A quiet but capable point on the upper back, Jianzhongshu (SI-15) sits at the crossroads of the shoulder and the neck, where tension gathers and breath can tighten. It eases the shoulder, opens the chest and helps Lung-Qi flow downward again.
Name & story
The name 肩中俞 Jianzhongshu means roughly "Transporting Point of the Centre of the Shoulder" — 肩 (jiān) is shoulder, 中 (zhōng) is centre or middle, and 俞 (shū) is a transporting or infusing point. The name is an honest anatomical description: the point sits in the middle of the shoulder region, on the back, where the neck meets the upper back. It is where the channel's Qi is infused into the tissues at this central part of the shoulder.
Point family & character
Jianzhongshu (SI-15) belongs to the Small Intestine Meridian (SI). It has no special classical category — it is not a He-Sea, Shu-Stream, Yuan Source or Xi Cleft point. It is simply a local and regional point on the channel, valued for its reach into the shoulder, scapula and, notably, the Lung.
Five-element dynamics
The Small Intestine Meridian (SI) belongs to the Fire element — it is the Yang partner of the Heart. But what makes SI-15 distinctive is that it sits close to the upper back, right beside the Lung's territory. Chinese medicine teaches that the Lung governs descent — Lung-Qi should flow downward, like autumn mist settling. When that descent is disrupted, cough and tightness in the chest arise. SI-15 can gently nudge Lung-Qi back into its natural downward direction, which is unusual for a Fire channel point, and gives the point a character that bridges the shoulder and the breath.
Location
On the back, 2 Cun lateral to the lower border of the spinous process of the seventh cervical vertebra (C7 — the prominent bump at the base of the neck). Find C7, drop to its lower edge, then move 2 Cun out to the side.
Anatomy & fascia
The point lies in the upper back, in the region of the trapezius muscle, close to the root of the neck.
Needling
The needle is inserted perpendicularly.
Safe depth
0.3–0.5 Cun.
Moxa, cupping & Tui Na
Gentle massage and Tui Na along the upper trapezius and into the shoulder region work well alongside this point. Warming with a Moxa stick can be helpful when there is Cold or stiffness in the shoulder and neck area.
Functions
Promotes the descending of Lung-Qi. Removes obstructions from the channel. Expels Wind. Relaxes the muscles and relieves pain in the shoulder and scapula.
Indications
Cough, including coughing of blood. Pain in the shoulder and scapula. Stiffness and tension in the neck and upper back. Local and regional channel problems involving the shoulder joint — SI-15 is often used together with neighbouring points such as SI-9, SI-10, SI-11, SI-12 and SI-13, and combined with LI-15 Jianyu for conditions like frozen shoulder.
Point combinations
With SI-9, SI-10, SI-11, SI-12 and SI-13 — for pain, stiffness and frozen shoulder, especially involving the posterior shoulder and scapulohumeral joint. With LI-15 Jianyu — to broaden the reach into the acromioclavicular and shoulder region. With Lung channel points — when the focus is on cough and descending Lung-Qi.
Clinical spotlight
What sets SI-15 apart from its neighbours along the upper back is its specific action on Lung-Qi — promoting its descent and addressing cough and even coughing of blood. This is a rare quality for a point on the Small Intestine Meridian (SI), and it reflects the point's unique position close to the Lung's back territory. In shoulder work, Maciocia highlights that the Small Intestine points from SI-9 through SI-15 form an important cluster for treating the shoulder joint and frozen shoulder, particularly the scapulohumeral articulation — a region that LI-15 Jianyu and TB-14 Jianliao do not fully reach on their own.
The golden tip
If you carry tension in the upper shoulders and the base of the neck, gentle self-massage in the area 2 Cun out from that prominent vertebra at the bottom of the neck can bring some relief. Ask a partner to apply steady, warm pressure there for a minute or two on each side. Keeping the shoulders warm and avoiding prolonged hunching also supports this area.
For education only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner.