INTRODUCTION TO THE MERIDIANS AND COLLATERALS

     The Meridians and their collaterals were systematically diagramed and utilized over the centuries by trial and error.  Observation of the signs and symptoms of disease and transmission of the sensation from the acupuncture procedure developed the Meridian and Collateral theory. 

     It is written in the Miraculous Pivot Chapter 10 that, “so important are the meridians and collaterals which determine life and death in the treatment of all diseases and the regulation of deficiency and excess conditions…” Further in chapter 33 it goes on to say “internally the twelve regular Meridians’ connect with the Zang-fu organs, and externally with the joints, limbs and other superficial tissues of the body.”  The ancients opined and today’s acupuncturists maintain the meridians and their collaterals transport Qi and blood to nourish the Zang-fu organs, skin, muscles, tendons, vessels, bones etc.   

     It must be noted that by 1979, the World Health Organization recommended to all nations that acupuncture/moxibustion therapy could be used to treat no less than 43 diseases.  Today that figure has jumped to 150 diseases to include diseases of the nervous system, pains, tension headaches, trigeminal (facial) neuralgia, bells palsy (facial paralysis), sciatica, shoulder arthritis and more.  The most common dis-eases or lack of ease treated by acupuncture are the facial paralysis (stroke, bells palsy, etc) and apoplexy sequelae.  There have been reports of success treating CHD, Angina pectoris and the arrhythmias, certain GI diseases such a acute and chronic ulcerative colitis, chronic cholecystitis, and gastric ulcers.  Even Respiratory tract disease of the nose, throat, bronchial asthma, and acute rhinitis.  Finally male and female infertility and regulation of fetal position have been suggested.  However the greatest effect has been anesthesia developed in China during the 1950’s.  Surgeries with Acupuncture anesthesia have been thyroidectomy, cesarean section, and hernia repair. 

      I am listing these conditions since you must understand the traditional Oriental Medicine places the cart before the hoarse.  Thus you will be required to know only clinically relevant Oriental Mythology.  My intent is to teach you as much medical scientific correlate with said mythology so you will be able to explain acupuncture therapy scientifically yourself.  Something no other work or school of acupuncture therapy has accomplished to date.  Nostalgic Medicine is just that, and it should be self evident, visa vie is historical contribution and care-giving over the five thousand years of herbal therapy and almost twenty-six hundred years of acupuncture therapy, that this form of medical study is beautiful.  Of course it's basis, circular logic has held captive its creativity by the vary nature the repetitive nature of circular logic.  Where you begin you eventually again end.  Whereas with Aristotelian or linear modern scientific logic, again its learning, continues growing down the line through infinity...

THE TWELVE REGULAR MERIDIANS AND EIGHT EXTRA

      The twelve regular meridians are the major trunks in the system.  They are categorized by the three following important concepts; a) The hand or foot, b) Yin or Yang, and c) the Zang or Fu Organ.  The upper and lower extremities are subdivided by three paired yin and yang meridians.   

   The three yin are Taiyin, Shaoyin and Jueyin and the yang are Yangming, Taiyang, and Shaoyang.  There is an important relationship between the paired meridians.  This relationship is called the internal-external (connects internal aspects with external) relationship between the three yin and three yang meridians: 

                      Taiyin        Yangming

      YIN        Jueyin         Shaoyang    YANG

                    Shaoyin        Taiyang

      If you understand the following relationship you won’t have to memorize it.  In fact one major problem with acupuncture therapy is that you must memorize much minutiae, which has no reference to science, your future education or day to day real experiences. 

      The Yin aspect of a limb is it medial portion.  Yang is the lateral aspect of a limb.  Thus the yin meridians of the Zang organs are medial and the Yang meridians of the Fu organs are lateral.

      There are eight additional meridians called the 8 Extra meridians.  These are the Ren, Du, Yang Qiao Yin Qiao, Yin Wei and Yang Wei, Chong and the Dai.  Ren means fostering and responsibility.  The Ren Meridian is also known of as the Conception Vessel responsible for all yin.

      The Du or Governor Vessel runs along the midline of the back governing all yang meridians.  Obviously the Du stands for Governing.

      The Chong meridian regulates the flow of Qi and blood in the twelve meridians.  Chong means vital pass and the Chong meridian is also called “the sea of the twelve primary meridians”. 

      The Dai meridian goes around the waste, binding or holding up all the meridians.  Dai means girdle or belt.  The Qiao meridian has two portions yin and yang.  The Yang-Qiao begins below the external malleolus and Yin-Qiao begins at the internal maleolus.  Finally the two Wei meridians yin and yang, stand for a connection and network.  The Yin-Wei connects the network with the yin of the body, while the yang of the body is linked though he Yang Wei.

      Finally there are the twelve muscle regions and the twelve cutaneous regions. These split from collaterals distributed all over the body and the skin. 

MERIDIAN AND COLLATERAL FUNCTION AND THERAPEUTIC APPROACH

      Study the Miraculous Pivot.  It is written in chapter 47 “The meridians and collaterals transport blood and Qi to adjust yin and an, nourish tendons and bones, and improve joint function.  Nutrient Qi flows inside the meridians and defensive Qi runs outside the meridians”.  Today we know that they are describing hypothalamic function, which we review throughout this text.   

     In chapter 71 it is written “when the lung and heart are involved in a pathogenic invasion, the pathogenic Qi lingers in the elbows, when the liver is Involved it lingers in both axillae; when the spleen is involved, it stays in both groins; when the kidney is involved, it stays in both popliteal fossae.”  Much like today’s known areas of referred pain the ancients mapped areas of referred pain from organs through the meridians.  Further they mapped out referred signs and symptoms into the face and into the organs of the 5 senses.  For example flare-up of the heart fire may induce tongue ulceration, liver fire rising may induce eye congestion and swelling; kidney Qi deficiency could cause hearing difficulties.  It is written in chapter 22 “in a case of liver disease, the pain may radiate from the hypochodrium to the abdomen and heart disease may radiate pain to the chest, with pain or fullness of costal region and hypochodrium, back and shoulder and even in the medial aspect of both arms”.  Hypochondria and lower abdomen

                   Qi                both axillae

LIVER        Fire              eye

               Disease    hypochondria lower abdomen

                   Qi                elbows

HEART       Fire             tongue ulcer

                   Disease        chest, back, shoulder,                                        jaw, medial arms.

                   Qi                both groins

Spleen         Fire             mouth

                   Qi                both popliteal fossae

 Kidney         Fire             hearing

 Chart of Original Ancient Organ Referred conditions consistent with science.

      It is written in chapter 9 of the Miraculous Pivot “acupuncture treatment must aim at regulating the glow of Qi”.  Then in chapter 5 “The key point in acupuncture treatment is to know how to regulate yin and yang”.  Further it is written in Precious Supplementary Prescriptions that “located on the courses of the meridians and collaterals, acupoints usher Qi to the distant sites to achieve curative aims”. 

      The ancients viewed the mechanisms of acupuncture therapy in activating and/or reducing the meridians and collaterals, regulating deficiency and excess, as well as equilibrating the yin and yang of the human body.  Further, the equilibration of Qi and blood transported through the meridians and collaterals to maintain normal physiology absent pathology.  Even if the body is invaded by pathogens, the knowledge that elimination of meridian disturbance, cures pathological changes, caused Acupuncturists to document their empirical success, albeit explained by Oriental Medical theory.

      To equilibrate Yin and Yang distinct methods have been developed.  For example in disease of heat or Yang excess and Yin deficiency, reduction of the three Yang meridians of the foot and hand and reinforcement of the three Yin meridians of the foot and head, quickly relieved the imbalance and return the body to a healthy state with Yin and Yang balance. 

      There are four basic principals to remember.  A) Reinforce deficiency and reduce excess, b) clear away heat and warm cold, c) treat the incidentals and fundamentals, and d) treat the same disease with different methods and treat different diseases with the same method.  Sound good.  This is the same reasoning the law applied to workers compensation within California.  If a treatment has not been tried and it is renowned for success with the same diagnosis, then it should be tried.  This is the logic used by the ancients as well as the Packard Therber System.  The preferred method of diagnosis used in Oriental Medicine today because of its all inclusive incite is the Eight Principles method which you will study in-depth later.  In essence to determine treatment and or the acupoints prescription, the Acupuncture therapist differentially diagnoses through noting the status of Yin and Yang, exterior and interior nature of disorder, deficiency or excess, cold or heat aspects of disease all cross checked prior to care.