The first and most distal point of the Small Intestine channel — a tiny but powerful spark on the tip of the little finger. Shaoze (SI-1) clears Heat, revives consciousness, and is one of the most important points in all of Chinese medicine for promoting lactation and treating breast disorders.
Contraindications
Shaoze SI-1 is generally safe when needled to the correct shallow depth. The bloodletting technique should be performed only by a qualified practitioner with proper sterile equipment.
Name & story
少泽 Shaoze means "Lesser Marsh" — or sometimes translated as "Small Swamp". The name holds a quiet poetry: a marsh is a place where water gathers and flows outward, nourishing the land around it. Here, at the very tip of the little finger, the Qi of the Small Intestine channel wells up and spills outward into the world — like a small spring feeding a marsh. "Lesser" (少, Shao) echoes the Shaoyin — the Heart — reminding us that this is where the Heart's paired channel, the Small Intestine, begins its long journey up the arm. It is a tiny place, but full of life.
Point family & character
SI-1 belongs to the Small Intestine Meridian (SI). It is the Jing-Well point of the channel, and also its Metal point. Jing-Well points sit at the very tips of the fingers and toes — they are where the channel's Qi is at its most superficial and most intense, bubbling up like a spring. As a Jing-Well, it is classically used to revive consciousness and clear acute Heat and Fire.
Five-element dynamics
The Small Intestine is a Fire channel — and Shaoze SI-1 is its Metal point, the child element within Fire. In the generating cycle, Fire generates Earth, and Metal controls Wood; but within the channel itself, the Metal point draws Heat downward and outward, giving the point its strong ability to clear Fire and Heat. The Jing-Well nature means the Qi here is fresh, forceful and close to the surface — ideal for urgent, acute conditions. It is a point of beginnings and of release: the channel starts here, and Heat exits here.
Location
Find the little finger (fifth finger). Look at its nail from the back of the hand. The point sits at the ulnar (outer) corner of the nail — the side closest to the ring finger — right at the junction of the nail's base and its side edge, about 0.1 Cun from the corner. When the fist is lightly clenched, it is at the junction of lines drawn along the ulnar border and the base of the fingernail.
Anatomy & fascia
The point is located on the dorsal aspect of the little finger, at the ulnar corner of the nail — in the soft tissue at the junction of the ulnar border and the base of the fingernail, approximately 0.1 Cun from the corner of the nail.
Needling
The golden tip
For new mothers with low milk supply, firm acupressure or gentle pinching of the ulnar tip of the little finger — where Shaoze SI-1 lives — can be applied daily. Press or pinch the point for one to two minutes on each hand. It is also a classic first-aid revival point: strong stimulation (pressing the fingernail edge firmly) can help rouse someone who has briefly fainted while waiting for medical help.
For education only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner.