Intersecting point: foot shaoyang and yang link vessel.

bubble_chart Etymology

"Ben" (本), origin or foundation;"shen" (神), spirit. Head is the seat of primordial spirit. The acupoint is located beside Shenting (GV24) point, hence the name.

bubble_chart Location

Benshen (GB13) acupoint
(adapted from "Meridians and Acupoints")

On head, 3 cun lateral to the midline of vertex, 0.5 cun posterior to anterior hairline. It is at outer one-third point of the line connecting Shenting (GV24) and Touwei (ST8).

• Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing: "1.5 cun on each side of Qucha (BL4), at hairline" ;
• Yixue Rumen: "1.5 cun lateral to Linqi (GB15)";
• Xunjing Kaoxue Bian: "3 cun lateral to Shenting (GV24)".

bubble_chart Anatomy

• Muscle: frontalis.
• Nerve: lateral branch of frontal nerve.
• Vessels: frontal branches of superficial temporal artery and vein, lateral branches of frontal artery and vein.

bubble_chart Manipulation

Insert subcutaneously upward 0.5~1 cun. Moxibustion is not applied.

bubble_chart Efficacy

Calm spirit, dispel wind, soothe sinew.

• Classical: headache, dizziness, neck stiffness, chest and rib pain causing restricted movement, depressive psychosis, fright epilepsy in children, various wind syndromes, loss of consciousness due to stroke.
• Modern: neurasthenia, insomnia.

bubble_chart Combinations

• Depressive psychosis: Benshen (GB13), Shenzhu (GV12).
• Fright epilepsy in children: Benshen (GB13), Qianding (GV21), Xinhui (GV22), Tianzhu (BL10) .
• Chest and rib pain causing restricted movement: Benshen (GB13), Luxi (TE19).