Bladder

BL23

肾俞 · Shenshu

Kidney Shu

The low-back point level with the waist, kidney shu.

Back-shu of the Kidney

Use caution

System

Channel: Bladder (BL)
Element: Water
Yin or yang: yang
Organ system: Bladder
Region: Back
Limb rule: Foot Taiyang

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Where it is

Low back, two finger-widths lateral to the spine, about level with the second lumbar vertebra — roughly at the waist, level with the navel from the front.

Nearby: The kidney is deep to this area. Comfortable pressure on the muscle is the self-care version. Do not punch or grind.

Traditionally said to

Back-shu of the Kidney. Traditionally said to support kidney qi, the low back, ears, and bones. Textbooks also list it when erectile difficulty is taught as a kidney pattern. That is a category, not a treatment.

What people look up

Energy and fatigue Pain relief Local muscle tension Women’s health Erectile difficulty Memory and focus Low back Urinary Ears

Acupressure

Warm palm or a loose fist on the muscle beside the spine, 45–90 seconds. Heat from the hand is enough.

When not to press: Skip if low-back pain comes with fever, urinary burning, leg weakness, or an injury.

About 30–90 seconds is the usual window, unless the step above is shorter. Stop if pain, dizziness, or anything unusual shows up.

Licensed practice only

Needle depth, angle, electroacupuncture

Textbook language for students. Not instructions. A cun is a body-inch on that person, not a ruler inch. Do not needle yourself.

Depth

Common textbook range: about 0.5–1.2 cun perpendicular or oblique. Too deep, especially laterally, approaches the kidney.

Angle

Perpendicular or slightly oblique toward the spine. Not outward toward the kidney.

Electroacupuncture

Introductory charts rarely assign a standard electroacupuncture setting here. Clinics that use current choose frequency and intensity for that person. No milliamp figure is given, because copying one would be misleading.