Classica Sinica Medica

The Back Transport Points

背腧

Bèi shù

A short, entirely practical chapter. It fixes the seven back transports of the five viscera by vertebral level, from the great transport at the head of the shaft bone down to the kidney at the fourteenth vertebra, and it tells the reader to confirm a point by hand rather than by measure: press it, and if the finger feels a response and the pain eases, that is the point. The back lies close to the viscera, so these points are moxaed and not needled; and the fire itself is dosed, for tonifying letting the cone die of itself, for reducing blowing it up and keeping it alight.

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黃帝問于歧伯曰：願聞五藏之腧出于背者。 黄帝问于歧伯曰：愿闻五藏之腧出于背者。
Huáng Dì wèn yú Qí Bó yuē: yuàn wén wǔ zàng zhī shù chū yú bèi zhě.
黄帝问岐伯说：我想听一听五脏的腧穴分布在背部的具体情况。
The Yellow Emperor asked Qi Bo: I should like to hear how the transport points of the five viscera are distributed on the back.
歧伯曰：胸中大腧在杼骨之端，肺腧在三焦之間，心腧在五焦之間，膈腧在七焦之間，肝腧在九焦之間，脾腧在十一焦之間，腎腧在十四焦之間。 歧伯曰：胸中大腧在杼骨之端，肺腧在三焦之间，心腧在五焦之间，膈腧在七焦之间，肝腧在九焦之间，脾腧在十一焦之间，肾腧在十四焦之间。
Qí Bó yuē: xiōng zhōng dà shù zài zhù gǔ zhī duān, fèi shù zài sān jiāo zhī jiān, xīn shù zài wǔ jiāo zhī jiān, gé shù zài qī jiāo zhī jiān, gān shù zài jiǔ jiāo zhī jiān, pí shù zài shí yī jiāo zhī jiān, shèn shù zài shí sì jiāo zhī jiān.
岐伯说：胸中的大腧在杼骨的上端，肺腧在第三椎的间隙，心腧在第五椎的间隙，膈腧在第七椎的间隙，肝腧在第九椎的间隙，脾腧在第十一椎的间隙，肾腧在第十四椎的间隙。
Qi Bo said: The great transport of the chest is at the upper end of the shaft bone; the lung transport is in the space of the third vertebra, the heart transport in the space of the fifth, the diaphragm transport in the space of the seventh, the liver transport in the space of the ninth, the spleen transport in the space of the eleventh, and the kidney transport in the space of the fourteenth.
背挾脊相去三寸所，則欲得而驗之，按其處，應在中而痛解，乃其腧也。 背挟脊相去三寸所，则欲得而验之，按其处，应在中而痛解，乃其腧也。
bèi xié jí xiāng qù sān cùn suǒ, zé yù dé ér yàn zhī, àn qí chù, yīng zài zhōng ér tòng jiě, nǎi qí shù yě.
这些背部的腧穴夹着脊柱排列，左右相距大约三寸。想要验证它，就用手按压那个部位，指下觉得应手，而原来的疼痛随之缓解，那里就是腧穴。
These back transports flank the spine, about three inches apart on either side. To verify one, press the spot: if the finger feels a response and the pain thereupon eases, that is the transport point.
灸之則可，刺之則不可。氣盛則寫之，虚則補之。 灸之则可，刺之则不可。气盛则写之，虚则补之。
jiǔ zhī zé kě, cì zhī zé bù kě. qì shèng zé xiè zhī, xū zé bǔ zhī.
这些腧穴可以用灸，不可以用针刺。邪气盛的用泻法，正气虚的用补法。
They may be treated by moxibustion, but not by needling. Where qi is excessive, reduce it; where it is deficient, tonify it.
以火補者，毋吹其火，須自滅也；以火寫者，疾吹其火，傳其艾，須其火滅也。 以火补者，毋吹其火，须自灭也；以火写者，疾吹其火，传其艾，须其火灭也。
yǐ huǒ bǔ zhě, wú chuī qí huǒ, xū zì miè yě; yǐ huǒ xiè zhě, jí chuī qí huǒ, chuán qí ài, xū qí huǒ miè yě.
用火补的，不要吹动艾火，让它自己熄灭；用火泻的，要赶快把艾火吹旺，再更换艾炷，等火熄灭为止。
For tonifying with fire, do not blow on the flame; let it go out by itself. For reducing with fire, blow the flame up quickly, change the cone, and wait until the fire dies down.

Textual notes

Readings follow the base edition; significant variants are recorded here.

  1. 胸中大腧在杼骨之端胸中大腧在杼骨之端

    杼骨即大杼，第一椎兩旁之高骨。大腧在此骨之端，爲諸腧之首，故稱大。通行本或逕作大杼，然此處所言是骨而不是穴，仍以杼骨爲正。

  2. 肺腧在三焦之間肺腧在第三椎之間

    焦謂脊節之間，非六腑之三焦。肺在三椎下，心在五椎下，以次至腎十四椎下，七穴皆夾脊。通行本作「三椎」，義同而字異，底本用焦，乃古人稱椎節之舊語，仍錄。

  3. 背挾脊相去三寸所背挾脊相去三寸許

    所，約計之詞，謂三寸上下，非處所之所。兩腧夾脊，各去脊一寸五分，合之爲三寸。此言其大概，取穴仍以按之應手爲準，不以尺寸爲拘。

  4. 灸之則可，刺之則不可灸之則可，刺之則不可

    背腧去藏甚近，刺之易中肺肝，故禁鍼而許灸。此與《素問·刺禁論》刺脊間中髓爲傴之戒相發，一在背腧，一在脊間，其慎同。

  5. 傳其艾，須其火滅也傅其艾，須其火滅也

    傳讀爲傅，附着而更易之謂，謂一炷將盡即續一炷，使火力相續而不斷。瀉法欲其疾，故吹之使旺、易之使續；補法欲其緩，故不吹而待其自滅。一吹一不吹，補瀉之分即在此。

Cite this page

APA

Huangdi Neijing · Lingshu 黃帝內經靈樞 (Compiled over the same span as the Suwen; the present text was put in order in the Tang.). Bèi shù 背腧 [The Back Transport Points], Chapter 51. In Classica Sinica Medica. Base text: 《黃帝素問靈樞經》十二卷八十一篇，宋·史崧校定并音釋。據上海涵芬樓《四部叢刊》子部影印明趙府居敬堂刊本錄入，卷首牌記題「上海涵芬樓景明趙府居敬堂刊本」，並記原書版匡高營造尺六寸三分、寬四寸四分。目錄末行作「元二十四卷今併爲十二卷計八十一篇」。底本與影印本均屬公有領域。 Retrieved 28 October 2026, from https://classicstcm.com/classics/huangdi-neijing-lingshu/back-transport-points/

MLA

"Bèi shù 背腧 [The Back Transport Points]." Huangdi Neijing · Lingshu 黃帝內經靈樞, chapter 51, Classica Sinica Medica, 2026, https://classicstcm.com/classics/huangdi-neijing-lingshu/back-transport-points/. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026. Base text: 《黃帝素問靈樞經》十二卷八十一篇，宋·史崧校定并音釋。據上海涵芬樓《四部叢刊》子部影印明趙府居敬堂刊本錄入，卷首牌記題「上海涵芬樓景明趙府居敬堂刊本」，並記原書版匡高營造尺六寸三分、寬四寸四分。目錄末行作「元二十四卷今併爲十二卷計八十一篇」。底本與影印本均屬公有領域。

Chinese scholarly

《黃帝內經靈樞·背腧》（Huángdì Nèijīng Língshū）。《黃帝素問靈樞經》十二卷八十一篇，宋·史崧校定并音釋。據上海涵芬樓《四部叢刊》子部影印明趙府居敬堂刊本錄入，卷首牌記題「上海涵芬樓景明趙府居敬堂刊本」，並記原書版匡高營造尺六寸三分、寬四寸四分。目錄末行作「元二十四卷今併爲十二卷計八十一篇」。底本與影印本均屬公有領域。Classica Sinica Medica，2026 年 10 月 28 日 存取，https://classicstcm.com/classics/huangdi-neijing-lingshu/back-transport-points/。

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