Acupuncture Point Bl-25: Dachangshu (大腸俞, Large Intestine Shu)

Location Guides:

Classifications:

Back Shu point of the Large Intestine

Meetings:

Meeting of Bladder with Large Intestine Divergent and Lung Divergent

Location:

1.5 cun lateral to the lower border of the spinous process of the fourth lumbar vertebra (L4).

Needling:

Perpendicular insertion 1 - 1.5 cun

Classical Needling:

"The Taiyang usually has much Blood and little Qi" (Su Wen 素問 ch. 24) implying this channel should normally be bled.
"The foot Taiyang is to be pierced 5 fen deep and remain inserted for seven exhalations" (Ling Shu 靈樞 ch. 12).
"It is needled to a depth of three fen, (the needle) is retained for a duration of six exhalations, and it is moxaed with three cones" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).

TCM Actions:

Regulates the Intestines
Transforms stagnation and alleviates pain
Strengthens the lumbar region and legs

TCM Indications:

Borborygmus, cold or damp (dong) diarrhoea, undigested food in the stool, Dysenteric Disorder (痢疾, Li Ji), blood in the stool, internal abscess, difficulty urination and defecation, constipation, prolapse of the rectum.
Distension and pain of the abdomen, hypogastric pain, distension and fullness of the hypogastrium, twisting pain of the lower abdomen, cutting pain of the umbilical region, inability to eat and drink, remains thin despite much eating.
Lumbar pain, stiffness and rigidity of the lumbar spine, pain and Painful Obstruction (痹, Bi) of the lower limbs, atrophy disorder, dysmenorrhoea.

Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: Dorsal rami of S1 - S3

Dermatome Segment: S3

Deeper Structures: Dorsal rami of L4

Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

See Montaigue, Dim Mak Locations, Taijiworld.com for explanation of effects.

Major Combinations:

Cold or Damp diarrhoea with undigested food in the stool:
Dachangshu Bl-25 with Shenshu Bl-23
(Wang Zhizhong, 王執中, 1220: Zhen Jiu Zi Sheng Jing, 針灸資生經, Classic of Supporting Life with Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
Undigested food in the stool:
Dachangshu Bl-25 with Sanjiaoshu Bl-22, Liangmen St-21, Zusanli St-36, Sanyinjiao Sp-6, Xiawan Ren-10 and Xuanshu Du-5
(Wang Zhizhong, 王執中, 1220: Zhen Jiu Zi Sheng Jing, 針灸資生經, Classic of Supporting Life with Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
Incontinence of faeces:
Dachangshu Bl-25 with Guanyuan Ren-4
(Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
Borborygmus:
Dachangshu Bl-25 with Taibai Sp-3, Gongsun Sp-4 and Sanjiaoshu Bl-22
(Wang Zhizhong, 王執中, 1220: Zhen Jiu Zi Sheng Jing, 針灸資生經, Classic of Supporting Life with Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
Prolapse of the rectum:
Dachangshu Bl-25 with Baihui Du-20, Changqiang Du-1, Jianjing GB-21, Hegu LI-4 and Qichong St-30
(Liao Runhong, 廖润鸿, 1874: Zhen Jiu Ji Cheng, 針灸集成, Compilation of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
Prolapse of the rectum in children:
Dachangshu Bl-25 with Baihui Du-20, Changqiang Du-1
(Liao Runhong, 廖润鸿, 1874: Zhen Jiu Ji Cheng, 針灸集成, Compilation of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
Pain of intestinal abscess:
Dachangshu Bl-25 with Xiangu St-43 and Taibai Sp-3
(Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
Difficult ingestion with desire to drink fluids:
Dachangshu Bl-25 with Zhourong Sp-20
(Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).

I Ching Hexagram:

䷉ Lu 履 Treading.

Trigrams: Dui (Lake) below, Qian (Heaven) above.

Openness within, strength without — the gentle and joyful treads carefully among the powerful. This is treading the path of conduct in a world of greater forces.

Nuclear Trigrams: Lines 2-3-4 form Li (Fire). Lines 3-4-5 form Xun (Wind). Beneath the treading, there is clarity (Li) and gentle penetration (Xun). The hidden message: treading correctly requires both clear sight and gentle persistence.

Judgement:
履：履虎尾，不咥人，亨。
Treading. Treading on the tiger's tail. It does not bite the man. Success.

You are walking among forces greater than yourself. The situation is dangerous. But if you tread carefully — with joy, openness, and respect — you will not be harmed. Success comes through conduct, not through force.

Lines:

Line	Yin/Yang	Image	Literal Translation	Commentary
1	Yang	素履，往無咎	Plain treading. Going brings no trouble.	Yang at the bottom. The beginning of the path. Simple, unadorned conduct. No ambition, no display. No trouble because the foundation is pure.
2	Yang	履道坦坦，幽人貸吉	Treading the path level and easy. The recluse's perseverance brings Gain.	Yang at 2, central and correct. The path is smooth. The one who treads it is a recluse — not seeking attention, not seeking reward. Gain because the purity of conduct is its own reward.
3	Yin	眇能視，跋能履，履虎尾，咥人，凶。武人為于大君	One-eyed can see, lame can tread. Treading on the tiger's tail, it bites the man. Loss. A warrior acts for the great prince.	The ruler line. Yin at 3. The one who treads is weak and damaged — one-eyed, lame. It overestimates its ability. It treads on the tiger's tail and is bitten. Loss because the warrior acts beyond his station.
4	Yang	履虎尾，愬愬終吉	Treading on the tiger's tail. Fearful, in the end Gain.	Yang at 4. The fear is appropriate. The one who treads knows the danger and walks with caution. This is the correct attitude. In the end, Gain because the caution preserves.
5	Yang	夬履，貸厲	Decisive treading. Perseverance brings Danger.	Yang at 5, central and correct. But it is too decisive, too strong. The treading has become a march. Even in the place of honour, this brings Danger. The time for decisive action has its limits.
6	Yang	視履考祥，其旋元吉	Look at treading, examine the omens. When the cycle is complete, Supreme Gain.	Yang at the top. The end of the path. Look back at how you have trodden. If the conduct has been correct throughout, the cycle completes with Supreme Gain. The examination of one's conduct is itself the reward.

Image:
上天下澤，履。君子以辨上下，定民志。
Heaven above, lake below: Lu. Thus the gentleman distinguishes high and low and settles the will of the people.

Heaven is above, the lake is below — a clear hierarchy. The gentleman distinguishes high and low (辨上下, bian shang xia) and settles the will of the people (定民志, ding min zhi). Treading correctly means knowing your place in the order of things. Not grovelling, not rebelling — walking with dignity within the structure.

Acupuncture Point Connections:
Shared with Feishu Bl-13. Inverted into ䷈ (Neiguan Pc-6 or Yangchi SJ-4). Balanced by ䷎ (Zhongwan Ren-12 or Zhangmen Liv-13).

Hexagram attributions are my own with an explanation given in the glossary.

Notes:

As the back-shu of the Large Intestine this is an important point for disorders of defecation when combined with other points for correcting the underlying issues.

In Mayan medicine:
Used to treat manu jana or "the sounding of indigestion" by pinching between the fingers or piercing (Garcia, Sierra, Balam, 1999: Wind in the Blood)

In Tibetan medicine:
Moxa point (AMNH, Tibetan Medical Paintings).

In Thai massage:
Acupressure point along the Itha (left) and Pingala (right) sen lines running from the navel Shenque Ren-8 to the knee and up the back to the neck and head.
Indicated for back, hip and sacroiliac joint pain/injury/arthritis, menstruation difficulties, PMS and reproductive system ailments.
(Salguero & Roylance, 2011, Encyclopedia of Thai Massage)

Reference Notes:

Basic information on location, needle depth, TCM actions, indications and combinations is taken from Deadman et al (2001): A Manual of Acupuncture with additional anatomical information researched by reference to Gray's Anatomy (38th Ed., 1995) unless otherwise referenced. Images were found on acupunctureschoolonline.com and can be traced back to Claudia Focks (2008) Atlas of Acupuncture originally. I cannot claim any credit or rights over them. Other sources should be quoted in the text.

For some of the more unusual terms I have created a glossary here

大 腸 俞  : Dachangshu : Large Intestine Shu

Bl-25 : Foot Taiyang Bladder 25