Shenmen 神門
Front-inner wrist, on the palm-side wrist crease.
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Pisiform bone · Ulna · Flexor carpi ulnaris
Rendered straight from the 3D model at the computed location. The glowing ring marks Shenmen.
On this page
1Where is Shenmen?
Front-inner wrist, on the palm-side wrist crease.
It sits in the hollow on the thumb side of the flexor carpi ulnaris tendon, beside the upper (proximal) edge of the pisiform bone.
Pisiform bone · Ulna · Flexor carpi ulnaris
2How do I find it on my body?
- Palm up, feel the small round bone at the little-finger corner of the wrist (pisiform).
- From its elbow-side edge, slide toward the thumb until you meet the flexor carpi ulnaris tendon.
- Press the hollow just on the thumb side of the tendon, on the wrist crease.
- flexor carpi ulnaris
- A muscle along the little-finger edge of the palm side of the forearm, running to the pisiform. It bends the wrist and tilts it toward the little finger.
- 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.
- ulnar artery
- The artery running deep along the little-finger side of the forearm into the palm. A faint pulse can be felt at the little-finger side of the wrist, beside the flexor carpi ulnaris tendon.
- ulnar nerve
- The nerve running down the inner arm to the little-finger side. It passes through a bony groove at the back of the inner elbow; bump it and you feel a jolt down to the little finger (the 'funny bone').
3Before you press
- The ulnar artery and ulnar nerve run just on the thumb side of this tendon.
- Do not press hard or long where you feel a pulse.
- Ease off if the fingers tingle.
- Avoid broken or swollen skin and press only to a comfortable level.
- Acupressure is not a substitute for medical care.
- Crushing chest pain, breathlessness or a cold sweat can signal a heart emergency — call emergency services at once; do not try acupressure.
4How has it been used traditionally?
- Classified as the Yuan-source point and the Shu-stream (Earth) point of the Heart meridian — a historical classification, not a claim of effect.
- The name means 'spirit gate'.
From traditional texts — not a claim of effect.
5Classical text
Donguibogam (Heo Jun, 1613), Acupuncture and Moxibustion, "Shenmen"
一名兌衝一名中都在掌後銳骨之端動脈陷中手少陰脈之所注爲腧 …《銅人》
內經言心臟堅固邪不能容故手少陰獨無輸其外經病而藏不病者獨取其經於掌後銳骨之端神門穴是也《綱目》
- ①Also called Duichong and Zhongdu. At the end of the 'sharp bone' behind the palm, in the hollow where a pulse beats. Where the Hand Shaoyin channel pours in, which makes it the Shu-stream point. Tongren Shuxue Zhenjiu Tujing
- ②The Inner Classic says the heart is so firm that pathogens cannot lodge in it, so the Hand Shaoyin alone has no transport point; when only the outer channel is affected and not the organ, the channel spot at the end of the sharp bone behind the palm is used — that is Shenmen. Yixue Gangmu
- Source tags as given in the Donguibogam: Tongren = Tongren Shuxue Zhenjiu Tujing (1026), Gangmu = Yixue Gangmu.
- The garbled glyph 杮 in the Wikisource text has been corrected to 腧.
- Ruigu ("sharp bone") is an old name for the pointed bone on the little-finger side of the wrist; its exact modern match is still to be verified.
- "…" marks the needling depth and moxa count, left out because they are for licensed practitioners.
Original text as written · translation is ours.
?FAQ
Where exactly is Shenmen?
Front-inner wrist, on the palm-side wrist crease. It sits in the hollow on the thumb side of the flexor carpi ulnaris tendon, beside the upper (proximal) edge of the pisiform bone.
How do I find Shenmen?
Palm up, feel the small round bone at the little-finger corner of the wrist (pisiform). From its elbow-side edge, slide toward the thumb until you meet the flexor carpi ulnaris tendon. Press the hollow just on the thumb side of the tendon, on the wrist crease.
What should I watch out for?
The ulnar artery and ulnar nerve run just on the thumb side of this tendon. Do not press hard or long where you feel a pulse. Ease off if the fingers tingle. Avoid broken or swollen skin and press only to a comfortable level. Acupressure is not a substitute for medical care. Crushing chest pain, breathlessness or a cold sweat can signal a heart emergency — call emergency services at once; do not try acupressure.
Sources
- Location: WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations in the Western Pacific Region (2008), p. 85
- Standard comparison: Chinese national standard GB/T 12346-2021 (Nomenclature and location of meridian points), p. 14
- Korean anatomical terms: KMLE medical dictionary (Korean Medical Association terms)
- Classification source: Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing vol. 3 for the Heart five transport points (Lingshu ch. 2 lists the Pericardium points under 'Heart'); Nanjing ch. 64 for the phases
- Yuan-source source: Nanjing ch. 66 and Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing vol. 3 (Wikisource editions)
- Traditional use: Hyeoljari Seodang (Bookdramang, 2015; Korean), ch. 5 "Shenmen" and appendix (Yixue Rumen indications)
- Classical text: Donguibogam, Acupuncture and Moxibustion, "Shenmen" — Wikisource public edition (garbled glyph 杮 corrected to 腧)
- Indications: Yixue Rumen vol. 1 (Wikisource)
- Classification and traditional-use cross-check: AcuAtlas dataset (CC BY 4.0)
- 3D: computed on Z-Anatomy (CC BY-SA 4.0) · BodyParts3D © DBCLS
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.