Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotif Listen on Amazon Music

🔗 Links mentioned in this episode:

💧 Dampness versus Phlegm in Chinese Medicine

📙 AcuPoints Made Easy Book: an illustrated guide for acupuncture points

💌 Sign up for my FREE email to get the latest TCM Tips

The 8 Extraordinary Vessels Made Easy

☯️ More AcuPro Episodes you’ll love:
Top 15 AcuPoints to Calm the Mind
Combine AcuPoints with Essential Oils
Top 15 Acupoints for Digestion

Show Notes

When I first started practicing, I had moments (okay, many moments!) where I doubted my ability to differentiate patterns. I’d go back and forth between Spleen Qi Deficiency and Damp accumulation… or wonder if it was Liver Qi Stagnation or Blood Stasis. It was frustrating, especially when I just wanted to help my patients feel better.

That’s when I started leaning on a few tried-and-true acupuncture point combinations. Combos I could count on. Combos that delivered results — even when the pattern wasn’t 100% clear yet.

Because let’s be honest: in the real world, not every case is textbook. Patients show up with complex layers, emotional blocks, and symptom stories that unfold over time. So while our goal is always a solid diagnosis, sometimes we need a clinical shortcut that still honours the medicine.

Today, I’m going to walk you through seven of my favourite acupuncture point combos — the ones I come back to again and again in clinic. These combos are powerful, versatile, and deeply rooted in TCM theory. I’ll share when to use them, why they work, and a few personal insights I’ve picked up along the way.

1. The Four Gates – Liver 3 + Large Intestine 4

You’ve likely used this one before. It’s a classic best acupuncture points protocol for a reason!

• Liver 3 moves Qi

• Large Intestine 4 moves Blood

• Together, they open the flow and break stagnation — hence the name “Four Gates”

Use this combo for:

• Any pain (acute or chronic)

• PMS symptoms like moodiness, breast tenderness, and headaches

• Emotional constraint and frustration

• Constipation due to stagnation

💡 Tip: These points are energetically opposite — Liver 3 is on the foot, LI4 is on the hand, and both lie between the 1st and 2nd bones, making them perfectly mirrored.

⚠️ Contraindicated in pregnancy due to LI4.

2. The Damp & Phlegm Buster – Spleen 9 + Stomach 40

If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I LOVE Stomach 40. And paired with Spleen 9? Magic.

• Spleen 9 transforms Dampness

• Stomach 40 resolves Phlegm

Use when:

• You’re not sure if it’s Damp, Phlegm, or both

• There’s mucus, swelling, dizziness, or heaviness

• There’s water retention or sticky stools

🧠 Not sure how to tell Phlegm from Damp? I’ve got a full video on that here.

3. The Energy Lifter – Ren 6 + Spleen 6 + DU 20

Imagine a tired puppet slumped down. Now pull the strings upward — that’s what this best acupuncture points combo does for your Qi!

• Ren 6: Sea of Qi

• Spleen 6: Strengthens Liver, Spleen, and Kidney

• DU 20: Lifts Yang and clears the head

Use for:

• Chronic fatigue

• Spleen Qi sinking

• Organ prolapse (uterus, bladder, rectum, transverse colon)

• Adrenal exhaustion or postpartum fatigue

💡 Needle DU20 forward (toward the nose) to match the Du vessel flow and activate lifting.

4. The Digestive Diamond – Ren 6 + Ren 12 or 9 + Stomach 25 (bilateral)

This best acupuncture points combo targets the entire digestive system. Whether it’s constipation, diarrhea, IBS, or just general bloating — this combo works.

Use for:

• Gut issues when you’re unsure of the pattern

• General digestive discomfort, especially bloating

• Mixed presentations like alternating constipation and diarrhea

💡 For diarrhea, needle in a counterclockwise sequence (starting left). For constipation, needle clockwise (starting right).

🧠 Swap Ren 9 for Ren 12 if upper digestion (like the Stomach or acid reflux) is also affected.

5. Hormonal Harmony Combo – LU 7 (Right) + KD 6 (Left) + SP 4 (Right) + PC 6 (Left)

This is my go-to for the best acupuncture points protocol for balancing reproductive hormones, especially in female patients.

Why it works:

• These are all confluent points of the 8 Extra Meridians

• SP 4 opens the Chong (Sea of Blood)

• KD 6 opens the Yin Qiao

• LU 7 and PC 6 support the Ren and Yin Wei vessels

Use for:

• Fertility support

• Painful or irregular periods

• Endometriosis

• Menopause symptoms

• Emotional/hormonal dysregulation

💡 If you haven’t mastered the 8 Extra Vessels yet, check out my video on how to use their points in clinic — it’ll change your practice!

6. Menstrual Cramp Combo – SP 8 + LV 6 + KD 5

All three points are Xi-Cleft points of Yin channels, which makes them potent for Blood and pain issues.

Use for:

• Dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramps)

• Pain due to endometriosis

• Pre-treatment during the luteal phase to prevent cramping

🌸 I often show my patients how to use acupressure on these points at home, especially teens or those with very painful periods.

7. The Buddha Triangle – PC 6 + HT 7 + LU 9

This is one of the most calming and best acupuncture points combinations in all of acupuncture. Perfect when emotional diagnosis is unclear but you know the Shen is disturbed.

Use for:

• Anxiety

• Insomnia

• Grief and sadness

• Depression or emotional numbness

• Repressed emotional trauma

🧘‍♀️ These points work together to nourish the Heart, settle the Shen, and regulate Qi. Think of it like giving your patient an emotional exhale.

❤️ Why These Combos Matter and are the Best Acupuncture Points

Sometimes, diagnosis isn’t crystal clear — and that’s okay. These point combos give you reliable, effective tools to relieve symptoms while you gather more information.

Remember: every treatment is a dialogue. These combos open that conversation — they relieve suffering while you continue refining your diagnosis and building trust with your patient.

Disclaimer

The Acupro Show podcast and material shared through Acupro Academy is a subdivision of Natural Health Sense Incorporated. Designed solely for educational and entertainment purposes. The utilization of information from this podcast or any associated material is at the user’s discretion and risk. This content is not meant to replace the guidance of an acupuncturist. Nor Chinese medicine doctor, medical doctor, physician, or any qualified professional. It is not a substitute for proper diagnosis or treatment. As well as users are strongly advised not to ignore or postpone seeking medical advice. For any existing medical condition with their healthcare professional. Regarding any health concerns.

Need the podcast transcript? Click here!