Dabao 大包
Where the midaxillary line crosses the gap below the sixth rib (sixth intercostal space), on the side of the chest.
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Serratus anterior muscle · External intercostal muscles · Internal intercostal muscles
Rendered straight from the 3D model at the computed location. The glowing ring marks Dabao.
On this page
1Where is Dabao?
Where the midaxillary line crosses the gap below the sixth rib (sixth intercostal space), on the side of the chest.
Serratus anterior muscle · External intercostal muscles · Internal intercostal muscles
2How do I find it on my body?
- Lie on your side or raise the arm.
- Picture a vertical line dropping from the middle of the armpit (midaxillary line).
- Count the ribs to the sixth intercostal space; in men, the nipple sits in the fourth, so go down two spaces.
- Press where the two lines meet.
- external intercostal muscles
- The outer layer of thin muscles filling the gaps between the ribs. They help lift the ribs when you breathe in.
- intercostal space
- The gap between two ribs, felt with a fingertip as a slight groove between bone and bone. It is named after the rib above it (the gap below the first rib is the first intercostal space).
- internal intercostal muscles
- The layer of thin rib-gap muscles just inside the external intercostals. They help lower the ribs when you breathe out hard.
- midaxillary line
- A vertical line dropped down the side of the trunk from the middle of the armpit, with the arm raised.
- serratus anterior
- A muscle attached to the side ribs like saw teeth and running to the inner edge of the shoulder blade; it holds the blade against the chest wall when you push forward. In lean people its teeth show on the side of the chest.
- chest wall
- The wall around the chest organs, made of skin, muscle, ribs and the muscles between them. In places it is thinner than you might think.
3Before you press
- The pleura and lung lie just beneath the chest wall here.
- Do not jab with pointed tools or dig in deeply.
- Sudden breathlessness or chest pain is an emergency — call emergency services; do not try acupressure.
- 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 Lingshu (ch. 10) names it the Great Luo-connecting point of the Spleen, spreading over the chest and flanks — one of the fifteen connecting points; a historical classification, not a claim of effect.
- The name joins da (great) and bao (to wrap).
From traditional texts — not a claim of effect.
?FAQ
Where exactly is Dabao?
Where the midaxillary line crosses the gap below the sixth rib (sixth intercostal space), on the side of the chest.
How do I find Dabao?
Lie on your side or raise the arm. Picture a vertical line dropping from the middle of the armpit (midaxillary line). Count the ribs to the sixth intercostal space; in men, the nipple sits in the fourth, so go down two spaces. Press where the two lines meet.
What should I watch out for?
The pleura and lung lie just beneath the chest wall here. Do not jab with pointed tools or dig in deeply. Sudden breathlessness or chest pain is an emergency — call emergency services; do not try acupressure. Avoid broken or swollen skin and press only to a comfortable level. Acupressure is not a substitute for medical care.
Sources
- Location: WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations in the Western Pacific Region (2008), p. 80
- Standard comparison: Chinese national standard GB/T 12346-2021 (Nomenclature and location of meridian points)
- Korean anatomical terms and locating tips: KMCRIC Standard Acupoint DB (Korea)
- Classification source: Lingshu ch. 10 (Jing Mai, connecting vessels) · Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing vol. 3 (Siku Quanshu edition)
- Classification cross-check: AcuAtlas dataset (CC BY 4.0)
- Safety: Chinese Medicine Council of New Zealand, Safety in Clinical Practice Guidance (2023)
- 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.