HOU XI – SI3

Location 

 

When a loose fist is made, at the ulnar end of the crease, distal to the 5th metacarpophalangeal joint at the junction of the red & white skin.

 

Biomechanisms overview

Houxi is used for a variety of conditions, particularly in relation to pain. It has strong pain killing effects across tissues, even with minimal application. It regulates inflammatory cascades and is neuroprotective.  

Anti-nocioceptive

Hou Xi reduces pain and recurrence rates in patients with cervical spondylotic vertebral arteriopathy when used as part of an acupuncture prescription to a greater degree than if it is omitted (1, 2).

Acupuncture at Hou Xi, Jiaji (EX-B2) and Zhigou (SJ6) displayed, ‘favourable curative effect on herpes zoster, can shorten the duration of, and reduce postherpetic neuralgia’ (3). A meta-analysis and systematic review appears to show similar conclusion, acupuncture being more effective with fewer side effects than pharmaceuticals (4).  

Rapid acupuncture (insertion of two points for 10 seconds) for pain at Houxi, employed in an emergency room can dramatically reduce the desire for pain killing medication. Only 4% of patients still wanted analgesic medication after the acupuncture (5).  

Acupuncture can relieve neuropathic pain in rats with mechanical allodynia and is likely mediated by endogenous opioids (6)

Central nervous system regulation

Acupuncture at Houxi and shenmen (HT7) improves scores on the mini-mental status examination and auditory evoked potential P300 in patients with cerebral traumatic dementia (7). 

‘Electroacupuncture at left point Houxi increased the signals of brain regions right caudate nucleus, right cingulate gyrus, right parahippocampal gyrus, right superior temporal gyrus, the brainstem and the cerebellar vermis. Electroacupuncture at right point Houxi increased the signals of brain regions right medial frontal gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus, left anterior cingulate gyrus, right cingulate gyrus and right superior temporal gyrus’ (8).

Acupuncture at Houxi, Baihui (GV20), Hegu (LI4), Wangu (SI4), Yemen (SJ2), Zhigou (SJ6), Shaofu (HT8), Quchi (LI11), Jianyu (LI15), and Shousanli (LI10) combined with rehabilitation therapy improved motor scores in patients with an incomplete spinal injury compared to just rehabilitation (9). This is one of the few studies to show that a higher dosage of acupuncture led to better outcomes (5 sessions a week vs. 3). 

Musculoskeletal conditions

Acupuncture at Houxi and Huantiao (GB30) can, ‘improve the morphology of spinal nerve roots, inhibit the NF-κB and iNOS protein expression levels in spinal nerve roots and the serum NO level, and relieve the pain caused by inflammation of spinal nerve roots’ in rats with lumbar disc herniation. These effects were greater than local points, Shenshu (BL23) and Dachangshu (BL25) with Weizhong (GB40) (10). Further research on these points for lumbar disc herniation in rats showed it, ‘inhibites the expressions of HMGB1 protein and mRNA in rats with LDH, and further reduces the production of IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8, which is beneficial to inflammatory response inhibition and pain alleviation.’ Again this effect was stronger with Houxi and Huantiao as opposed to Shenshu, Dachangshu and Weizhong (11).

References

  1. Xu, H., Li, N., & Chu, H. (2016). Observations on the Therapeutic Effect of Acupuncture at Point Houxi (SI3) on Cervical Spondylotic Vertebral Arteriopathy. Shanghai Journal of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, 12, 443–445. https://pesquisa.bvsalud.org/portal/resource/pt/wpr-490847
  2. Lyu, R., Wen, Z., Tang, W., Yang, X., Wen, J., Wang, B., & Gao, M. (2022). Data mining-based detection of the clinical effect on motion style acupuncture therapy combined with conventional acupuncture therapy in chronic neck pain. Technology and Health Care, 30, 521–533. https://doi.org/10.3233/thc-228048
  3. Liu, X., & Yang, Y. (2014). Clinical Study of Fire Needle in Alleviating Herpes Zoster Pain. International Journal of Clinical Acupuncture, 23(1), 6. https://openurl.ebsco.com/EPDB%3Agcd%3A12%3A6364508/detailv2?sid=ebsco%3Aplink%3Ascholar&id=ebsco%3Agcd%3A118335049&crl=c&link_origin=scholar.google.com 
  4. Wu, L., Chen, Y., Man, T., Jin, L. H., Xu, Z., Lv, L., Luo, J., & Zhu, T. (2022b). External Therapy of Chinese Medicine for Herpes Zoster: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2022, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/3487579
  5. Aikawa, L., Yoshizumi, A. M., Shirassu, M. M., & Koike, M. K. (2020). Rapid acupuncture for musculoskeletal pain in the emergency room of the Hospital Servidor Publico Estadual, Brazil: A quasi-experimental study. Journal of Integrative Medicine, 18(4), 313–318. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joim.2020.05.002
  6. Hwang, B. G., Min, B., Kim, J. H., Na, H. S., & Park, D. S. (2002). Effects of electroacupuncture on the mechanical allodynia in the rat model of neuropathic pain. Neuroscience Letters, 320(1–2), 49–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0304-3940(02)00027-7
  7. Zhang, A. R., Pan, Z., & Lou, F. (1996). Effect of acupuncturing Houxi (SI3) and Shenmen (HT7) in treating cerebral traumatic dementia. Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, 2(4), 262–265. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02934689
  8. Hu, X. et al. (2015). A FMRI Comparative studyof the correlation of left and right points HoUXi(SI3)with activated brain function areas. Shanghai Journal of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, 12, 1234–1238. https://pesquisa.bvsalud.org/portal/resource/pt/wpr-483510
  9. Xiong, F., Lu, J., Pan, H., Wang, F., Huang, Y., Liu, Y., Li, L., Zhang, R., Wang, Y., He, C., & Wei, Q. (2021). Effect of Specific Acupuncture Therapy Combined with Rehabilitation Training on Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2021, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/5671998
  10. Lou, J., Su, J., Zhang, S., Hu, Q., Miao, X., Zhai, C., & Lü, Y. (2023). Effects of acupuncture at Houxi (SI3) and Huantiao (GB30) on NF-κB/iNOS/NO pathway in lumbar disc herniation model rats. Journal of Acupuncture and Tuina Science, 21(4), 254–264. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11726-023-1383-3
  11. Zhang, S., Lou, J. L., Su, J., Hu, Q., Duan, Y., Zhang, T., & Lü, Y. (2023). [Effect of acupuncture at “Houxi” (SI3) and”Huantiao” (GB30) on high mobility group box 1 protein in spinal nerve trunk of rats with lumbar disc herniation]. PubMed, 48(6), 592–599. https://europepmc.org/article/med/37385791