Qiangu Point (SI-2 / Front Valley)
Discover the exact location and acupressure method for Qiangu (SI-2 / Front Valley). Learn its benefits for head and neck pain, stiff neck, arm pain, febrile diseases, and epilepsy, plus classic combinations for tinnitus.
Indications
Acute pain of the head and neck, stiff neck with inability to turn the head, arm pain with inability to raise the arm, febrile diseases, and epilepsy.
Precise Location
On the hand, in the depression of the junction of the red and white skin, distal and ulnar to the 5th metacarpophalangeal joint.
Location Method
Clench the fist – the point is in the depression anterior to the 5th metacarpophalangeal joint, at the junction of the red and white skin at the ulnar end of the metacarpophalangeal crease.
Massage Method
① Massage: Pinch and press Qiangu with the thumb tip. ② Moxibustion: Apply mild-warm moxa stick. Pinching and pressing Qiangu with the thumb tip treats febrile diseases and manic disorders. Therapeutic actions: Clears heat and releases the exterior, dredges the meridians and unblocks the collaterals, calms the spirit and stabilizes the mind.
Compatibility
Tinnitus: Combine with Ermen (TE-21) and Yifeng (TE-17). (Often combined with Yifeng, Tinggong, and Ermen for tinnitus and deafness.)
Efficacy & Actions
This point belongs to the Hand Taiyang Small Intestine Meridian and is the Ying-Spring point where the meridian qi flows (corresponding to the Water element in the five-element theory). It clears heat and releases the exterior, dredges the meridians and unblocks the collaterals, calms the spirit and stabilizes the mind. It is a commonly used point for treating head, neck, upper limb, and mental disorders. First documented in Lingshu · Benshu. "Qian" means front; "Gu" means valley or depression. Located on the ulnar side of the little finger, in the depression anterior to the 5th metacarpophalangeal joint when the fist is clenched – hence the name Qiangu (Front Valley).
