Course: Point Location Date: 10-19-07

Class #: 4

Dr. Luo substituting – so some of this is review…

Special Points

1) 5 Shu Points – gotta know for boards!!

2) Yuan points
3) Luo points and yuan points
4) Back shu points and front mu points
5) Eight influential points
6) The xi-cleft points
7) The lower he-sea points
8) Eight confluent points and the intersecting points

Indications of 5 Shu points.

Stress = fire. Gotta reduce the fire. 5 shu points!

Jing-well points: fullness below the heart, diseases of the zang

Ying-spring points: clear heat
Shu-stream: joint probs, heaviness
Jing-River: cough, fever, chills.
He-Sea: very deep area: qi and diarrhea

This is another system of energy, this jing ying shu jing he. Holding energy in dan-tian is one way—
holding source of energy. But not only deep area that holds energy—flows from outside into the body. In
the 5 shu system flows into the body thru the extremeties distal areas.

Yuan points
For yang channel: distinct points between Shu-Stream and Jing-River.
For yin channel: shares the same point as the shu-stream point. Lung 9, for example is shu and yuan
point.

Example: 4 gates = LI 4 (yang yuan source), Liv-3 (yin shu/yuan source) located between 1st and 2nd
metatarsal. This balances the yin and the yang and happens to be the strongest combination.

Very important to know.

LU 9, LI 4, ST 42, SP 3, HT 7, SI 4, BL 64, KI 3, PC 7, TB 4, GB 40, LV 3

Indications: tonification and regulation. (Not good points to reduce! Use Ying points for that.)
Example, H7 to tonify heart/heartblood to help insomnia and fatigue. PC however, better for Shen
related problems.

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 Order: jing-well, ying-spring, shu-stream, yuan source (yins = shu), jing-river, he-sea

Special points very important on board exam!

Luo Connecting points

Luo means connecting in Chinese. Connects exterior/interior channels. Each primary has a Luo point.
Ren has one, Du has one, Great Spleen has one. Grand total of 15. Ren in front, Du in back. Spleen are
on the sides.

Indications:
1. treat disorders of int/ext related channel or zangfu
Lung 7, for instance, commonly used in common cold.
2. treat disorders in reaching regions reached by the luo connecting channel.
3. treat psycho-emo disorders.

Yuan and Luo points

Use them together in host-guest combination. These have a deep meaning. Here’s a Dr. Luo example.

Yuan Luo
Lung Lung 9 Lung 7
LI LI 4 LI 6

Patient starts with cough … later gets constipation. Cough is a lung problem (yin). Constipation comes
later because lung qi cannot go down and disperse the moisture to LI (the yang paired channel for
Lung).

Treatment: host-guest combination.

Host is the Yuan and is associated with the disease that expressed first—the lung/cough.
Guest is the Luo and is associated with the disease that expressed afterward as a result—LI/constipation.

Use Lung-9 and LI-6 to treat.

Suggestion: memorize the locations of the special points such as yuan and luo.

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Back-shu and Front-Mu points

Back-shu’s and Front-mu’s are all located on trunk.

Back-shu Points
All located on Bladder channel. One line runs on the transverse points of the spine, one runs between
that and border of the scapula—3 cun between these 2 borders, Back shu points are located 1.5 cun from
spinal ridge.

Indications: tonify zangfu.

Lung Back-shu, for instance. Cough, tonify the lung back-shu—UB 13.

The back-shu points of the twelve zangfu

Lung Feishu BL-13 Bladder Pangguangshu BL-28

Dachangshu BL-
L. Intestine Kidney Shenshu BL-23
25

Stomach Weishu BL-21 Pericardium Jueyinshu BL-14

Spleen Pishu BL-20 Sanjiao Sanjiaoshu BL-22

Heart Xinshu BL-15 Gall Bladder Danshu BL-19

Xiaochangshu BL-
S. Intestine Liver Ganshu BL-18
27

Can combine Front with Back for front/back association. Called shu/mu assoc or front/back assoc.

Front Mu points

The front-mu points of the twelve zangfu

Lung Zhongfu LU-1 Bladder Zhongji REN-3

L.
Intestin Tianshu ST-25 Kidney Jingmen GB-25
e
Stomac
Zhongwan REN-12 Pericardium Shanzhong REN-17
h

Spleen Zhangmen LIV-13 Sanjiao Shimen REN-5

Heart Juque REN-14 Gall Bladder Riyue GB-24

S.
Intestin Guanyuan REN-4 Liver Qimen LIV-14
e

Most points for Front-mu are on Ren channel. Also, Liver, GB, Lung.

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Eight Influential Points

AKA: Hui-Meeting Points

Very large concept. Very basic components of the body: zang, fu, qi, blood, sinews, vessels, bone,
marrow.
The hui-meeting points

Yanglingquan GB-
Zang Zhangmen LIV-13 Sinews
34

Fu Zhongwan REN-12 Vessels Taiyuan LU-9

Qi Shanzhong REN-17 Bone Dazhu BL-11

Blood Geshu BL-17 Marrow Xuanzhong GB-39

Look at Lung, the controller of the 100 vessels: Lung 9, the Yuan source point is the Hui-Meeting or
Influential point.

Cough: might use the yuan/luo combination of Lu 9 and LI 6, but add Ren-17 for Qi since cough is
related to qi. Also, if you have trouble breathing, stimulate Ren 17 (use acupressure!!)

These points are where the x converges. Zang converges at Liv-13. Blood converges at BL-17. Etc.

Xi-Cleft Points

Yang Xi-cleft points: usually used to stop pain

Yin xi-cleft points: usually used to stop bleeding

Most Xi-cleft points are around elbow and knee joints and below. Use them for emergency situations.

Example: cough with blood or epistaxis—could use LU 6.

Gallbladder stones with pain and sweating—use GB 36

The xi-cleft points of the twelve channels

Kongzui LU-
Lung Bladder Jinmen BL-63
6
Large Wenliu L.I.- Shuiquan KID-
Kidney
Intestine 7 5
Liangqiu Pericardiu
Stomach Ximen P-4
ST-34 m

Spleen Diji SP-8 Sanjiao Huizong SJ-7

Gall
Heart Yinxi HE-6 Waiqiu GB-36
Bladder
Small Yanglao SI- Zhongdu LIV-
Liver
Intestine 6 6

The xi-cleft points of the extraordinary channels

Yang Fuyang BL- Yang

Yangjiao GB-35
Motility 59 Linking
Yin Jiaoxin KID- Yin
Zhubin KID-9
Motility 8 Linking

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Xi-cleft, per textbook = acute conditions and pain. Xi-cleft of Yin are both, plus blood problems, like
bleeding.

Chronic diseases can use this, but generally speaking these are the choice for emergency situations.

The Lower He-Sea Points

Yang organ energy converges here. These are also called the Lower He Uniting Points. Each of the 6 Fu
organs have another he-sea point on yang meridians of the lower extremeties.

Stomach ST 36
Large Intestine ST 37
Small Intestine ST 39
Gall Bladder GB 34
Bladder BL 40
San Jiao BL 39

ST, LI, SI all use Stomach channel as the functions are related to Stomach. Water/heat/diarrhea = St 39
treatment. Clear heat = UB/BL 40.

Used in clinic to treat disease of the 6 Fu organs.

Eight Confluent Points of the Eight Extraordinary Channels.

Use when regular treatment is not so effective.

Eight extraordinary channels are connected to the 12 regular channels via these points. Ren connected to
LU-7, for instance.

Used in combination to treat various problems.

The confluent points of the extraordinary

channels
Concepti Yin
Lieque LU-7 Zhaohai KID-6
on Motility
Governin Yang
Houxi SI-3 Shenmai BL-62
g Motility
Penetrati Gongsun SP- Yin
Neiguan P-6
ng 4 Linking
Zulinqi GB- Yang
Girdling Waiguan SJ-5
41 Linking
Intersecting Points
Know there are connecting points for every channel where they intersect with other channels.

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Four command points:
By tradition (pre-Ming dynasty), were 4 points. 2 were added later in history. These were considered
most important and useful points:
For exam purposes, just memorize the 4.

Disorders of: Point:

Abdomen ST 36
Lumbar Region and back UB 40
Head and nape of neck LU 7
Face and mouth LI 4

Added later in history….

Chest/lateral costal region P-6

Resuscitation Du-26

Windows of Heaven/Sky Window

Most of these are around/above the neck, some not. Can be used to treat problems of the head, the
“heaven” area. Examples: unclearness or congestion in the head. Yang Qi disturbance will be felt in the
head. See Pg 49—cough/wheezing with qi rebellion, face and eye swelling, throat problems, emotional
problems, 5 sense organs.

The window of heaven points

Tianfu LU-3 Tiantu REN-22

Renying ST-9 Tianchuang SI-16

Futu L.I.-18 Tianrong SI-17

Tianyou SJ-16 Fengfu DU-16

Tianzhu BL-10 Tianchi P-1

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 Locating an Acupoint

Summary:
1. Anatomical Landmarks and Position
2. Measuring Methods
a. Porportional measurement
b. Using landmarks
c. Finger measurement
d. Convenient measurement

Landmarks and Positions

Landmarks don’t move—bones such as the metatarsal bones or the mastoid process. Positioning often in
a depression next to a bone or between muscles.

Gallbladder 34, for instance: find the head of the fibula, is on interior of the fib, then inferior to this
location in the depression. (this is near ST 36)
Du 14: just below C7 vertebra. (hint: C7 still moves a little when you twist your head. T1 does not.)

Some landmarks move! There are other methods of location.

Examples.
 Du 24: anterior hairline + .5cun…but some people’s have receded! Start at Yintang, go up 3 cun.
 LI 11: This is in the cubital crease. Usually the lateral end of the crease is the point. Flex the arm
to find it.
 ST 35: in the knee depression—you have to flex the knee, find the 2 depressions at the head of
the tibia on medial and lateral side. Lateral side depression is the point.

Measuring Methods

Proportional Measurement
Metacarpal Phalangeal joint: knuckles
Proximal phalangeal joint: mid joints of flexed finger from index to pinkie finger.

Please note: this proportion measurement is the proportion of the patient!

So “cun” is based on the person you are treating. For human beings this is not a fixed
measurement.

(This is the same for pulse positions!)

Pg 63 (See Point Location and Needling)

Example of basic measurements:
 9 cun from anatomical neck of humerus (axillary crease) to the elbow crease.
 9 cun from lateral-lateral hairline.
 9 cun from mastoid process to mastoid process
 12 cun from front hairline to back hairline
 12 cun from cubital crease to wrist crease
 8 cun from sternal notch to acromion process
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  8 cun from Sternal angle (just above xyphoid process) to umbilicus
 8 cun from nip to nip (on females, mid-clavicular line to mid-clavicular line)
 5 cun from umbilicus to pubic symphysis.
 14 cun from gluteal fold to popliteal crease
 16 cun from popliteal crease to lateral malleolus
 15 cun from popliteal crease to medial malleolus
 19 cun from great trochanter to popliteal crease (anterior)

Pay attention to the finger/hand measurements also

Du 20 = 5 cun from front hairline, 7 cun from back hairline. This is the highest point on the body.
What is due has no hair? 3 cun from Yintang, then 5 more to Du 20.
How many cun from Yintang to Du 14? 3 from yinting to hairline, 12 to the back hairline + 3
more. Grand total: 18.

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