BL16 is located 1.5 cun lateral to the lower border of the spinous process of which vertebra?

• A. T6
• B. T5
• C. T7
• D. T8

Answer: (A)

The location of BL16 follows the standard back-shu point rule: each point on the Bladder channel is found 1.5 cun lateral to the lower border of the spinous process of its corresponding thoracic vertebra. For BL16, that corresponding vertebra is the sixth thoracic vertebra, so the point sits 1.5 cun to either side of the lower edge of the T6 spinous process. To locate it, feel along the spine to find the lower border of the T6 spinous process, then measure 1.5 cun outward in the paraspinal area. The adjacent back-shu points align with the neighboring vertebral levels, which is why the levels above and below differ by one vertebra.