The shoulder's great opening point. Jianliao (SJ-14) frees the shoulder joint, disperses stagnation and restores movement — when the arm can barely lift and the shoulder feels locked or heavy, this is the point to reach for.
Contraindications
Jianliao SJ-14 is a well-tolerated local point with no special contraindications. Use clean technique, respect the stated depth, and avoid forceful needling if there is acute inflammation with significant swelling.
Name & story
The name 肩髎 Jianliao means "Shoulder Bone-Hole" or "Shoulder Crevice" — 肩 (jiān) means shoulder, and 髎 (liáo) refers to a bony hollow or crevice. The name is a precise map: the point sits right in that little depression you can feel behind and below the tip of the shoulder when the arm is raised. It is as if the channel finds a small cave in the bone, slips in, and from there opens the whole joint.
Point family & character
SJ-14 belongs to the San Jiao channel (SJ), the Triple Burner meridian. It sits in the shoulder region of the channel, alongside its neighbours Naohui SJ-13 and Tianjing SJ-10. Its primary character is that of a local channel point with strong action on the shoulder joint and surrounding soft tissue.
Five-element dynamics
The San Jiao channel belongs to the Fire element and governs the movement of Qi and fluids through the three body cavities. When Qi Stagnation or Wind, Cold, or Dampness invades the shoulder, the channel's flow is blocked — the joint stiffens, aches, and loses its freedom of movement. Jianliao, sitting right in the bony hollow of the shoulder, acts like a key turning in a lock: it disperses obstruction, moves Qi and Blood (Xue), and restores the free circulation that the San Jiao channel is meant to maintain.
Location
With the arm abducted (raised out to the side), two hollows appear below and around the acromion. Jianliao is the posterior one — behind and slightly below the tip of the acromion, in that distinct depression. It sits just posterior to Jianyu LI-15, which occupies the anterior hollow.
Anatomy & fascia
The point lies in the depression at the posterior and inferior aspect of the acromion, within the deltoid muscle. When the arm is abducted, a clear hollow appears just behind and below the tip of the shoulder — that is where Jianliao lives.
Needling
The needle is inserted perpendicularly or obliquely, directed toward the shoulder joint. The sensation — a strong ache or heaviness spreading through the shoulder — signals that the Qi has arrived.
Safe depth
The golden tip
If the shoulder aches or feels stiff, try to locate Jianliao by gently raising your arm to the side — feel for the small hollow that appears just behind the tip of the shoulder bone. Press into it firmly with a thumb or knuckle for one to two minutes. A warm pack held over the area for five to ten minutes before massage helps further, especially if cold weather makes the pain worse. Gentle pendulum movements of the arm after self-massage encourage the Qi to flow again.
For education only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner.