Regions of the Body Targeted in Acupuncture

Needles are placed in various specific bodily locations to provide beneficial results. The rules of these functions adhere to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Transporting points are areas of the body that display the flow of qi. An analogy of a river is used, functional body points occurring along the lines of flow. Qi initially emerges as a bubbling mass at the natural spring and slowly flows across channels which increase in depth and breadth, just like a river network that starts in the mountains and eventually opens into the sea.

Jing-well locations represent the source of the river, where all the upwelling energy emerges. In all cases these are the yang channel starting points or end locations of yin channels. An exception to this rule is the Kid-1 YongQuan point, the other points are all located at the tips of toes and fingers. The Nei Jing and Nan Jing inferred that these jing-well points were associated with 'fullness of the heart' in the hypochondrium and epigastric regions, as well as zang (yang) organ disorders.

Ying-spring points occur where qi 'glides' along the channels. Nei Jing and Nan Jing describe these points as great for achieving changes in body complexion or heat.

Shu-stream points are said to be where the all important qi 'pours' down the energy channels. These points are given attention when the patient has joint pain, heaviness of the body or frequent bouts of disease.

Jing-river locations are where the 'flows' of qi along the channel occur. These points are recommended for acupuncture when someone has dyspnoea, fever, chills, coughs or sinew and bone diseases.

He-sea points represent collection points and subsequent deeper movements of qui into a person's body. These regions are best used when people have problems of counterflowing qi, diarrhea or irregular food and drink consumption.

Phase points exist, five in all. These locations represent one of each of the phases classed as fire, wood, earth, metal and water.

Yin channel ying-spring points are likened to fire, jing-well points are said to represent wood, shu-stream points infer earth, jing-river locations represent metal, he-sea points representing water.

Yang channels have fire represented by jing-river points, wood represented by shu-stream locations, earth inferred by he-sea points, metal by jing-well points and water by points of ying-spring.

A five phase theory dictates the necessary points used in acupuncture to treat a specific disease.

Points where the blood and qi group together and plunge deeper into the body are given the name Xi-cleft. Bodily conditions that are very painful, alongside other acute situations are best dealt with at these points.

Yuan qi can be accessed with acupuncture in Yuan-source points situated along the qi channels.

At the point where there is a diversion of the luo meridian are the luo-connecting points. Of the twelve meridians, each has a luo point diverging from the main meridian. Three extra luo channels exist additionally, these diverge from the Sp-21, Du-1 and Ren-15 acupuncture locations.

Points of Bak-shu reside on the spine's paraspinal muscles. Ancient Chinese workings say that each organs qi gets moved from and to these points, also getting influenced by their presence along the flow.

Front-mu points are situated close to the various organs. Direct effects from these points are placed on the particular organs, although not on the channels they are associated with.

Points of Hui-meeting are said to contain a 'special effort' on particular organs and tissues, the meeting points being:

qi ren-17 Shang Fu
sinews GB34 Yang Ling Quan
zang organs Liv13 Zhang Men
bone BI11 Da Zhu
marrow GB39 Xuan Zhong
vessels Lu9 Tai Yuan
blood BI17 Ge Shu
fu organs Ren12 Zhong Fu

Practitioners use the above locations/ effects of their application in acupuncture treatments to reduce 'patterns of disharmony' within the body. Once put right qi is thought to have an improved flow throughout a patients body.

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