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Alternate names: 脏俞 zàng zhù, Visceral Transport

Channel: GV, governing (dū) vessel

Modern location: An acupoint located on the upper back, inferior to the spinous process of the fifth thoracic vertebra.

Classical location: Below the fifth vertebra. From The Golden Mirror of Medicine (医宗金鑑 yī zōng jīn jiàn)

Local anatomy: The posterior branch of the fifth intercostal artery. The medial branch of the posterior ramus of the fifth thoracic nerve.

Action: Settles tetany and extinguishes wind; quiets the heart and spirit; dispels wind and relieves pain.

Modern indications: Heart palpitation; forgetfulness; cough; heart pain; painful stiffness in the back and spinal column.

Classical indications: Generalized heat effusion and headache; forgetfulness; wind epilepsy and tugging and slackening in children; malarial disease; distraction, sorrow, and worry.

Needle stimulus: Needling: 0.3‒0.5 cùn sideways and upward oblique insertion. Moxa: 3‒7 cones; pole 5‒10 min.

Warning: Needling of this point is contraindicated in many texts.

Point name meaning:

• 神 shén: spirit
• 道 dào: path, road, way

GV-11 is located between the two Heart Transport (xīn shù) points ; the heart can be treated though this point. Because the heart stores the spirit, GV-11 can be said to be a path to the spirit or a spirit path. See acupoint names: origins, meanings, and translations.

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