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BL-46 Geguan (膈關) — Diaphragm Pass
Depth
00.3–0.5 cun3.0
Oblique insertion
Precautions
High risk of pneumothorax.
Location (classical)
On the back, 3 cun lateral to the inferior border of the spinous process of the seventh thoracic vertebra (T7), at the level of BL-17 (Diaphragm Shu point).
How to find it (practical)
Seated with the head flexed, locate the point below the spinous process of the seventh thoracic vertebra, 3 cun lateral to Zhi Yang (GV-9), at the level of the inferior angle of the scapula.
Anatomy
Trapezius, latissimus dorsi, rhomboid major, and iliocostalis thoracis muscles. Innervated by the dorsal branches of the T7 and T8 thoracic nerves.
Needling
Oblique insertion toward the spine, 0.3–0.5 cun.
Etymology
Ge (膈), diaphragm; Guan (关), pass. The point lies at the level of Ge Shu (BL-17) and is the Dorsal Shu point of the Diaphragm.
CLASSICAL SOURCEJia Yi Jing
Clinical Relations
Adjacent Points on the Meridian