5 Acupuncture Point Groupings That Make Point Selection Easier

1. Elbow Crease Points – Clear Heat

Have you noticed? The points around the elbow crease all clear Heat from their own organ.

Lung Heat in your diagnosis? LU5 is the best choice. Heart Heat? HT3, at the medial end of the elbow crease with the elbow fully flexed. LI11, at the lateral end of the crease with the elbow fully flexed, clears Heat from any organ, and it’s especially useful when Heat shows up in the skin as red, dry, itchy rashes.

PC3, SI8 and SJ10 share the same heat-clearing action, although they’re used less often in clinic.

So if you need to clear Heat from an organ whose channel runs through the arm, look to the elbow.

2. Knee Points – Drain Dampness

Just like the elbow, the points around the knee share a common action: draining Dampness.

SP9 is one of the most popular points for this. Remember, the Spleen transforms and transports fluids, so when Dampness accumulates, SP9 is often the first point I reach for.

KD10 is the choice when Dampness shows up as urinary symptoms. GB34 and LV8 both address Damp-Heat in the lower body, particularly the genital area (discharge, infections). LV8 is also a popular point for nourishing Liver Blood. And ST36 strengthens the Spleen and Stomach, resolving Dampness at its source.

The one outlier is UB40. It has fewer Dampness-related actions, but it’s a must-know point for a different reason: it’s the Command point of the back, and it also cools the Blood.

If you’re dealing with Dampness, consider the knee points, especially when the Dampness relates to an organ whose channel runs through this area.

3. Wrist and Ankle Points – Tonify Their Organ (the Source Points)

Move down toward the wrists and ankles and you’ll find the Yuan Source points, the points most directly connected to the Yuan (Original) Qi of each organ.

For the Yin organs, these are some of the most reliable points in the system for strengthening their own organ: LU9 for the Lungs, HT7 for the Heart, PC7 for the Pericardium, SP3 for the Spleen, LV3 for the Liver and KD3 for the Kidneys. If your diagnosis includes a deficiency of one of these organs, its Source point deserves a place on your list.

The Yang channels have Source points too (LI4, SJ4, SI4, ST42, GB40 and UB64), but in clinic they’re usually chosen for their other actions. LI4 is the classic example.

4. Points Between the Long Bones – Move Qi

Look at the spaces between the metacarpal bones of the hand and the metatarsal bones of the foot and you’ll find some of the strongest Qi-moving points in acupuncture.

The most famous pair is LI4 and LV3, together known as the Four Gates, which move Qi and Blood throughout the body. GB41, between the 4th and 5th metatarsals, spreads Liver Qi and is especially useful when stagnation affects the sides of the body, the breasts or the hips. SJ3, between the 4th and 5th metacarpals, regulates Qi in the Shao Yang and is a favourite for ear problems and one-sided headaches.

When your diagnosis says “stagnation,” start looking between the bones.

5. The Last Two Points on the Fingers and Toes – Clear Heat

There’s another group of heat-clearing points at the very ends of the limbs: the last two points of each channel on the fingers and toes, known as the Jing-Well and Ying-Spring points. These points clear Heat from their own organ.

Think of LV1 and LV2, SP1 and SP2, ST44 and ST45, GB43 and GB44, all very popular for clearing Heat, particularly excess Heat. Excess Liver Fire? LV2 should definitely be on your list. Fire in the Stomach? ST44 will clear it. For the Kidneys, KD2 clears deficiency Heat. Remember, there’s no excess pattern of the Kidneys in TCM, only deficiency.

The same applies to the fingers: HT8 and HT9, PC8 and PC9, LU10 and LU11, LI1 and LI2, SJ1 and SJ2, and SI1 and SI2 all clear Heat. Some are more common clinically than others, but they all share this action, and it’s so easy to remember!

The points at the corners of the nail beds (the Jing-Well points) are very sensitive, so they’re often bled rather than needled.

Putting It All Together

Elbows clear Heat. Knees drain Dampness. Wrists and ankles tonify. The spaces between the bones move Qi. And the fingertips and toes clear Heat again. Five simple rules that cover a huge number of points.

These groupings won’t replace a proper diagnosis. But once you have one, they help you narrow down your options quickly and confidently, in clinic or the next time you’re working through a case assignment.

From Point Groupings to a Complete Prescription

Point groupings are one of the shortcuts I teach, but they’re only one piece of the puzzle. In Acupuncture Point Selection Mastery, my 5-step process takes you from a TCM diagnosis to a confident 6–8 point prescription, every time.