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POINT: DU-11 (GOVERNING VESSEL-11)

NAME: SHENDAO

English:	Spirit Pathway
Also Known As:	Mind Way Spirit's Path Spiritual Way Spirit Path

LOCATION:

Located inferior to the spinous process of the fifth thoracic vertebra, on the posterior midline (five intervertebral spaces below C7).

NEEDLING:

Puncture obliquely upward 0.5 to 1 cun.
Moxibustion is applicable.
Slanted insertion 0.5 to 1 cun.
Caution: the spinal canal lies 1.25 to 1.75 cun deep to the skin surface, varying according to body build.

COMMAND FUNCTIONS:

ACTIONS:

Regulates the Heart
Calms the Shen
Relaxes the chest
Tonifies the Heart and Lungs
Clears Heat
Pacifies Wind

INDICATIONS:

Asthma
Cough
Chest and hypochondriac pain
Anxiety and palpitations due to fear
Neurasthenia
Aphasia due to windstroke
Forgetfulness
Insomnia
Sadness
Disorientation
timidity with shortness of breath
Lack of Qi
Taxation consumption
Fever due to injury by Cold with a headache that comes and goes
Heat in the body
Dizziness
Heat in the Liver
Hot dyspnea

Fever and chills
Tetany
Difficulty closing the mouth due to spasm
Poor memory
Pain and stiffness of the back
Cardiac pain
First aid for mad dog bites
Fever
Malaria
heart disease
Seizures
Intercostal neuralgia
childhood Wind epilepsy
Clonic spasm
Childhood fright Wind
Lockjaw
Pain and Cold sensations of the upper back

COMBINATIONS:

KI-21 Youmen LU-7 Lieque UB-43 Gaohuangshu	UB-15 Xinshu SJ-10 Tianjing	SJ-2 Yemen SJ-10 Tianjing DU-20 Baihui
Poor memory	Sadness Anxiety Disorientation	Fright palpitations
UB-15 Xinshu	REN-4 Guanyuan
Frequent attacks of Wind epilepsy	Heat in the body with a headache that comes and goes

CONTRAINDICATIONS:

Some classical texts forbid needling this point.

NOTES:

This point's actions mostly used for Excess patterns of the Heart.
Using moxa on this point strengthens the Heart.
This point is located at the same level as UB-15 Xinshu and UB-44 Shentang.