Shenshu (BL23)
Shenshu (BL23), “Kidney Shu”, is a point on the Bladder meridian. It is point 23 of the 67 on the channel. Tonifies Kidney Yin and Yang.
Location
1.5 cun lateral to the lower border of the 2nd lumbar vertebra (L2).
Functions according to tradition
Tonifies Kidney Yin and Yang. Strengthens essence (Jing), benefits the spine, bones and marrow, treats constitutional weakness.
Traditional indications
- Chronic lower back pain
- Fatigue
- Premature aging
- Urinary problems
- Infertility
- Tinnitus
Indications described by tradition; they do not amount to proven clinical effectiveness for each one.
What its classification means
Located on the back, on the inner branch of the Bladder channel, at the level of the organ it relates to. Tradition prefers it for chronic disorders and disorders of the zang organs.
Precautions
Avoid deep needling directed toward the kidney.
Points on other channels with similar indications
They share several traditional indications with this point. Comparing them helps understand why one or the other is chosen.
- GV4 Mingmen (Du Mai (Governing Vessel)): Infertility
- KI3 Taixi (Kidney): Tinnitus
Point profile
- Code
- BL23
- Pinyin name
- Shèn Shū
- Characters
- 肾俞
- Translation
- Kidney Shu
- Meridian
- Bladder
- Element
- Water
- Classification
- Back-Shu
- Topics
- Kidney, Lower Back, Anti-aging
Health notice. Educational and study content. It describes concepts of Traditional Chinese Medicine and does not replace diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional. Needling, medicinal herbs and invasive techniques must be applied by trained professionals. Safety guide.
