Jingqu Point (LU-8 / Meridian Ditch)
Discover the exact location and acupressure method for Jingqu (LU-8 / Meridian Ditch). Learn its benefits for cough, sore throat, bronchitis, hiccups, and pulseless disease, plus classic combinations for frozen shoulder and back pain. Note: moxibustion is contraindicated.
Indications
Tracheitis, bronchitis, diaphragmatic spasm (hiccups), esophageal spasm, cough, sore throat, chest fullness, chest and back pain, and pulseless disease.
Precise Location
On the palmar side of the forearm, 1 cun above the wrist crease, on the lateral side of the radial artery, lateral to the flexor carpi radialis tendon.
Location Method
Extend the left hand with the palm facing upward, and take the pulse of the left hand with the right hand – the point is where the middle finger rests. (That is, 1 cun above the wrist crease, on the lateral side of the radial artery pulse.)
Massage Method
① Massage: Press, knead, or pluck with the thumb. ② Bloodletting: For sore throat and fever without sweating, use a three-edged needle to prick and release 1–2 mL of blood. ③ Scraping therapy: Scrape from top to bottom. Rub and press the point with the middle finger pad for 4–5 minutes per session. Therapeutic actions: Stops cough and relieves wheezing, unblocks the meridians and collaterals, promotes diuresis and relieves strangury.
Compatibility
Frozen shoulder (scapulohumeral periarthritis): Combine with Hegu (LI-4), Jingqu (LU-8), Zhongfu (LU-1), Neiguan (PC-6), Houxi (SI-3), and Zhongzhu (TE-3). Disease overview: Frozen shoulder is a common condition characterized by shoulder pain and limited mobility. Early-stage pain is paroxysmal, often triggered by weather changes and fatigue, gradually progressing to persistent and worsening pain – worse at night than during the day, with inability to sleep or lie on the affected side. Shoulder movement is restricted in all directions, and pulling causes severe pain. Tenderness may radiate to the neck and elbow, with varying degrees of deltoid muscle atrophy. Massage sequence: Group 1: Hegu, Jingqu, Zhongfu; Group 2: Neiguan, Houxi, Zhongzhu. Massage one group at a time, alternating between groups. Knead each point 30–50 times. Massage once daily, with 30 sessions as one course; 3–4 courses may be continued until recovery. Cough: Combine with Feishu (BL-13), Chize (LU-5), and Jingqu (LU-8). Lumbar soreness and back pain: Combine with Qiuxu (GB-40), Yuji (LU-10), Kunlun (BL-60), Jinggu (BL-64), and Jingqu (LU-8).
Efficacy & Actions
Jingqu is the channel through which the Lung meridian qi flows like a river. According to the Zhenjiu Jiayijing, this point "should not be moxibusted; moxibustion damages the spirit." The Zhenjiu Zisheng Jing records: "It treats pain in the sole of the foot." Regular massage of this point disperses lung qi, benefits the throat, descends rebellious qi, and relieves wheezing. In modern clinical practice, it is commonly used to treat various respiratory system disorders. This point belongs to the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian and is the Jing-River point where the meridian qi passes (corresponding to the Metal element in the five-element theory). It stops cough and relieves wheezing, unblocks the meridians and collaterals, promotes diuresis and relieves strangury.
