He-sea (water) point.

bubble_chart Etymology

"Shao" (少) refers to hand shaoyin heart meridian (HT); "hai" (海), sea, indicating a place where qi converges. As the He-Sea point of heart meridian, the qi here is deep and abundant, like water flowing into sea. Located at elbow, it is also known as "Qujie" (曲節) (Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing).

bubble_chart Location

Shaohai acupoint
(quoted from "Meridians and Acupoints")

On the medial side of elbow, at the midpoint of the line connecting the medial end of cubital crease and the medial epicondyle of humerus when the elbow is flexed.

• Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing: "On the medial side of the elbow, in the depression behind the joint";
• Waitai Miyao quoting Zhen Quan: "At the end of transverse crease on the medial side of flexed elbow, located by bending hand toward head";
• Taiping Shenghui Fang: "On the outer side of the large bone of elbow, in the depression 0.5 cun from the tip of elbow, obtained by flexing elbow".

bubble_chart Anatomy

• Muscles: pronator teres, brachialis.
• Nerve: the medial cutaneous nerve of forearm, and median nerve on the lateral and front side.
• Vessels: basilic vein, inferior ulnar accessory artery, ulnar recurrent artery.

bubble_chart Manipulation

Perpendicular or downward oblique insertion 0.5 to 1 cun. Moxibustion with moxa cone 3 to 5 times, moxibustion with moxa stick for 10 to 15 minutes.

bubble_chart Efficacy

Soothe heart qi, clear pericardium, calm mind, resolve phlegm and saliva.

• Classical: heart pain, vomiting of frothy saliva, numbness in both arms, hand tremor, elbow spasm, armpit pain, scrofula, forgetfulness, qi counterflow.
• Modern: lymphadenitis, schizophrenia, intercostal neuralgia, ulnar neuralgia.

bubble_chart Combinations

• Heart pain and hand tremors: Shaohai (HT3), Yinshi (ST33).
• Numbness in both arms: Shaohai (HT3), Shousanli (LI10).
• Scrofula: Shaohai (HT3), Tianjing (TE10).
• Ulnar neuralgia: Shaohai (HT3), Shenmen (HT7), Yinxi (HT6), Tongli (HT5) ,Qingling (HT2).