A quiet but important point on the arm — Shouwuli (LI-13) opens the channel, moves Qi and Blood (Xue) along the Large Intestine Meridian (LI), and eases pain and stiffness from the elbow up to the shoulder. It has a long history as a point to be handled with respect.
Name & story
The name 手五里 Shouwuli means "Hand Five Li" — the hand (手) tells us we are on the arm, while "five li" (五里) marks a distance along the channel, roughly five units up from a reference point. Just as Zusanli ST-36 carries the story of the traveller who could walk three more li, Shouwuli carries its own sense of measured distance along the arm's meridian road. The name quietly announces: this is a landmark on the journey of Qi up the arm.
Point family & character
Shouwuli (LI-13) belongs to the Large Intestine Meridian (LI), the Yang channel of the Metal element. It is a point on the upper arm along the main channel pathway, which runs from the tip of the index finger, up the lateral-anterior aspect of the arm, through the elbow and shoulder.
Five-element dynamics
The Large Intestine Meridian (LI) is a Yang channel of the Metal element — strong, descending, concerned with letting go and keeping things moving. When Qi and Blood (Xue) stagnate along this channel in the upper arm, pain, heaviness and loss of movement follow. Shouwuli (LI-13) sits at a strategic point along this arm pathway, helping to restore the free flow that Metal's descending, moving nature requires.
Location
On the lateral side of the upper arm, 3 Cun above Quchi (LI-11) — that is, 3 Cun up from the lateral end of the elbow crease, along the line running toward the shoulder (toward Jianyu LI-15).
Anatomy & fascia
The point lies on the lateral aspect of the upper arm, over the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles, near the lateral intermuscular septum.
Needling
The needle is inserted perpendicularly.
Moxa, cupping & Tui Na
Gentle massage or acupressure along the channel — from the elbow toward the shoulder — can complement needling here, especially for local arm stiffness or numbness. Warming with a moxa stick may help when the obstruction is due to Cold.
Functions
Opens the channel and moves Qi and Blood (Xue) in the arm; relieves painful obstruction and atrophy disorder of the upper limb.
Indications
Pain, stiffness, numbness or weakness of the upper arm and elbow; limited range of motion in the shoulder and arm; atrophy disorder (Wei syndrome) and painful obstruction (Bi syndrome) of the upper limb.
Point combinations
With Jianyu LI-15 and Hegu LI-4 — in the classic "chain and lock" combination method for pain, immobility and numbness of the arm. With Quchi LI-11 — as an adjacent point for elbow disorders and for chronic channel problems such as hemiplegia and atrophy disorder, often alternated with LI-11 to avoid over-needling the same point.
Clinical spotlight
Shouwuli (LI-13) is part of the same Yangming channel that Deadman describes as "abundant in Qi and Blood" — a channel with great moving power in the upper limb. Its main role in practice is as a local and adjacent point for disorders of the arm: pain, numbness, weakness and restricted movement anywhere from the elbow to the shoulder. It fits naturally into the "chain and lock" strategy, where several points along the arm are combined to unblock the whole channel at once — a method much valued for stubborn or long-standing conditions. Historically it is also a point that classical texts have treated with particular caution.
The golden tip
For tension or aching in the upper arm, find Shouwuli (LI-13) on the outer side of the arm, roughly halfway between the elbow crease and the shoulder. Gentle rubbing or firm pressure along this area for a minute or two can help ease local stiffness and encourage circulation. Warmth — a heat pack or warm towel — applied to the outer arm is also soothing when the arm feels cold or heavy.
For education only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner.