Shu-stream (earth) point, yuan-source point.

bubble_chart Etymology

"Taibai" (太白) is the name of planet Venus, in Chinese, it's the golden star (金星). Each yuan-source point of yin meridian is prefixed with "Tai" (太). The acupoint is located at the junction of red and white flesh and belongs to spleen meridian. Since spleen (earth, 土) generates metal (金), it is named accordingly.

bubble_chart Location

Taibai (SP3) acupoint
(adapted from "Meridians and Acupoints")

• Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing: "In the depression below the medial bony prominence of the foot";
• Shenying Jing: "1 cun posterior to Dadu (SP2), and 1 cun below";
• Xunjing Kaoxue Bian: "It should be located posterior to metatarsophalangeal joint of big toe, in the depression next to the bone at the junction of the red and white flesh."
• Huangdi Neijing Taisu Yang Shang-shan note: "The medial cuneiform bone is located posterior to metatarsophalangeal joint of big toe, the high bone anterior to Rangu (KI2)."

bubble_chart Anatomy

• Muscle: abductor pollicis.
• Nerve: the anastomosis between saphenous nerve and the branches of superficial peroneal nerve.
• Vessels: dorsalis pedis venous network, medial plantar artery and medial tarsal artery branches.

bubble_chart Manipulation

Perpendicular insertion 0.5~1 cun. Can moxibustion

bubble_chart Efficacy

Invigorate spleen earth, and harmonize middle jiao, regulate qi movement, aid digestion.

• Classical: febrile disease beginning with pain in head and face, fullness and stiffness preventing lying down, abdominal fullness, pain in both jaws, indigestion, distension in chest and ribs, sharp pain with intestinal borborygmus, stomach and heart pain, vomiting, cholera with cold extremities, difficulty in defecation, diarrhea with pus and blood, hemorrhoid and fistula, tympanites, lumbago, body heaviness and bone soreness, beriberi with redness and swelling.
• Modern: diabetes.

bubble_chart Combinations

• Abdominal distension with indigestion, tympanites, and severe fullness of qi in abdomen: Taibai (SP3), Gongsun (SP4).
• Intestinal borborygmus: Taibai (SP3), Gongsun (SP4), Dachangshu (BL25), Sanjiaoshu (BL22).
• Sharp pain from intestinal abscess: Taibai (SP3), Xiangu (ST43), Dachangshu (BL25).
• Abdominal distension: Taibai (SP3), Fuliu (KI7), Zusanli (ST36).