Back Shu - to transport energy

There is something so nurturing, relaxing and healing about lying prone and having these large, stressed muscles of your body worked upon.

Exposure to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) know that there is a detailed system of reasoning behind back massage’s influence on the entire body. Located on either side of the spinal column, TCM’s back shu points give bodyworkers an accessible diagnostic and therapeutic map.

The back shu points are areas where the qi of the respective zang fu emanates from the interior to the exterior body surface, resulting in a powerful regulating and tonifying action.

What Are the Back Shus?

The back shu points are like portals to our organs and associated meridians. The word “shu” literally means “to transport,” indicating the back shu points’ ability to move energy to and from our inner organs. Located on either side of the spine, each back shu point is level with a respective spinous process or sacral foramen. Positioned on the inner branch of the urinary bladder (UB) channel, the back shus stretch from lateral to the tip of the 3rd thoracic vertebrae down to lateral to the 2nd posterior sacral foramen.

Simple observation or palpation of a back shu can reveal an imbalance in the corresponding organ system. When an organ is impaired, or the respective meridian is blocked or deficient, it is common for the back shu point to be tender. Also indicative of an imbalance in the corresponding organ or meridan,