GB-4 - Hàn Yàn - Full Forehead
Trigeminal neuralgia, facial paralysis. Can be threaded to GB-6 (shallow)
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
GB-4 - Hàn Yàn - Full Forehead | Trigeminal neuralgia, facial paralysis. Can be threaded to GB-6 (shallow) |
GB-12 Wán Gǔ - Mastoid Process | Opens eustachian tube / ear, check for tenderness in trigeminal neuralgia / bell's palsy. If the point is severely tender, don't needle the face - use distal points instead. |
GB-15 Tóu Lín Qì - Head Flowing Tears | Sinus/eye/nose congestion. Compare with UB points nearby for tenderness. |
GB-19 Nǎo Kōng - Brain Hole | Head Wind Tóu Fēng = headache that feels full when head bends forward |
GB-20 Fēng Chí - The Wind Pool | Major point for opening sinuses. Stress can accumulate in this pool. Point gets very tight in Jueyin/Shaoyang qi stasis - most often not bilateral. Needle towards nose with 1 cun needle. |
GB-21 Jiān Jǐng - The Shoulder Well | Knot right at top/center of trapezius. Another major stress point. Often used as a trigger point to release the entire muscle. |
GB-24 Rì Yuè - Sun and Moon **Front Mu-Alarm Point of Gallbladder** | Check for tenderness in Shaoyang excess patterns or Gallbladder organ issues. Located below front Mu point of Liver (LV-14). Semi-local point used for gallstones. |
GB-25 Jīng Mén - The Capital Gate **Front Mu-Alarm Point of Kidney** | Will palpate tender nodule or slight swelling in kidney/bladder excess patterns (kidney stones, bladder infections). |
GB-26 Dài Mài - The Dai (Belt) Vessel | At level of umbilicus. Often palpate left/right imbalance in tension with back pain. This point and GB-27/GB-28 are on the Dai Vessel. |
GB-30 | Used for sciatica |
GB-31 - Fēng Shì - The Wind Market | Releases the IT band. Major point to balance pelvic positioning by releasing tension in IT band. Its name indicates it is also useful for leg dermatology. Point used to open ribs above (intercostal neuralgia).
Oftentimes pt will have shaoyang (IT Band) and jueyin (Adductor) tenderness in legs (one leg shaoyang one leg jueyin) that will tilt the pelvis to one side. This point can help w regulating that imbalance. |
GB-34 Yáng Líng Quán - Yang Mound Spring **He-Sea Point and Meeting Point of Sinews** | This point "relaxes the sinews". Think of softening entire Shaoyang San Jiao organ (connective tissue tension). |
GB-36 Wài Qiū - The Outer Mound **Xi-Cleft Point** | Acute knee/hip/headache pain. The "mound" can be palpated as full - look for the empty space distal to the mound. |
GB-37 Guāng Míng - Bright Bright (double bright) **Luo-Collateral Point** | Particularly used for the eyes / lateral rib and breast pain. |
GB-39 Xuán Zhōng - The Hanging Bell **Meeting Point of Marrow** | Used for issues in the brain. Developmental problems in children. Migraines. Can be treated with moxa to awaken the mind/brain. "Kind of more than a Gallbladder point" for its use in neurological conditions |
GB-40 Qiū Xū - Hill Mound **Source Point**. | Classic point for sprained ankle. Can be needled deeply (2 cun) for ankle arthritis. Point can become swollen (slightly blue) when there is cold upstream in the channel (hip). |
GB-41 - Zú Lín Qì **Shu-Stream Point** | Clears heat from head and eyes. Also can be used with SJ-3 for acute neck or hip pain. Think of this point when there is actual inflammation somewhere in the Shaoyang channel (could be in the head / sinus). |
LI-3 (三間Sān Jiān / third point) Stream | For pain along channel pathway. Point might move proximally up the bone if there is stasis in the channel. Elbow, shoulder, jaw, facial pain in Yangming channel. |
LI-4合谷 Hé Gǔ - Uniting Valley - Source | one of the top 10 acupuncture points for many. Find the point in the ‘valley within the muscle’. Warming/tonifying Yangming channel but also used empirically for pain throughout the body and is often combined with LR-3 in the ‘four gates’ for broadly moving/regulating qi stasis. |
LI-6-7 (偏歷piān lì / veering off sequence to 溫溜wēn liū/ warm flow) Luo & Cleft | These two points are near each other along the ‘corner of the bone’ and are excellent for discerning (through palpation) and treating (with needles) issues in the jaw/face/teeth |
LI-10 (手三里shǒu sān lǐ hand three miles) | This point has the same name as ST-36 (足三里/zú sān lǐ/ foot three miles). They are often combined (with Ren 12) to warm Yangming (cold in organs leading to digestive issues) |
LI-11 (曲池qū chí /curve pool) | Sea counterflow in the channel. Yangming should ‘descend’ and thus this point helps to descend Yangming excess; especially in the head/mind/face. Combined with ST-37/ST-39 as ‘three sea points’ to descend. |
LI-13 (手五里shǒu wǔlǐ/ hand five miles) | Palpate along the border of the humerus feeling for adhesions. Insert distal to that transverse-shallow. Point is used with 3-5 cun needles for clearing Yangming phlegm in the neck/face (traditionally scrofula). Has broad application to open the lymphatic fluids in the channel. |
LI-15 (肩髃jiān yú / shoulder bone) | Needled into the joint for arthritis and stubborn pain in the shoulder. Can be one point in a combination for frozen shoulder patterns or issues with the deltoid muscle. |
LI-16 (巨骨jù gǔ/ big bone) | You only get one Yangming point on the back! Make use of it. Could be issues above in the sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM), jaw, or shoulder. |
LI-18 (扶突fú tú / protuberance assistant) window of heaven | This is a category in Western textbooks not seen in Chinese books very often. It can be needled (very carefully) for paralysis of the arm/weakness in the arm due to issues with C3-C5 vertebrae |
LI-20 (迎香yíng xiāng/ welcome [the] fragrance) | Compare and contrast this point with ST-3 nearby. This point is also used to ‘open the nose’ but is most often needled shallow transverse toward the nose. Can be used for issues with the sense of smell or specific issues with nostrils clogging. |
ST-3 (巨髎jù liáo- Giant Hole) | Excellent point for opening sinuses. Palpate for notch at bottom of maxilla,
lateral to lower end of the nose |
ST-7 (下關xià guān- Below the Joint/Barrier)
| “Qi of the face point” to open blood flow in face/teeth. Bells Palsy, Trigemminal Neuralgia, Twitches in the face |
ST-8 (頭維tóu wéi- Head Binding/Net)
| Another face pain point, can release yangming emotional stress. Yangming and Shaoyang channel meeting area. |
ST-9 (人迎rén yíng- Person’s Reception/Prognosis)
| Carotid artery palpable here. Used in some diagnosis. Baroreceptor in area |
ST-21 (梁門liáng mén- [cross]beam gate)
| At level of Ren-12. Regulates qi stagnation/bloating/epigastric digestive issues. Loose bowels with bloating and gas |
ST-25 (天樞tiān shū- heaven pivot) | Large Intestine Alarm/Mu point. Often used for constipation. More often palpable hardness on left in ‘typical’ Yangming excess constipation. |
ST-28 (水道shuǐdào- water path)
| Used to move fluids in the low abdomen. Can be gynecological water accumulation, dysmenorrhea, intestinal fluid ‘sloshing’ sounds, bladder issues (cystitis) |
ST-31 (髀關bì guān- thigh gate)
| Find depression lateral to the sartorius inferior to ASIS. Can needle more deeply (up to 3 cun) to ‘open circulation to the leg/knee/foot. Used to open qi and blood through Yangming channel in the leg. Also is a point to help with hip pain in degenerative hip issues. |
ST-34 (梁丘- liáng qiū [roof]beam mound)
Xi-cleft point. | Acute stomach pain/discomfort. Can also open channel for swelling below the knee, low leg or foot. Palpable nodule within vastus lateralis muscle can be felt when there is excess/stasis in the channel above
or below (could also be hip issue) |
ST-36(足三里zú sān lǐ- leg three miles)
He-Sea Point. | The point should “always have a blister” – moxa often as a general tonic point. Creation of post-natal qi going in the right direction |
ST-37(上巨虛shàng jù xū- upper great xu/vacuity/deficiency) Lower He Sea Point of Large Intestine | Most common distal Yangming point for “Yangming” (dry) constipation. Palpate ST-25 |
ST-39(下巨虛xià jù xu- lower great xu/vacuity/deficiency)
Lower He Sea Point of Small Intestine | Can be used for ileosecal valve issues. Palpate RLQ and even up to ST-21. May have cold. Often combined with ST-37 to descend Yangming |
ST-40(豐隆fēng long- abundant mound) | Luo/Collateral Point Microcirculation in Yangming channel. Damp excess (from Taiyin) |
ST-44(內庭nèi tíng- the inner courtyard)
Ying/Spring Point. | Used to Clear Yangming (excess) heat. Used for stomach heat, heat in the head and face. Could be heat type headaches, jaw pain, gum pain, acid reflux |
SP-1 (hidden white/ 隱白yǐn bái) - well point | used for spotting (often mid-cycle) with
moxa . This is called ‘spotting’ (漏lòu) associated with the spleen ‘not controlling blood’ as opposed to ‘flooding’ (崩bēng) more associated with the liver ‘not holding blood’. |
SP-3 (greater white/太白tài bái) – source point. | All signs of spleen qi deficiency. Also consider this point for frequent urination in the daytime and combined with LU-9 |
SP-4- (grandfather grandson/公孫 gōng sūn）- collateral point. | Think of microcirculation in the channel for “upstream” circulation issues. Also, this is our first extraordinary point- associated with the chong vessel（冲脉chōng mài). The chong is known as a ‘sea of blood’ in extraordinary vessel theory. |
SP-6 (three yin meeting/ 三陰交sān yīn jiao) | This is a meeting point of the three
leg yin channels (spleen, liver, kidney). This point has an affinity for the low jiao
and is often used to improve circulation to that region. Also treated with moxa for
blood deficiency and can be combined with Ren 4 (alarm point of small intestine) |
SP-8 (earth [crucial] link/地機dì jī)- Cleft point. | Used to unblock taiyin. This is often in cases of blood stasis gynecology. Famous for painful menstruation. |
SP-9 ( earth mound spring /阴陵泉yīn líng quán) sea point. | Think of Taiyin counterflow (lung-spleen physiology- combined with LU-5). Famous for use with Taiyin damp patterns. |
SP-10 (sea of blood/ 血海xuè hǎi) | Used to invigorate and cool blood. Often used with SP-4 or SP-8 in gynecology. Can be used for dermatology to cool the blood. |
SP-14 (belly knot/ 腹結fù jié) | Can be used for constipation but most likely same point as Mcburney’s Point (1/3 distance from ASIS to the umbilicus). This is point where you find ‘rebound pain’ in cases of appendicitis in the right lower quadrant. |
SP-15 (big transverse/ 大横da héng). | Used with moxa for cold type (either cold excess or yang deficient) diarrhea. Note later that ST-25 is at this same level- famous for constipation. |
SP-21 (big wrapping/ 大包dà bāo) | Can have clear, palpable nodule when there is chronic issue in the lung. Known for ‘pain throughout the body’. Associated with the “great collateral of the spleen” (脾大絡 pí dà luò) = an extra collateral in the body! |
HT-5 (通裡[里]- tōng lǐ)- Open the inside - Luo/Collateral point. | This point has a unique location for Dr. Wang and is a major point for opening circulation to the brain/mind. Began using this point in the early stages of stroke recovery to ‘open the collaterals of the brain’ and expanded to other cognitive issues. Often combined with KI-6 |
HT-6 (陰郗- yīn xī)- Yin Cleft Xi Cleft Point. | Used throughout history for ‘heart yin deficiency night sweats’. Some patients will report simply feeling ‘warm at night’. Red tongue tip. |
HT-7 (神門- shén mén)- Spirit/Shen Door
Source Point. | ‘Tonifying’ the heart involves warming and stimulating. Often combined with KI-3 (yang deficiency patterns) or KI-7 (yin deficiency patterns) to ‘reconnect heart and kidney’ |
KI-2 (然[燃] 谷rán gǔ) Burning Valley
Ying-Spring Point. | Clears heat from channel. Could be yin deficiency heat in the head or local heat in plantar fascia. |
KI-3 (太溪[谿] tài xī) Great Stream
Source Point. | Warms and ‘secures’ channel and organ. Symptoms vary: cold feelings in the body, low back pain, fatigue, chronic illness |
KI-4-5 (大鐘dà zhōng/水泉shuǐquán) The ‘Big Bell” and the Water Spring
Luo and Cleft Points. | Excess on the channelcan show/be treated here. Could have kidney stones, acute pain around lumbar vertebrae, prostate issues, ringing in the ears. |
KI-6 (照海zhào hǎi) The Shining Sea
Confluent point of Yin Qiao. | Harmonizes multiple yin channel sinews. This can involve peristalsis, pain in the trunk of the body (involuntary muscles), chronic constipation. |
KI-7 (復溜fù liū) Return of Flow - River Point. | “Settles Kidney Yin”- returns it to proper flow. Used for heat rising or also to ‘reconnect lung and kidney’. |
KI-22步廊bù láng
| This is where the channel moves from 0.5cun lateral to midline to 2 cun lateral- here below the 5th rib |
KI-25神藏shén cáng | This point and the next are often very tender and a bit tight in yin deficient
heat patterns. Needle very shallow transverse toward the sternum. Can
also be used for cough with wheeze and even some shoulder issues. |
UB-7 (tōng tiān) 通天 | Opens the sinuses, chronic lingering cough |
UB-10 (tiān zhù) 天柱 | Between insertions of trapezius to the occiput. Opens/brings blood flow to the
head. Headaches, fuzzy thinking, brain fog, fatigue, occipital neck pain. |
UB-32 (cì liáo) 次髎“second hole” | Second sacral foramen. Affects urinary bladder organ and uterus. Used for
gynecology, bladder infections, can use moxa if there is cold |
UB-43 (gāo huāng shū)膏肓俞 “shu of gao (paste) and huang (membranes)” | Used to treat difficult conditions – often treated with direct moxa. The idea is that
difficult illness in the upper burner can go into those tissues and moxa helps to get
circulation to those difficult places. |
UB-54 (zhì biān) 秩邊“end of the sequence” | Found at sacro/coxygeal junction. Can be at top of ‘gluteal fold”. Point used to open back of leg down midline (sciatica, hamstring issues) |
UB39 (wěi yáng) 委陽“outside the crook”
Lower He Sea of the San Jiao | Swellings in leg. Has “shaoyang personality" |
UB-40 (wěi zhōng) 委中“center of the crook” | Low back pain. Point is often bled if there are purple collaterals in the area |
UB-57 (chéng shān) 承山“support the mountain” | Hemorrhoids, Used to relax hamstrings |
UB-58 (fēi yáng) 飛陽 “flying yang”
Luo point | Used to open microcirculation in the back for a variety of chronic
Taiyang musculoskeltal patterns. Palpate the ‘zone’ |
UB-62 (shēn mài) 申脈“extending vessel”
Confluent point of Yang Qiao Vessel | Used for “multiple channel sinew patterns” |
UB-63 (jīn mén) 金門“golden door”
Xi Cleft Point | Pain and stasis in UB channel/organ |
UB-64 (jīng gǔ) 京骨“capital bone”
Source Point | Chronic (deficient) conditions in UB organ or channel |
UB-65 (shù gǔ) 束骨“binding/bundle bone”
Shu Stream Point | Acute pain in channel (neck to back) |
UB-67 (zhì yīn) 至陰 [you’ve] “reached yin”
Jing Well Point | Treated with moxa to turn breach baby- starting before due date is better |
SI-1 (shào zé/ 少澤) Lesser Marsh
Jing Well Point. | Used for insufficient lactation. More of an excess type. Can be associated with post-partum depression. When deficient, need to build blood through Taiyin-Yangming. |
SI-3 (hòu xī/ 後溪) Back Ravine/Creek
Confluent point of the Du Vessel and Shu Stream Point. | Most common point for relatively excess neck and back pain on the Taiyang chanel. Need to palpate for where the channel opens. |
SI-4 (wàn gǔ/腕骨) Wrist Bone - Source Point | Used more for chronic, cold and/or deficiency pain in SI channel (often cervical vertebrae or shouler. Often combined with UB-64 |
SI-9 (jiān zhēn/肩貞) Shoulder Correct | Below deltoid and also Teres Major. Used often for rotator cuff injuries/frozen shoulder |
SI-11 (tiān zōng/天宗) The Heavenly Gathering | “Command point of the shoulder” – opens entire shoulder from front/back. Deep heavy ache. Look for the empty space near textbook location |
SI-14 (jiān wài shū/ 肩外俞) Outer Shoulder Shu | Upper/medial corner of the scapula. Feel for the insertion of the levator muscle onto the scapula. Many modern issues with shoulder and neck involve hypertonicity of the levator muscle. Shallow, subcuteaneuous needling with radiation up into the neck. |
SI-18 (quán liáo/ 顴髎) Cheek-Bone Hole | Some sources call this the ‘meeting point of the three leg yang channel sinews”. I cannot find a Chinese source for this. However, this area very often has a left-right muscle/sinew imbalance. The masseter becomes hypertonic and ropy on one side. If this corresponds to tension at the occiput (UB10 area) then this point can relax that tension (using SI Taiyang to treat UB Taiyang tension). |
LR-1 (dà dūn 大敦) The Big Hill/Pile
Jing Well Point. | Famous for heavy uterine bleeding (漏lou). Contrast with SP-1 for spotting (崩beng). Often treated for menopausal heavy bleeding with moxa. |
LR-2 (xíng jiān 行間) Passing Between
Ying Spring Point. | Palpate to check for Jueyin heat. Needle to clear heat. This heat is often flaring upwards to the head/eyes. Night sweats, restlessness, eye problems. Liver yang rising patterns often combined with PC-7. |
LR-3 (tài chōng 太衝) Great Flow/Chong
Source Point. | Top 10 acupuncture points. Remember that this source point ‘upregulates’ the function of the liver to dredge/move qi. So it clears qi stasis through tonification. Many applications – digestive, gynecological, psychological, knee pain. |
LR-5 (lí gōu 蠡溝) The Worm Hole
Luo/Collateral Point. | Opens and Invigorates Jueyin Blood. Used for blood stasis patterns from gynecology (painful menses) to insomnia (better with exercise). Can also be used to move blood in chronic pain patterns on Jueyin channel (knee/leg/upper back behind the heart). Alternate Dr. Wang Location. |
LR-8 (qū quán曲泉) Spring in the Bend
He-Sea Point. | When Liver is in counterflow (逆nì) then the organ is not properly ‘assigning’ blood where it needs to go. This can be wind patterns (twitching, dermatology) or gynecology. Used often in Japanese acupuncture as the ‘mother point’ (water point on wood channel) |
LR-13 (zhāng mén 章門) Camphorwood Gate - Front Mu/Alarm Point of Spleen and “Meeting Point of the Zang/yin Organs” | Palpate in lateral recumbent position. Can gently cup to release excess. |
PC-4 (xī mén 郗門) The Cleft Gate
Xi-Cleft Point. Opens regulates blood flow. | Often combined with LR-5 to move Jueyin blood stasis in upper and/or lower jiao. Can palpate tightness/adhesions in this area in upper jiao blood stasis patterns. |
PC-6 (nèi guān 內關) The Inner Pass
Luo/Collateral Point and Yin Wei Confluent Point. | Opens Jueyin mircrocirculation to organs (calming), diaphragm. |
PC-7 (dà líng 大陵) The Big Mound
Source Point. | Unusual source point – often used to clear heat (with LR-2) |
PC-8 (láo gong 勞宮) Toil [for the] Palace
Ying-Spring Point. | Needled to clear Jueyin heat (mania). Important qigong point for “emitting qi” (發氣fā qì) |
SJ-3 (zhōng zhǔ中渚)- Middle Island
Shu-Stream Point. | Used for frozen neck, shoulder, clogged ear and other ‘excess/stuck’ patterns in the Shaoyang channel. Can be combined with GB-41 for acute hip, lateral knee pain. |
SJ-4 (yáng chí 陽池)- Yang Pool
Source Point. | Source point of channel that is ‘pathway of source qi’. Used in Japanese acupuncture to warm the entire body (treat with moxa). |
SJ-6 (zhī gōu 支溝)- Branch Ditch
River Point. | Dredges Jueyin/Shaoyang qi stasis with GB-34 (Liver qi stasis). Tight shoulders/neck, ‘tense throughout the body’, constipation. |
SJ-5 (wài guān 外關)- Outer Gate
Collateral Point and Meeting Point of Yang Wei/Yang Linking Channel. | Used to clear heat via shaoyang to ‘the outside’. Night sweats, agitation, red eyes/ears |
SJ-12 (xiāo luò 消濼)- Disperse (the) Riverbed | Between triceps muscle bellies- opens into the hand. Carpal tunnel/elbow |
SJ-14 (jiān liáo 肩髎)- Shoulder Bone-Hole | Needle deep into the shoulder. Frozen shoulder, arthritis, pain. Locate behind
the deltoid. LI-15 is on the other side of the muscle |
SJ-15 (tiān liáo 天髎)- Heaven Bone-Hole | Safer alternative to GB-21 into the knot in the trapezius muscle. Used not only for trapezius tightness but also calms and relaxes the neck (GB20 above at occiput) |
SJ-17 (yì fēng 翳風) The Wind Screen | Used for ear issues, clogged ear/eustacian tube. Also can be very tender in acute facial paralysis/bell’s palsy. Treat later
when inflammation reduces. |
TB-23 (sī zhú kōng 絲竹空) Silk Bamboo Hole | Meeting of zygomatic and frontal bones. Helps to release tension in and around the eyes and sinuses. Point can be very tender and must look for an ‘empty space’ near the palpated tension. Can be used for headaches/migraines in Shaoyang |
RN-3 (zhōng jí 中極)- middle pivot
Front Mu Point of the Bladder. | Used for lingering bladder infections, kidney stones (with KI-5), difficult urination. |
RN-4 (guān yuan 關元)- Origin Pass
Front Mu Point of Small Intestine. | Used to tonify in blood deficiency with SP-6. Often cases of gynecological deficiency (located in front of uterus). |
RN-6 (qì hǎi 氣海)- Sea of Qi | Major point to tonify qi. Treated with moxa. Warms the kidney yang |
RN-8 (shén què 神闕) Spirit Gate | Not needled. Filled with salt and treated with ginger-cone moxa for severe post-
natal qi deficiency. |
RN-9 (shuǐfēn 水分) The Water Separator | Used with ST-28 (water pathway) to clear dampness from the lower burner |
RN-11 (jiàn lǐ建里) Build the Miles | Use with St-36, LI-10 - one of the ‘three li points’ for Yangming Yang deficiency |
RN-12 (zhōng wǎn中脘)- The Middle Cavity
Front Mu Point of the Stomach. | Meeting/Hui Point of the Fu Organs. Often
used to ascertain excess/deficiency in the middle burner. Treated accordingly. |
RN-14 (jù què巨闕) The Big Gate | Front Mu Point of the Heart |
RN-17 (dàn zhōng (tán zhōng) 羶中)- The Chest Center | Front Mu Point of the Pericardium. Often tender/tight in emotional excess
patterns. Needled to calm spirit/relax the chest. Combined with PC-4 |
DU-4 (mìng mén 命門) The Life Gate | Used to warm kidney yang. Treated often with moxa for cold in the low burner
with back pain, fatigue, sense of cold. |
DU-6 (jǐzhōng 脊中) Spine Center | At level of UB-20/Spleen Shu/T-11. Moxa for post-natal deficiency. Considered the junction between middle and lower burners on back. |
DU-11 (shén dào 神道) Spirit Path | At level of UB-15/Heart-Shu/T-5. Insomnia, night sweats, waking often |
DU-14 (dà zhuī大椎) The Big Vertebra | “Meeting point of all yang channels”. Treated with moxa to warm the body
and to strengthen defensive qi. Needled or ‘plucked’ to clear heat (fever) |
DU-19 (hòu dǐng後頂) Behind the Vertex | Opens du/UB sinews down the neck and back. Palpate for junction and thread
through tenderness. |
DU-20 (bǎi huì百會) One Hundred Meetings | ‘The pressure cooker release valve and the rubber band’. Used both to clear yang
rising to the head and to lift prolapse (dropping sensation/organs) |
DU-21 (qián ding 前頂) In Front of the Vertex | Bring clear yang to the head. Fuzzy thinking. Fatigue. Brain Fog. |
DU-24 (shén tíng 神庭) Sprit Courtyard | Used to calm in anxiety, trauma. Frontal cortex in this area.
Can combine with GB-13 (Ben Shen/Sprit Root - 2/3 distance to ST-8) |