Acupoint Codes: Prefixes, Numbers and Source Checks

Revised 2026-11-01

An acupoint code is a letter-and-number label used to identify a point within a named nomenclature system. In the selected 1991 WHO scientific-group report, PC is the pericardium prefix and PC6 is paired with nèiguān and 內關. The prefix and number work together; “point 6” alone does not identify Neiguan.

What the code can tell you

The report’s fourteen main-meridian prefixes distinguish series. Examples include LI for large intestine, KI for kidney and PC for pericardium. Its selected entries include LI4, KI1 and PC6. These are source-qualified naming examples, not findings about an organ’s condition or instructions to locate or press a point.

The same report describes extra points separately, using EX followed by a region abbreviation and number. Its table includes EX-HN3 / yìntáng / 印堂. An unfamiliar prefix needs its own reference check; it should not be forced into a different series.

What if another page writes P-6?

MSK’s English patient-education heading explicitly pairs P-6 with Neiguan. Its linked Chinese page pairs P-6 with 内关. Compared with the report’s PC6 / nèiguān / 內關 entry, these specific records support a documented label correspondence. They do not establish a universal rule that all shortened P codes mean PC.

Three checks before reusing a code

1. Copy the full original code, including letters, digits and punctuation.
2. Find the Pinyin and Chinese-name pairing in the actual reference.
3. Save the source title, date or edition, and page or heading beside your conclusion.

If a scan confuses uppercase I with digit 1, inspect the rendered table. Do not correct a code from its number alone. A correct code also does not prove a benefit from a pressure device or establish personal suitability.

For all fourteen report prefixes, exact name examples and a reusable comparison record, read Acupoint Codes and Names: How to Check Translations.