FIVE SHU (TRANSPORT) POINTS 01: General Indications

Besides the naming conventions, groups of points are combined by common themes or categories. One of the categories is the “Transport Points”. Similar to understanding counting in order to understand addition, the transport points are a foundational step to higher learning in Chinese Medicine. Part of that understanding is knowing the energy of the point and how the points are positioned on the meridians.
The five transporting (shu) points are referred to as follows: Jing (Well) , Ying (Spring) , Shu (Stream) , Jing (River) and He (Sea). Each one of the “twelve regular” meridians have these points, and they are located below the elbows or knees. The Five Transporting (Shu) points start at the tip of the four limbs and continue all the way to the elbows or knees. Thus, the Well points is the first point on the meridian at the tip of the finger or the toe. Then, the rest of the transport points follow in the same order. It starts with the Well on the tip, then there is a spring which bubbles forth and the water from the spring trickles into a stream. The stream feeds a river and the river goes to the sea (ocean in modern times).
Each of the transport point defines the qi at the point.