Extra PointsEX-UE7

Yaotongdian 腰痛點

For reference only · not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment

Short answer

Two spots between the metacarpal bones on the back of the hand — two on each hand, four in all.

Extra point — upper limb (EX-UE)Two spots per hand, four in allWHO 1991 extra-point code EX-UE7

See it in 3DRotate the body and peel back the skin to see the bones and muscles beneath.
Open the 3D Acupoint Map →

🖼See it in pictures

Yaotongdian — ① Where on the body? — **① Where on the body?**

Yaotongdian — Textbook view — skin on the left, muscle and bone underneath on the right — **Textbook view — skin on the left, muscle and bone underneath on the right**
Location and structures come from our 3D model; only the drawing style was refined with AI. Labels are added by us.

Yaotongdian — ② Up close — **② Up close**

Yaotongdian — ③ Under the skin — **③ Under the skin**
Second metacarpal bone · Third metacarpal bone · Fourth metacarpal bone · Fifth metacarpal bone · Dorsal interossei muscles of hand

Rendered straight from the 3D model at the computed location. The glowing ring marks Yaotongdian.

On this page

Where is Yaotongdian?
How do I find it on my body?
Before you press
How has it been used traditionally?
Alternative location
FAQ

1Where is Yaotongdian?

Two spots between the metacarpal bones on the back of the hand — two on each hand, four in all.

One lies between the 2nd and 3rd metacarpals, the other between the 4th and 5th.

Both sit halfway between the back-of-wrist crease and the knuckle joints.

Beneath the point

Second metacarpal bone · Third metacarpal bone · Fourth metacarpal bone · Fifth metacarpal bone · Dorsal interossei muscles of hand

Our 3D measurement · In our 3D model: dorsal skin between the 2nd–3rd and 4th–5th metacarpals, midway between the dorsal wrist crease (level of TE4) and the metacarpophalangeal joints — two points per hand.

2How do I find it on my body?

Back of the hand up, find the crease on the back of the wrist and the knuckle joints (metacarpophalangeal joints).
Take the level halfway between them.
At that level, press the groove between the 2nd and 3rd metacarpals.
At the same level, press the groove between the 4th and 5th metacarpals.

📖 Words explained

wrist crease: The horizontal crease that forms at the wrist when it is slightly bent. There is one on the palm side and one on the back, and they are starting lines for measuring arm points.
metacarpal bones: The five long bones in the palm linking the wrist to the finger roots, counted first to fifth from the thumb. You can feel them as hard rods side by side on the back of the hand.

3Before you press

⚠ Do not press when

Avoid broken or swollen skin and press only to a comfortable level.
Acupressure is not a substitute for medical care.

4How has it been used traditionally?

The name refers to the lower back (yao) and calls the spot a 'point' (dian) — a name, not a claim of effect.
It is on the basic point list of WHO's 1999 training guidelines.

From traditional texts — not a claim of effect.

5Alternative location

Korea's KMCRIC database places them further toward the wrist in the same two grooves, just in front of the joints where the metacarpal bases meet.

?FAQ

Where exactly is Yaotongdian?

Two spots between the metacarpal bones on the back of the hand — two on each hand, four in all. One lies between the 2nd and 3rd metacarpals, the other between the 4th and 5th. Both sit halfway between the back-of-wrist crease and the knuckle joints.

How do I find Yaotongdian?

Back of the hand up, find the crease on the back of the wrist and the knuckle joints (metacarpophalangeal joints). Take the level halfway between them. At that level, press the groove between the 2nd and 3rd metacarpals. At the same level, press the groove between the 4th and 5th metacarpals.

What should I watch out for?

Avoid broken or swollen skin and press only to a comfortable level. Acupressure is not a substitute for medical care.

← PreviousTaiyang · EX-HN5 Next →Wailaogong · EX-UE8

Sources

Location: Chinese national standard GB 12346-90 (Location of points), 'Standard location of extra points', p. 23
Name and code: WHO, A Proposed Standard International Acupuncture Nomenclature (1991), pp. 15-16
Current Chinese standard: interpretation of GB/T 40997-2021 (Nomenclature and location of extra points), SAMR 2022 — only Dagukong and Pigen had their locations revised
Locating tips and Korean terms: KMCRIC Standard Acupoint DB (Korea), extra points
Basic point list: WHO, Guidelines on Basic Training and Safety in Acupuncture (1999), p. 16

Positions computed from the WHO standard locations (2008) on Z-Anatomy (CC BY-SA 4.0) · BodyParts3D © DBCLS. For reference only — not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment. See a clinician if you are unwell.