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BL-11 Dazhu (大杼) — Great Shuttle
Depth
00.5–1 cun3.0
Transverse insertion
Precautions
High risk of pneumothorax. Caution: perpendicular needling carries a substantial risk of causing pneumothorax. When needling in an oblique medial direction, guide the needle tip slightly in a caudal direction.
Location (classical)
1.5 cun lateral to the inferior border of the spinous process of the first thoracic vertebra (T1), at the highest point of the paravertebral musculature.
How to find it (practical)
Seated with the neck flexed, locate the point below the spinous process of the first thoracic vertebra, 1.5 cun lateral to Tao Dao (GV-13).
Anatomy
Skin, subcutaneous tissue, medial cutaneous branch of the thoracic nerve, branch of the accessory nerve, dorsal scapular nerve, dorsal branches of the posterior intercostal arteries, transverse cervical artery and vein, trapezius, rhomboids, serratus posterior superior, and erector spinae muscles.
Needling
Oblique insertion toward the spine, 0.5 to 1 cun, or transverse-oblique insertion of 1 to 1.5 cun.
Etymology
Da (大), great; Zhu (杼), first thoracic vertebra.
CLASSICAL SOURCELing Shu
Clinical Relations
Adjacent Points on the Meridian