ArticlesTheHeartChannel

TheHearthousestheShenanditsmostimportantclinicaluseisformentalemotionalproblems.This
articlewillexploretheclinicaluseoftheHeartchannelforusesotherthanformentalemotional
problems.
Itching
Sexualfunctioninmen
ConnectionwithUterusin
women
Backacheinmen
Nausea,vomiting

Calm"nerves"inasthma
Tremors
Knee
Eyes
Urinary

Itching
PointsoftheHeartchannelhaveamarkedeffectinstoppingpruritus(itching).Thetwomainpoints
forthisareHE7ShenmenandHE8Shaofu,thelatterbeingstronger.UsingHeartpointsforitching
istheequivalentofusingherbsthatcalmtheMindandnourishtheHeart(suchasYeJiao
TengCaulisPolygonimultifloriorBaiZiRenSemenBiotaeorientalis)whichalsostopitching.
Stoppingitchingisextremelyimportantineczemaandisthefirsttreatmentstrategyoneshouldadopt
because,althoughthisdiseasecausesitching,thescratchingresultingfromitperpetuatesthedisease
bycausingexcoriationoftheskinandpossibleinfections.

SexualFunctioninMen
TheHeartchannelisrelatedtotheKidneychannelwithintheShaoYinchannels.Itisalsoindirectly
relatedtotheKidneysthroughtheDuMaiandRenMai,bothofwhichflowthroughtheHeartand
originatefromthespacebetweentheKidneys.BoththeDuandRenMaihaveaprofoundinfluence
onsexualityandthesexualfunctionincludingsexualdesire,sexualarousal,erection,maintenanceof
erectionandejaculation.Furthermore,theChongMaialsostartsfromthespacebetweentheKidneys
andgoestotheHeartand,inaddition,itcontrolsthezongmusclesintheabdomenwhichmany
interpretasbeingthepenis.Thus,especiallyinmen'ssexuality,wecanconsidertheHeartasan
"UpperKidney",influencingmanyoftheabovesexualfunctions.Ifweacceptthis,itiseasytosee
howmentalemotionalstressaffectingtheHearthasaprofoundinfluenceonthesexualfunctionin
men.
Thereisyetanotherimportantconnectionbetweenmen'ssexualfunctionandtheHeartviathe
MinisterFireoftheMingMen.TheMinisterFireisaspecialtypeofFirethatcanactuallygenerate
Water:thus,theFireandWaterwithintheKidneysareinseparableandinterdependent.TheMinister
FirewarmsandnourishestheRoomofSperm:whenitisdeficient,theRoomofSpermiscoldandthis
maycauseimpotenceorlackoflibidowhenitisexcessive,itflaresupwardsaffectingtheHeartand
Pericardium.TheRoomofSperm,locatedintheDanTianisalsocalledBao,atermthatappliesto
bothmenandwomenandthatisthereforeerroneouslytranslatedas"Uterus"(ZiBaoistheUterus).In
women,theUteruscorrespondstotheLowerFieldofElixir(DanTian)whichinmenhousesthe
"RoomofSperm".The"GoldenMirrorofMedicine"(YiZongJinJian,1742)says:"TheGoverning
Vesselariseswithinthelowerabdomen,externallyintheabdomen,internallyintheBao...alsocalled

DanTianinbothmenandwomen:inwomenitistheUterus,inmenitistheRoomofSperm".This
passageclearlyshowsthatBaoisastructurecommontobothmenandwomenbeingtheUterusin
womenandthe"RoomofSperm"inmen.Theextraordinaryvesselsarisefromthisarea.Wecan
thereforeconsiderthePericardium(XinBao)andRoomofSperm(JingShi)(alsocalledBao)astwo
centresofsexuality,oneintheUpperBurner,theotherintheLowerBurner:itisthecoordinationof
thesetwocentresthatcontrolssexualityandspecificallyinmen,libido,erection,orgasmand
ejaculation.Thesetwocentres,theHeartandPericardiumaboveandtheMinisterFireoftheKidneys
belowregulatetheascendinganddescendingofFireandWaterandmutuallyinhibitandnourisheach
other.
Thus,inmenwecanusetheHeartchannelpointstotreatsexualdysfunctionssuchasimpotenceor
prematureejaculationwhicharenearlyalwaysduetoadysfunctionofHeartFire(deficientor
excessive)ratherthanaKidneydeficiency.Thatiswhy,inmostcases,allthesetonicswithdeer
antler,dog'spenis,sealpenisorseahorseneverdoanything.ThemainpointsforthisfunctionareHE
7ShenmenandHE3Shaohai.IoftencombinethepointHE7Shenmenwiththeopeningpointsof
theDuMai.Anexampleofapointcombinationforamancomplainingofimpotenceorpremature
ejaculationagainstabackgroundofmentalemotionalproblemswouldbeSI3Houxiontheleft,BL
62Shenmaiontheright,HE7ShenmenontherightandLIV3Taichongontheleftifthepulseis
Wiry,orKI3TaixiifthereisalsoaKidneydeficiencyandthepulseisWeakandFine.

ConnectionwithUterus
TheHeartiscloselyconnectedwiththeUterusthroughtheUterusVessel(BaoMai)andthisexplains
theprofoundinfluenceofmentalemotionalproblemsaffectingtheHeartontheUterus.TheUterusis
relatedtotheKidneysviaachannelcalledtheUterusChannel(BaoLuo).The"SimpleQuestions"in
chapter47says:"TheUterusChannelextendstotheKidneys".
TheUterusisphysiologicallyrelatedalsototheHeartviaachannelcalledUterusVessel(BaoMai).
The"SimpleQuestions"inchapter33says:"TheUterusVesselpertainstotheHeartandextendsto
theUterus"and"WhentheperioddoesnotcomeitmeanstheUterusVesselisobstructed".
HencenormalmenstruationandfertilitydependonthestateoftheKidneyEssenceandHeartBlood.
IfHeartBloodisdeficientHeartQidoesnotdescendtotheUterus.IftheKidneyEssenceis
deficient,menstruationdoesnotoccur.AdeficiencyineitherHeartorKidneyscanthereforecause
infertilityoramenorrhoea.
ThereisalsoanotherimportantconnectionandthatisviaBlood:theHeartgovernsBloodandthe
UterusstoresBlood.Althoughtheoverwhelmingmajorityofgynaecologistswillemphasizetherole
ofLiverBloodinrelationtotheUterus,someputtheaccentonHeartBlood.Thus,whentheywantto
nourishBloodingynaecologicalproblems,thesegynaecologistswouldnourishHeartBloodwith
pointssuchasHE7ShenmenandBL15Xinshu.Moreover,thefamousQingdynasty'sgynaecologist
FuQingZhusaidthattheHeavenlyGui(i.e.menstrualBlood)derivesfromtheKidneyJingbutwith
theassistanceofHeartYangwhichmustflowdowntocommunicatewiththeKidneyJing.Thus,
tonifyingtheHeart,willnecessarilyhelpKidneyJingtoproducemenstrualBlood.Thisisprobably
thereasonwhyGuiPiTang,whichnourishesHeartBlood,issuchanimportantformulain
gynaecologicalproblems.
DrYaoShiAnmentionsseveralpatternsoftheHeartwhichaffectthegynaecologicalfunctions.
WomenarepronetostagnationofQi,thisoftenturnsintoFirewhichaffectstheHeartFireharasses
downwardsanddisturbstheDirectingandPenetratingvessels,theSeaofBloodbecomesrecklessand
thismayresultinHeavyPeriodsorFloodingandTrickling.The"JiYinGangMu"says:"Fireburns
theHeart,Bloodbecomesrecklessandcausesbleedingdownwards".
SadnessoveralongperiodoftimemaycauseHeartYindeficiency,theMindhasnoresidence,this
causesHeartYangtofloatandmaycausemenorrhagia.The"SimpleQuestions"saysinchapter44:

"SadnessleadstoseveranceoftheUterusChannel:whenthisisseveredYangQiisagitatedinthe
InteriorandtheHeartcausesmenorrhagia".
WhenHeartQirebelsupwards,itimpairsthedescendingofLungQiQicannotdescendand
communicatewiththeUterusVesselandamenorrhoearesults.The"SimpleQuestions"saysinthe
chapterPingReBingLun:"IftheperiodsdonotcomeitmeanstheUterusVesselisshut...Qirisesto
harasstheLungs,HeartQidoesnotdescendandtheperiodsdonotcome".
OverworkweakensHeartYinwhichleadstoEmptyHeat:thismayalsocauseamenorrhoea.The
"SecretRecordoftheOrchidRoom"(LanShiMiCang)says:"Mentalstrainandstress(?)
weakenstheHeart,HeartFirerisesandtheperiodsdonotcome".
WhenthereisFireintheHeartchannel,itrisestoharasstheHeartandthemouthandbelowitmay
causeexcessivevaginaldischarge.ChenZiMingsays:"Vaginalsoresinwomenareduetomental
restlessnessandchaoticHeartandweakStomachQiresultinginstagnationofQiandBlood".The
"SimpleQuestions"inthechapterZhiZhenYaoDaLunsays:"Pain,itchingandsoresareduetothe
Heart".
PensivenessandworryagitatetheHeart,theEmperorFiremovesandfailstocommunicatewiththe
Kidneys,WaterandFiredonotcommunicateandinfertilitymayresult.WangYuTaisays:
"Pensivenessandworrymaymakeitdifficultforawomantoconceive,theHearthousestheMind.
pensivenessmakestheHeartturntowardstheoutside,theEmperorFirecannotdescend,Aboveand
Belowdonotcommunicate,WaterandFiredonotcommunicateandinfertilitymayresult".
AfterconceptionBloodisdeviatedtothenourishmentofthefoetus,Fireeasilyrises,thisdisturbsthe
Heartandcausesmentalrestlessness.The"DiscussionofGynaecology"(NuKeJingLun)says:
"WhentheHeartisaffectedbyBloodHeat,HeartQiisnotclearandthiscausesmentalrestlessness".
WorryagitatestheHeartandcausesadifficultbirth.The"GynaecologyoftheBambooGrove"(Zhu
LinNuKe)says:"WhentheHeartisaffectedbyworryandpensiveness,QiandBloodstagnateor
flowinthewrongdirection,inmanycasesthiscasesadifficultbirth".
Thebook"ExplanationofAcupuncturePoints"recommendstonifyingHE8Shaofuforprolapseof
thevaginaorvaginalpainanditching.The"GreatDictionaryofChineseAcupuncture"mentionsHE
5TongliforheavyperiodsorFloodingandTrickling,especiallyincombinationwithLIV2Xingjian
andSP6Sanyinjiao(GreatCompendiumofAcupuncture,1601).

BackacheinMen
IoftenusepointsoftheHeartchannelforlowerbackacheinmen.Thereasonisthesameasthat
givenfortheuseofthesepointsformen'ssexualproblems:theHeartislikean"UpperKidney"andit
thereforenaturallyinfluencesthelowerback.IfindthatthepointHE7Shenmenisthebestforthis
functionbecause,besidesitsindirectactionontheKidneychannel(andthereforethelowerback),it
alsohasageneralantispasticeffect,thusrelaxingthemuscles.Iusuallycombinethispointwiththe
openingpointsoftheDuMai(onlyifthepainstemsfromthespinearea).Anexampleofa
combinationwouldbeSI3Houxiontheleft,BL62Shenmaiontheright,HE7Shenmenonthe
rightandKI4Dazhongontheleft.Ifthepainisunilateral,IuseKI4Dazhongonthesideofthepain
andHE7Shenmenontheoppositeside.

Nausea,Vomiting
AlthoughnauseaandvomitingarealwaysrelatedtoStomachQiascendinginsteadofdescending,

HeartQialsohas(orshouldhave)adescendingmovement.The"ExplanationofAcupuncturePoints"
says:"WhenHeartQirebelsupwardsthereisbelchingorvomiting:thismeansthatHeartQiisfull
tonifyingtheWaterpoint[HE3Shaohai]willmakeQidescend".Thesamealsospecifically
recommendsitfornauseaandvomiting.ThesametextalsorecommendsHE5Tongliforvomitingof
bitterfluidsandHE7Shenmenforvomitingofblood.The"GreatDictionaryofChinese
Acupuncture"mentionsalsoHE6YinxiforvomitingofbloodandHE1Jiquanfordryvomiting.
Furthermore,theHeartchanneliscloselyrelatedtotheepigastriuminfact,intheoldtimes,the
distinctionbetweenHeartpainandEpigastricpainwassomewhatblurred.Incidentally,thisisborne
outbymodernmedicinetoowhensymptomsofincipientcardiacinfarctionmayoftenresemble
indigestion.
Thus,ifHeartQiascendsratherthandescend,nauseaandvomitingmayensue(whichincidentally
mayalsooccurintheprodromalstageofaheartinfarction).ThisisprobablythereasonwhyP6
Neiguan(actingontheHeart)issuchanimportantpointfornauseaandvomiting.FromtheHeart
channel,HE5Tongliisthebestpoint,andalsoRen15JiuweiorRen14Juquebothofwhichacton
theHeart.

CalmNervesinAsthma
PointsoftheHeartchannelcanbeusedtotreatacuteattacksofasthma.Thisisprobablyduetotheir
antispasticactionandtheypresumablyrelaxthebronchialmusclesandthereforerelievebroncho
constriction.Thus,inthiscase,Heartpointarenotusedto"calmtheMind"buttorelaxthebronchial
muscles.ThemainpointusedisHE7Shenmen,usuallyincombinationwithDu24Shentingand
Ren15Jiuwei(whichrelaxesthechestandactsontheHeart).The"ExplanationofAcupuncture
Points"recommendsHE7ShenmenforrebelliousQiandHeartFirecausingbreathlessness.Heart
pointsalsohelpasthmabecausetheyhelptorestorethedescendingofQiinthechest.The"Great
CompendiumofAcupuncture"recommendsHE7Shenmen,SP9Yinlingquan,BL60Kunlunand
GB41Zulinqiforbreathlessness.

Tremors
HeartpointscanbeusedtoalleviatetremorsinParkinson'sdisease.Theyhaveaneffectontremors
fortworeasons:first,throughtheantispasticeffectmentionedabovesecondly,becauseHeartpoints
willnourishYininthearmandwillhelptoalleviatetremorsofthearm(sinceWind,especiallyinold
people,derivesfromYindeficiency).ThemainpointsareHE7Shenmen,HE6YinxiandHE5
Tongli.The"GreatDictionaryofChineseAcupuncture"recommendsthepointHE3Shaohaifor
contractureofthehandandnumbnessofthearm.

Knees
TheSuWenmentionsacombinationforswollenandpainfulknee:SI2Qiangu,HE8Shaofu,KI2
RanguandBL66Tonggu.TheHeartpointsaffectthekneefirstlybecauseoftherelationshipwiththe
Kidneychannelandsecondly,becauseHeartpointscanbeusedtoclearHeatandcoolBloodin

general.Theyarethereforeusedusuallywhenthekneeisinflamedandswollen.ThebestpointisHE
5Tongli.

Eye
BoththeHeartmainandConnectingchannelsflowtotheeyeandHeartpointscanthereforebeused
foreyeproblems,especiallyfrominflammation.ThebestpointisHE5Tongli.Infactthe
"ExplanationofAcupuncturePoints"recommendsHE5Tongliforpainfulandredeye(fromHeart
Fire)andHE7Shenmenforyellowandpainfuleye.

UrinaryProblems
TheHeartchannelpointscanbeusedforurinaryproblemsduetoitsconnectionwiththeBladder
channelthroughtheSmallIntestinechannel.Infact,theHeartisexteriorlyinteriorlyconnectedtothe
SmallIntestineandthis,inturn,hasanAboveBelowconnectionwiththeBladderchannelwithinthe
GreaterYangchannels.TheHeartchannelisparticularlyusedforLinurinaryproblemsfromHeart
HeattransmittingtotheSmallIntestineandBladder,andthemainpointisHE8Shaofu,in
combinationwithSI2Qiangu,BL66Tonggu.SometimesHeartFirecombineswithLiverFireto
causeurinaryproblemsandthemainpointsareHE8ShaofuandLIV2Xingjian.The"Explanation
ofAcupuncturePoints"recommendsHE8Shaofu(withreducingmethod)forurinaryproblems.