"Tian" (天), ​​sky or high place; "zong" (宗) means to venerate or to look up to. In ancient times, the sun, moon, and stars were considered the "celestial objects of veneration" (天宗). This point is located in the upper back, at a high point of scapula, hence the name.

bubble_chart Location

Tianzong (SI11) acupoint
(quoted from "Meridians and Acupoints")

• Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing: "Behind Bingfeng (SI12), in the depression below the large bone";
• Xunjing Kaoxue Bian: "In the depression below the shoulder blade";
• Suwen Zhijie: "3 cun below shoulder blade, there's the two Tianzong points, 3 cun away from Bingfeng (SI12)".

bubble_chart Anatomy

• Muscle: infraspinatus muscle (deep layer at the dorsal aspect of scapula).
• Nerve: suprascapular nerve.
• Vessels: muscular branches of the circumflex scapular artery and vein.

bubble_chart Manipulation

Insert obliquely downward and laterally 0.5 to 1.5 cun. Moxibustion with moxa cone 3 to 5 rounds, moxibustion with moxa stick for 10 to 15 minutes.

bubble_chart Efficacy

Release pathogenic factors from taiyang meridian, unblocking qi stagnation in chest and hypochondrium.

• Classical: heaviness in shoulder, pain in elbow and arm with inability to lift, fullness in chest and hypochondrium, cough with counterflow of qi rushing to heart, swollen cheeks and jaw, scapula pain, back pain.
• Modern: mastitis, mammary gland hyperplasia, postpartum insufficient lactation, periarthritis of shoulder, stiff neck.

bubble_chart Combinations

• Arm pain: Tianzong (SI11), Shouwuli (LI13).
• Subscapular nerve palsy: Tianzong (SI11), Naoshu (SI10), Jianliao (TE14), Naohui (TE13 ).
• Periarthritis of shoulder: Tianzong (SI11), Jianyu (LI15), Jianliao (TE14), Yanglingquan (GB34 ).
• Scapular pain: Tianzong (SI11), Bingfeng (SI12), Jianwaishu (SI14), Gaohuangshu (BL43).
• Mastitis, postpartum insufficient lactation: Tanzhong (CV17), Rugen (ST18), Tianzong (SI11), Shaoze (SI1).