SP-17 Shidou - Food Drain

More Spirit Names: Food Hole, Life Pass

English:	Food Cavity
Also Known As:	Food's Cavity Food Drain

Location

• On the lateral side of the chest, in the fifth intercostal space, 6 cun lateral to the midline.
  Note: the 6 cun line is located 2 cun lateral to the mamillary line.
• In the fifth intercostal space, 5 cun lateral to the midsternal line.

Needling

• Transverse-oblique insertion along the intercostal space, 0.5 to 1 cun.
• Caution: perpendicular insertion, especially in thin patients, carries a substantial risk of inducing a pneumothorax.
• Slanted insertion, 0.5 to 0.8 cun.
• Caution: avoid deep insertion.
• Puncture obliquely 0.3 to 0.5 cun.
• Moxibustion is applicable.

Command Functions

Actions

• Dissipates accumulation of food and Fluid
• Promotes digestion

Indications

Fullness of the chest and lateral costal region Ceaseless pain of the lateral costal region Abdominal distention Water swelling of the abdomen Borborygmus Swelling of the breasts Jaundice Ascites Retention of urine

Esophageal pain Pain of the diaphragm Belching Vomiting immediately after eating Undigested food in the stool Cough Chronic Spleen malaria Intercostal neuralgia Gastritis Fullness and pain in the chest and hypochondriac region

Combinations

Contraindications

Notes

• It is said that in severe diseases, when life is hanging by a thread, 200 to 300 moxa cones on this point will insure the patient's survival.
• Use this point in any major Spleen disease.
• To find the intercostal spaces reliably, count downward from the second space, which lies just below the sternal angle; in men the nipple nearly always sits in the fourth space.