Safety reference
Pregnancy-Caution Acupuncture Points
| Point | Name | Visible caution | Point source |
|---|---|---|---|
| LI-4 | Hégǔ (合谷) | Pregnancy: traditionally avoided except for a specific obstetric indication under qualified clinical care; current evidence does not establish that LI-4 reliably induces labour or miscarriage. | WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations in the Western Pacific Region |
| SP-6 | Sānyīnjiāo (三阴交) | Traditionally contraindicated during pregnancy because it is used to influence the uterus and labour. Pregnancy evidence is mixed, so this point should not be presented for self-treatment. | WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations in the Western Pacific Region |
| BL-60 | Kūnlún (昆仑) | Pregnancy caution: BL-60 is commonly listed among traditionally avoided points. Clinical evidence has not shown objective obstetric harm from needling, but pregnancy use should follow individualized assessment by an obstetric-acupuncture clinician. | WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations in the Western Pacific Region (2008) |
| BL-67 | Zhìyīn (至阴) | Needling and moxibustion require separate cautions. BL-67 needling is traditionally avoided in pregnancy; reviewed needling studies found no objective obstetric harm. BL-67 moxibustion for breech may improve cephalic presentation, but adverse events were poorly reported and included contractions and burns, so it requires obstetric oversight. | WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations in the Western Pacific Region (2008) |
| GB-21 | Jiānjǐng (肩井) | The lung apex lies beneath GB-21, so an inferior or overly deep trajectory can cause pneumothorax. Pregnancy caution is traditional, especially before 37 weeks; reviewed human evidence has not shown increased miscarriage, preterm birth or reliable labour induction, but rare harm is not fully excluded and use requires individualized obstetric assessment. | WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations in the Western Pacific Region |
Sources
References displayed on this page were recorded with the point dataset.
- Acupuncture-related adverse events: a systematic review of the Chinese literature Fatal aortic haemorrhage and abdominal organ injuries associated with LR14
- Acupuncture.com Acupuncture Point Reference Kidney 1; classification, functions, indications and needling
- Acupuncture.com Acupuncture Point Reference Kidney 2; classification, functions, indications and needling
- Acupuncture.com Acupuncture Point Reference Kidney 3; classification, functions, indications and needling
- Acupuncture.com Acupuncture Point Reference Kidney 4; classification, functions, indications and needling
- Acupuncture.com Acupuncture Point Reference Kidney 5; classification, functions, indications and needling
- Acupuncture.com Acupuncture Point Reference Kidney 6; classification, functions, indications and needling
- Acupuncture.com Acupuncture Point Reference Kidney 7; classification, functions, indications and needling
- Acupuncture.com Acupuncture Point Reference Kidney 8; classification, functions, indications and needling
- Acupuncture.com Acupuncture Point Reference Kidney 9; classification, functions, indications and needling