Acupuncture Point Large Intestine 4
- Posted on: Jun 10 2019
One of the most famous and revered acupuncture/acupressure points on the human body is Large Intestine 4. The point is found in the fleshy area between the first and second metacarpals, better known as the thumb and pointer finger. If you use your thumb and forefinger of the opposite hand to press here, most people report a tender or mildly painful sensation.
Large Intestine 4, is also known as Hegu or Joining Valley, referencing the ‘valley-like’ location between the two fingers. The Large Intestine organ in Western Medicine is most commonly related to digestion and the bowels, however in Chinese medicine the organ and the meridian or channel relate to digestion, the immune system, wind and emotions like sadness and grief.
Large Intestine 4 is also the command point for the head and face and is often used to treat headaches and is included in point prescriptions for facial dysfunctions. This point is also used to treat: the cold and flu, menstruation issues, abdominal pain and digestive dysfunction, spasms, tics and convulsions, skin diseases, psycho-emotional pain and physical pain anywhere in the body.
Large Intestine 4 is often paired with Liver 3, it’s mirrored point on the foot, found in the fleshy part between the first and second metatarsals, aka the big toe and the second toe. Together these two points are called the 4 gates and strongly move qi and blood in the body to remove stagnation and alleviate pain.
In fact, L.I.4 is such a big mover, it is used to induce labor and therefor contraindicated in pregnancy.
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