How Many Hand Yin Channels Are There and Where Do They Run?

Study Questions – Exam 1

Point Locations 1 – Fall 2007

www.CatsTCMNotes.com

Page 1 of 8

How many hand yin channels are there and where do they run?

3 – run from chest to hand

How many hand yang channels are there and where do they run?

3 -- run from hand to face/head

How many foot yang channels are there and where do they run?

3 -- run from face/head to foot

How many foot yin channels are there and where do they run?

3 – running from foot to chest/ab

Where do the yin and yang channels meet?

At Jing Well points, extremeties

Where do the foot/hand yang channels meet?

Head/face

Where do the foot/hand yin channels meet?

Chest/abdomen

What are Extraordinary Channels?

Underground connections to the 12 primary channels, connect to the extraordinary organs.

Name the Extraordinary channels.

Conception/Ren

Governing/Du

Penetrating/Chong

Girdling/Dai

Yin Qiao/Yin Motility

Yang Qiao/Yang Motility

Yin Wei/Yin Linking

Yang Wei/Yang Linking

Name characteristics of the Extraordinary channels in general.

¨  Do not connect to Zangfu organs, connect to Extraordinary organs (bone, marrow, brain, vessels, uterus, gallbl.)

¨  Do not have paired channels

¨  Most don’t have own points

¨  Do not participate in the energy circuits of the 12 primaries.

Which Extraordinary channels do have their own points?

Ren and Du

What are the general functions of the 8 extraordinary vessels/channels?

Serve as reservoirs for qi and blood.

What are the divergent channels, how many are there, and from where do they diverge?

There are 12. They diverge off of the yin and yang primary channels on the limbs, generally at the big joints.

Where do the divergent channels go, where do they exit, what do they rejoin?

¨  From the big joints they go into the trunk and run deeply to connect with the organs.

¨  They exit at the neck

¨  The yin divergents rejoin their paired yang channel, the yang divergents rejoin their original yang channel.

Where do the 3 yang sinew channels of the foot start, travel, and gather?

Start: toes

Travel: ascend laterally along thigh

Gather: face

Where do the 3 yin sinew channels of the foot start, travel, and gather/knot?

Start: toes

Travel: ascend medially along thigh

Gather: genital region

Where do the 3 yang sinew channels of the hand start, travel and knot/gather?

Start: fingers

Travel: ascend laterally along arm

Gather/Knot: center of forehead

Where do the 3 yin sinew channels of the hand start, travel, and knot?

Start: fingers

Travel: ascend medially along arm

Knot: chest

Why are the muscle/sinew channels called “sinew channels?”

Because they run superfically and nourish joints, muscles, and sinews such as tendons

What are the names of the sinew channels?

Named like the primary channels and are in the same general area.

What are the classes of meridians?

¨  12 primary meridians/channels

¨  8 extraordinary meridians/channels

¨  12 divergent channels

¨  12 muscle/sinew channels

¨  12 cutaneous regions

What are the collaterals/Luo Connecting channels?

Channels which emerge from/connect to internally and externally paired primary channels, also having their own paths.

From where do they emerge on the primary channels?

From the internally/externally paired channels at a Luo Connecting point on the extremeties

What generally is the path of the Luo Connecting vessels of the 12 primary channels?

Emerge from a primary channel at a Luo Connecting point on an extremety, travels to externally paired channel, then travels its’ own path.

What non-primary channels have Luo Connecting channels?

Ren, Du, and the Luo connecting channel of the Great Spleen

Where are the Luo Connecting points on the non-primary channels?

Ren: Front

Du: Back

Great Spleen: laterally on sides of body

How many cutaneous regions are there?

12

Where are the cutaneous regions located?

Superficially. They are broad regions covering over where the primaries, muscle and collaterals pass.

Are the cutaneous regions considered channels or collaterals? How does energy flow to/from them?

They are considered to be channels. Energy from meridians is brought up to circulate here. Conversely, you can send energy through them to link to the primary channels/meridians, zangfu, etc.

Which channels have collaterals?

The 12 primary channels, Ren, Du and the Luo Connecting of the Great Spleen have collaterals.

Where are the collaterals located?

Superficially. Primaries are on the 4 limbs. Ren is on the front, Du is on the back, GSp is lateral on sides of trunk.

What are the subcollaterals/ superficial collaterals/ minute collaterals?

Tiny tiny channels located on the surface of the skin that branch off of the collaterals.

What is the size of the subcollaterals?

Micro—think capillaries

Where do the minute collaterals run in the body?

On the surface of the skin.

What are the 3 primary categories of points?

1.  ashi

2.  extra

3.  regular points

How many channels have regular points? Which channels are they?

14 channels have regular points. All of the 12 primaries have them, as do the Ren and Du channels.

Name 3 characteristics of regular points.

1.  They have their own names

2.  They have specific locations

3.  They have specific functions.

Name 5 characteristics of extra points.

1.  not located on any of the 14 channels

2.  not related to zangfu

3.  are named

4.  have specific locations

5.  have specific functions

What are Ashi points?

Tender points on the body which respond to touch or stimulus in some way. They are not related to channels, have no fixed location or functions, but can be used to treat local areas, and in some rare cases internal organs.

How do you find the Ashi points if they have no fixed location?

Palpation

What are the Five Shu Points and where are they located?

Five special points on each regular channel which reflect the energy flow of that channel. All 5 on each channel are located between the distal ends of the extremeties and the knee/elbow.

Describe the energy at the Five Shu points.

Energy is dynamic, changing in volume and quality. Energy flows in at the distal extremeties, getting stronger and deeper in volume as it progresses to the elbows/knees.

What are the five categories of the five shu points in order from most distal to most proximal.

Jing-Well

Ying-Spring

Shu-Stream

Jing-River

He-Sea

Where are the Jing-Well points located?

At the far distal ends—fingertips and toes—with the exception of the Kidney channel, which is located on the sole of the foot.

Where is the energy the strongest in the Five Shu points?

At the He-Sea point where it is largest and deepest.

Generally, according to the Classic of Difficulties, what are each of the categories of Five Shu points used for?

¨  Jing-Well
Fullness below the heart

¨  Ying-Spring
Clears heat in the body

¨  Shu-Stream

o  Heaviness in the body

o  pain in the joints

¨  Jing-River

o  Cough and dyspnea

o  Chills

o  Fever

¨  He-Sea

o  Counterflow of qi

o  Diarrhea

What are the Yuan Source points?

A Yuan Source point is the place on each channel where the original qi surfaces and accumulates. All of these points are located on the four limbs.

Where are the Yuan Source points located on the channels?

Yin Channels: are the same as the Shu-Stream points.

Yang channels: distinct point located between Shu-Stream and Jing-River.

Usually Yuan Source points are the 4th point on a channel, except for Gallbladder, which is 5th.

What are Yin Yuan Source points used for?

Tonify and regulate their Zang organs

What are the Yang Yuan Source points generally used for?

Treat problems of the correspondent Fu organs.

List the Yuan Source Points for each channel. (use the circuit order)

What are the Luo Connecting Points, which channels have them, and how many are there?

Points on each of the primary channels which connect the primary to it’s internally/externally paired channel. Also, Ren, Du, and the Great Spleen have a luo connecting point.

15 in all.

Where are the Luo connecting points of the 12 primary channels generally located?

On the 4 limbs

Where (generally) are the Luo connecting points of the Ren, Du, and Great Spleen located on the body?

Ren – upper abdomen

Du – between the rectal opening and the vagina

GSp – lateral sides of trunk.

What are 3 indications for the Luo connecting points?

1.  Disorders of internally/externally related Zangfu and channels

2.  Disorders in areas reached by Luo channels

3.  Psycho-emotional disorders

List the Luo connecting points for the channels.

What is a “host-guest” combination?

Combination of Yuan Source point with the Luo connecting point to treat a primary disease that has given rise to a secondary disease later on.

The Yuan Source point is used for the primary

The Luo Connecting is used for the secondary

What is the definition of a Xi-Cleft point?

These are places where the Qi and Blood gather, plunge, and circulate.

What do you use Xi-Cleft points for?

Both Yin and Yang Xi-Cleft points can treat acute conditions and pain of corresponding organs and channels.

Yin Xi-Cleft points can also be used to treat blood conditions/bleeding.

How many Xi-Cleft points are there on the body?

16. One for each main channel, one for Yin/Yang Qiao and Yin/Yang Wei.

Which channels have Xi-Cleft points?

All 12 primary channels as well as the Yin Qiao, Yang Qiao, Yin Wei, and Yang Wei.

What are Back-Shu points and where are they located?

Points located on the back of the body along the Bladder channel (1.5 cun from spinal ridge) which can be used to tonify the Zang. They can transport energy from the point to the Zang organ.

What are Front-Mu points and where are they located?

Front mu points are located on the front of the body and are primarily used to treat Fu organ problems.

What are the 8 Influential or Hui-Meeting points?

The points on the body where the 8 kinds of tissues can be influenced: Zang, Fu, Qi, Blood, Sinew, Vessels, Bone, and Marrow.

List the Hui-Meeting/8 Influential points.

What are the Lower He-Sea (Lower He Uniting) points?

6 points on the lower legs where yang organ energy converges. One for each of the 6 yang channels. They are in addition to the standard He-Sea points of the leg on the 3 foot yang channels. Used to treat diseases of the Fu.

What are the 8 Confluent points of the 8 Extraordinary Channels?

Connections to the 8 extraordinary vessels which activate those channels.

Four Command Points are:

Points which treat the broad regions of the abdomen, lumbar and back areas, head and nape of neck areas, the face and mouth.

Enumerate the 4 Command Points:

What are Window of Heaven or Window of the Sky points?

Points which mostly treat problems in the head region:

¨  Cough and wheeze w qi rebellion

¨  Face and eye swelling

¨  Throat problems

¨  Five sense organ problems

¨  Psycho-emotional problems.

Most are located on the neck, but some are further down.

What are the 2 methods for finding acupoints?

1.  Anatomical landmarks and positions

2.  Measuring techniques

What are “landmarks” on the body?

Major markers on the body that remain fairly constant—bones and bone parts, joints, etc.

What is a Cun measurement in relation to acupuncture?

A cun is a proportional measurement based on the patient’s body size. For example, the proximal phalangeal joint on the thumb is 1 cun from side to side.

How can you measure using cun on the body?

By using known anatomical proportions on the body. For instance:

1.  The span of the hand at the proximal phalangeal joints of phalanges 2-5 is equal to 3 cun.

2.  From the yintang point to the front hairline is 3 cun.

3.  From the front hairline to the Du 20 point, the highest point on the body, is 5 cun.
Ergo, using the measurement from #2, on a bald guy, you could measure 8 cun from the Yintang point and find Du 20.

Know the following cun measurements:

Know these needling angles:

Point Locations 1 – Fall 2007

www.CatsTCMNotes.com

Page 1 of 8