous process of the 7th cervical vertebra. |
| Xinshu (BL15) | On the back, 1.5 cun lateral to the lower border of the spinous process of the 5th thoracic vertebra. |
| Ganshu (BL18) | On the back, 1.5 cun lateral to the lower border of the spinous process of the 9th thoracic vertebra. |
| Pishu (BL20) | On the back, 1.5 cun lateral to the lower border of the spinous process of the 11th thoracic vertebra. |
| Shenshu (BL23) | On the back, 1.5 cun lateral to the lower border of the spinous process of the 2nd lumbar vertebra. |
| Chest and abdomen | |
| Guanyuan (CV4) | On the anterior median line of the lower abdomen, 3 cun below the umbilicus. |
| Zhongwan (CV12) | On the anterior median line of the upper abdomen, 4.0 cun above the umbilicus. |
| Qimen (LR14) | On the chest, directly below the nipple, in the 6th intercostal space, 4 cun lateral to the anterior midline. |
MDD, Major depressive disorder.