Small Intestine Channel

Shaoze SI-1

Chinese: 少泽

Pinyin: Shǎo Zé

Location

On the ulnar side of the little finger, about 0.1 cun posterior to the corner of the nail. 

How to locate

Shaoze SI-1 is located at the junction of the lines drawn along the ulnar and bottom border of the nail, about 0.1 cun from the corner of the nail. 

Shaochong HE-9 is located on the other corner of the nail. 

Main actions

  1. Expels Wind-Heat
  2. Restores consciousness
  3. Opens the Channel
  4. Promotes lactation

Indications

Fever Thirst Arm pain Red eyes Deafness Tinnitus Back pain Headaches Dizziness Chest pain Stiff neck Elbow pain Wind-stroke Bloody nose Tonsillitis Mouth ulcers Shoulder pain Chest pressure Low milk supply Aversion to cold Tongue stiffness Impaired consciousness Lateral costal region pain

Needling

0.1–0.2 cun vertically or obliquely in a proximal direction or prick to bleed with a needle, lancet or three-edged needle.

 

Commentary for Shaoze SI-1

As the Well-Jing point of the Small Intestine Channel, Shaoze SI-1 is often used to treat Exterior Wind-Heat invasion to the other end of the Channel (eg: neck and head). The typical symptoms are neck stiffness, headache, febrile diseases, fever, aversion to cold and tonsillitis. 

In additional to that, it is also able to expel Interior Wind and restore consciousness when the patients get a sudden Wind-Stroke. 

Another important function of SI-1 is to open the Channel by removing the Obstructions. Therefore, it can ease a wide range of pain or stiffness in areas like the chest, Heart, neck, back, shoulder, arm, elbow or ribs. 

Shaoze SI-1 clears Heat. Thus it treats red eyes, nosebleed, thirst and mouth ulcers. It also subdues Rebellious Qi so as to ease headache, dizziness, deafness, tinnitus and stiff tongue. 

This is an important point to treat postpartum low milk supply as well, especially if the symptom is caused by Excess pattern such as invasion of some pathogenic factors or Liver Qi Stagnation. 

Finally, Shaoze SI-1 connects to the Heart Channel via a branch from Shaochong HE-9 of the little finger. It is indicated for some disorders in the Heart or epigastrium such as pain, distension and cold sensation around these area. 

Actually for all the Channels that originates at the fingertip or toes, this principle applies. Their first point (Well-Jing) receive Qi and impact from the related Channels which terminate at the finger or toes.

For example, for all the Channels of the Hand (Yang starts while Yin ends):

For all the Channels of the Foot (Yin starts while Yang ends):