SPECIAL ACUPOINTS

THE XI-CLEFT POINTS

      Relative to point selection the key points are listed adjacent to meridians and one key point, the Major Lou of the Spleen.  You can always determine a key point known as the Xi-Cleft point for each of the 12 regular meridians by the following rule.  The Xi-Cleft is the same as the Shu Stream Point for Yin.  For the Yang meridian it is one point higher than the Shu Stream.  For example the Shu stream point Kid 7 is the Xi-Cleft, which Li3 is the Shu Stream Point.

      The Xi-Cleft Points are the sites where Qi and blood in the meridians accumulate.  As you can see from your chart there are 16 Qi Cleft points.  These special points treat primarily “acute” diseases of the Zang Fu organs.  Common examples are Pericardium 4 to treat pain and fullness of the chest where Lung 6 for hemoptysis, Large Intestine 7 abdominal pain and borborygmus or Stomach 34 for epigastric pain. 

REVIEW OF THE FIVE SHU POINTS

      Earlier in this text you were introduced to these points.  They are found below the elbows and knees.  Remember they are located in the order of below to above and the Qi increases in them as they progress.  You will also notice in your study chart disease conditions associated with each of the 5 Shu Points.  Again a simple review of the early literature explains these points.  It is written in the Classic on Medical Problems, Chapter 68 “Jing Points are indicated in the fullness of the chest; Ying Points for febrile diseases; Shu Points or heavy sensations of the body and painful joints, Jing Points for cough and asthma due to pathogenic cold and heat; and the Points for diarrhea…” Experience furthers these correlates to Jing Well-Zang-fu mental illness, Ying Spring respiratory problems a well as combined with Shu Stream and Jing River for disorders along the outer course of the affected meridians.  There are two sets of He Sea Points.  These points are indicated for Fu organ disease with the lower extremity He Sea points.  These lower He Sea are diagrammed as follows:

LI-St 37:  where Li is the Large Intestine and its Lower He Sea Point is Stomach 37

St-St 36:  where St is the Stomach and its Lower He Sea Point is Stomach 36

SI-St 39:  SI where SI is the Small Intestine and its Lower He Sea is Stomach 39

Ub-Ub40: where Ub is the Urinary Bladder and its Lower He Sea is Urinary Bladder 40

Sj-Sj39: where SJ is the San Jiao or Triple Burner and its Lower He Sea is San Jiao 39

Gb-Gb34: where Gb is the Gall Bladder and its Lower He Sea is Gall Bladder 34 

     It is written in the Miraculous Pivot Chapter 4, “The six fu organs, i.e. the Stomach, Small Intestine, Gall Bladder, Urinary Bladder and Small Intestine are closely related to the three yang meridians of the foot.  On each meridian is a Lower He Sea Point."  There reasoning is quite simple.  These powerful points of the Stomach, Urinary Bladder and Gall Bladder link pared yang meridians of the head.  Thus you can take care of a myriad of conditions with these few points.  For example the Large Intestine and small intestine can be treated by these Stomach points, which activate the ascending and descending functions of the Gastrointestinal Tract.  The Urinary Bladder and San Jiao respond with the Bladder points to control the water passages connected to the San Jiao and Urinary Bladder etc. 

      Further this concept was summarized nicely by the Miraculous Pivot.  It is written in Chapter 4, “Disorders of the six fu organs can be treated by the He Sea Points."  Excellent clinical experience here given as the care of gastric pain and sour regurgitation by the treatment of Stomach 36; appendicitis pain and dysentery by Stomach 37, biliary pain, pain at the tips of the scapula and vomiting by Gb 34, and elimination of Bladder heat by Ub 40 or Ub 39.

 THE YUAN PRIMARY POINTS OR ZANG-FU ANKLE AND WRIST POINTS

      The Primary Qi of the Zang-Fu organs resides in points known as Yuan Primary Points.  These twelve points are located at the wrist and ankle.  Again it is written in the Miraculous Pivot Chapter 1, “When the five Zang organs are diseased, the symptoms will manifest themselves in the conditions of the twelve Yuan Points with which they are connected.  Each of the 5 Zang Organs is connected with its own Yuan point.  For this reason if we fully grasp the connects between Zang organs and their corresponding Yuan Points as well as the latter’s external manifestations, there will be no difficulty for us to understand the nature of the diseases of the five Zang organs…the twelve Yuan points are effective for treating the diseases of the 5 Zang organs and the 6 Fu organs”.  Obviously Yuan means source or origin.  These Yuan Primary points are intimately associated with san Jiao and primary Qi.  Remember the Primary Qi or inherited essence and Qi originates from between the two kidneys distributing over the whole body and concerning the Qi activity.  It traveled through the Yang meridians thus the San Jiao.  The Primary Qi is located in the Yuan Primary Points.  These points are excellent for excess and deficiency syndromes of the Zang-Fu Organs.

THE LUO CONNECTING POINTS (The Internal External Connectors)

      Connecting points between internally-externally related meridians are known of as the Luo connecting points.  Each of the twelve regular meridians has a Luo connecting point located on the extremities.  The Du, Ren, and Major Collateral of the Spleen or Major Lou of the Spleen are Luo Points on the Truck.  These fifteen Luo connecting points treat disorders of the Zang Fu organs with exterior-interior relationship as well as the areas supplied by the paired meridians.  For example, as you learned the spleen and stomach are internally and externally related.  Sp4, the Luo connecting point can treat spleen and stomach diseases.  The following chart exemplifies key treatments with a known Luo point.

Lung 7 for Heat in the Palms

Heart 5 for Hiccup

Pericardium 6 for Heart pain

Small Intestine 7 for loose elbow

Large Intestine 6 for toothache and deafness

San Jiao 5 for elbow spasm

Urinary Bladder 58 for Nasal obstruction

Stomach 40 for manic-depressive disorders.

Gall Bladder 37 for Qi syncope

Spleen 4 for Intestinal Colic

Kidney 4 for Uroschesis

Liver 5 for orchitis and hernia

Du1 for back pain

Ren 15 for abdominal pain

Sp 21 for joint pain.

THE FRONT MU POINTS

      Front Mu points of the Zang-Fu organs are where meridian Qi accumulates.  They are located on the chest and abdomen.  Next you will study the Back Shu Points.  In Genuine Meaning of the Classic on Medical Problems, it is written “The Qi in the Yang and Yin meridians connect with each other, and the Qi of the Zangfu Organs in the abdomen and back communicates with each other.  Further it is written in this Classic “Diseases of the Zang organs (yin) are manifested in the Back-Shu points and the disease of the fu organs (yang) are manifested in the Front-Mu Points”.  Thus Back Shu is used to treat Zang Organs and Front Mu to treat Fu organs.  For example Urinary Bladder 28 treats the liver, Ren 12 the Stomach and S25 the Large Intestine.