PC5 (Jianshi, “Intermediate Messenger”) is the Jing-River point point of the Pericardium Channel Meridian. It is located on the anterior forearm, 3 cun proximal to the transverse wrist crease, in the depression between the tendons of palmaris longus and flexor carpi radialis. It clears the Heart and calms the Spirit, transforms phlegm, regulates the Heart and stomach, cools the blood, and dispels wind.
On the anterior forearm, 3 cun proximal to the transverse wrist crease, in the depression between the tendons of palmaris longus and flexor carpi radialis.
Perpendicular insertion 0.5 to 1.2 cun. The median nerve lies directly deep to this point, so care must be taken to avoid it.
Clears the Heart and calms the Spirit, transforms phlegm, regulates the Heart and stomach, cools the blood, and dispels wind.
Sudden heart pain, heart pain with chest and back referral, fright and palpitations, mental restlessness, sadness, fright-madness, epilepsy, mania with sadness, seeing ghosts, ghost possession, wind-evil, sudden loss of voice, inability to speak, throat obstruction, vomiting of foam, dry heaves, hot palms, cold in the middle jiao with lack of qi, axillary swelling, elbow contracture, irregular menstruation, blood masses in women, leukorrhea, malaria, head and body wind, sudden turmoil disorder (cholera) with dry vomiting, feverish disease with restlessness and frequent belching, chest fullness, chest impediment with cold sensation referring to the back, heart pain with fright and fear of people, heart pain with nausea and vomiting of blood, mania and raving, evil possession, wind-epilepsy, spitting up phlegm, fright palpitations, cold-damp in the center, arm and elbow contracture, sudden heart pain with spasms, chest impediment with back pain and chills, evil and ghost afflictions, mania with raving and seeing ghosts, red face and yellow eyes, sudden muteness, wind stroke with phlegm obstruction leading to coma and aphasia, women's irregular menstruation with blood clots, infantile convulsions (guest-inflicted).
As the Jing-River (Metal) point of the Pericardium channel, Jianshi is a primary point for transforming phlegm that obstructs the Heart orifice, making it essential for treating severe mental-emotional disorders like mania, epilepsy, and hysteria. Its ability to clear the Heart and calm the spirit is profound, addressing conditions from simple anxiety to severe psychosis, especially when phlegm is a factor. It is also a key point for malaria and cyclical fevers, and it effectively regulates the stomach to stop nausea and vomiting, particularly when related to emotional upset or phlegm.
Classical text; the translation was prepared with AI and is not clinical advice.
《針灸大成》 Zhēnjiǔ Dàchéng — Great Compendium of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, 1601 · 卷八 · Source: Wikisource ↗
間使 掌後三寸兩筋間陷中，心包絡脈所行，為經金。 素註，針六分，留七呼。 銅人針三分，灸五壯，明堂灸七壯，甲乙灸三壯According to this text, PC5 lies in the depression between two tendons 3 cun behind the palm, where the pericardium vessel 'travels', as the jing-river metal point; the Suwen commentary gives 6 fen retained seven breaths, the Tongren 3 fen with 5 cones, the Mingtang 7 cones and the Jiayi 3 cones.
《黃帝明堂灸經》 Huángdì Míngtáng Jiǔjīng — The Yellow Emperor's Bright Hall Moxibustion Classic, Tang · 卷上 · 正人形第七 · Source: jicheng.tw ↗
間使 二穴，在掌後三寸兩筋間陷者中。 灸七壯。 主卒狂驚悸，臂中腫痛，屈伸難According to this text, PC5 (two points) lies in the depression between two tendons 3 cun behind the palm and receives 7 moxa cones; it was used for sudden mania with fright palpitations, and swelling and pain of the forearm with difficulty bending and stretching.
《備急千金要方》 Bèijí Qiānjīn Yàofāng — Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold for Emergencies, c. 650 · 第十四 · Source: Wikisource ↗
狂邪發無常，披髮大喚欲殺人，不避水火及狂言妄語，灸間使三十壯The text records that for mania caused by evil arising irregularly, with dishevelled hair, loud shouting and wanting to kill, not avoiding water or fire, and wild talk, 30 moxa cones were applied at PC5.
《醫宗金鑑·刺灸心法要訣》 Yīzōng Jīnjiàn · Cìjiǔ Xīnfǎ Yàojué — Golden Mirror of Medicine: Essential Teachings on Acupuncture & Moxibustion, Wu Qian et al., 1742 · 卷七 · 手部主病針灸要穴歌 · Source: jicheng.tw ↗
間使主治脾寒證，九種心疼瘧渴生，兼治瘰癧生項下，左右針灸自然平The text records in verse that PC5 was used for spleen-cold disorders, the nine kinds of heart pain, malaria with thirst, and also for scrofula below the neck, with needling and moxibustion on the left and right.
PC5 is one of 9 points on the Pericardium Channel Meridian. Nearby points:
PC5 (Jianshi) is located on the anterior forearm, 3 cun proximal to the transverse wrist crease, in the depression between the tendons of palmaris longus and flexor carpi radialis.
PC5 clears the Heart and calms the Spirit, transforms phlegm, regulates the Heart and stomach, cools the blood, and dispels wind. Common clinical indications include sudden heart pain, heart pain with chest and back referral, fright and palpitations, mental restlessness, sadness, fright-madness, epilepsy, mania with sadness, seeing ghosts, ghost possession, wind-evil, sudden loss of voice, inability to speak, throat obstruction, vomiting of foam, dry heaves, hot palms, cold in the middle jiao with lack of qi, axillary swelling, elbow contracture, irregular menstruation, blood masses in women, leukorrhea, malaria, head and body wind, sudden turmoil disorder (cholera) with dry vomiting, feverish disease with restlessness and frequent belching, chest fullness, chest impediment with cold sensation referring to the back, heart pain with fright and fear of people, heart pain with nausea and vomiting of blood, mania and raving, evil possession, wind-epilepsy, spitting up phlegm, fright palpitations, cold-damp in the center, arm and elbow contracture, sudden heart pain with spasms, chest impediment with back pain and chills, evil and ghost afflictions, mania with raving and seeing ghosts, red face and yellow eyes, sudden muteness, wind stroke with phlegm obstruction leading to coma and aphasia, women's irregular menstruation with blood clots, infantile convulsions (guest-inflicted).
Perpendicular insertion 0.5 to 1.2 cun. The median nerve lies directly deep to this point, so care must be taken to avoid it.
PC5 is a point on the Pericardium Channel Meridian (Xīnbāo Jīng).