Table I
Lung
Feishu (UB 13)
Zhongfu (Lu 1)
Pericardium
Jueyinshu (UB 14)
Shanzhong (Ren 17)
Heart
Xinshu (UB 15)
Jujue (Ren 14)
Liver
Ganshu (UB 18)
Qimen (Liv 14)
Gall Bladder
Danshu (UB 19)
Riyue (GB 24)
Spleen
Pishu (UB 20)
Zhangmen (Liv 13)
Stomach
Weishu (UB 21)
Zhongwan (Ren 12)
Sanjiao
Sanjiaoshu (UB 22)
Shimen (Ren 5)
Kidney
Shensh (UB 23)
Jingmen (GB 25)
Large intestine
Dachangshu (UB 25)
Tianshu (St 25)
Small intestine
Xiaochangshu (UB 27)
Guanyuan (Ren 4)
Urinary bladder
Pangguangshu (UB 28)
Zhongji (Ren 3)
Yuan source points
These points are near the wrist and the ankle. They are very useful points for treating diseases of their respective organs, for instance Taixi (K 3) and Taichong (Liv 3) are points commonly used for diseases of the gan-liver and shen-kidney; both are yuan source points. See Table II.
Luo connecting points
Each channel is connected internally and externally with another channel; for instance the lung and large intestine channels are connected The luo connecting point is the actual connection between these two channels, so the diseases of the connected channel can be treated by using the luo connecting point; for instance disease of the large intestine channel may be treated by using Lieque (Lu 7).
Table II
Lung Channel
Taiyuan (Lu 9)
Pianli (LI 6)
Large intestine channel
Hegu (LI 4)
Lieque (Lu 7)
Stomach channel
Chongyang (St 42)
Gongsun (Sp 4)
Spleen channel
Taibai (Sp 3)
Fenglong (St 40)
Heart Channel
Shenmen (H 7)
Zhizheng (SI 7)
Small intestine channel
Hand-Wangu (SI 4)
Tongli (H 5)
Urinary bladder channel
Jinggu (UB 64)
Dazhong (K 4)
Kidney channel
Taixi (K 3)
Feiyang (UB 58)
Pericardium channel
Daling (P 7)
Waiguan (SJ 5)
Sanjiao channel
Yangchi (SJ 4)
Neiguan (P 6)
Gall bladder channel
Qiuxu (GB 40)
Ligou (Liv 5)
Liver channel
Taichong (Liv 3)
Guangming (GB 37)
Influential points
These points are often used when a disease relates to a specific tissue or organ. Zhongwan (Ren 12) is often used when there is abdominal pain because it is the influential point for the fu organs.
There are other groups of points, such as the Xi-cleft points or the lower He points, but they are of limited clinical value. The most important and frequently used groups of points have been mentioned.
Table III
Zang organs
Zhangmen (Liv 13)
Fu organs
Zhongwan (Ren 12)
Qi (respiratory system)
Shanzhong (Ren 17)
Blood
Geshu (UB 17)
Tendon
Yanglingquan (GB 34)
Bone
Dazhu (UB 11)
Marrow
Xuanzhong (GB 39)
Arterial pulse
Taiyuan (Lu 9)
The law of the five elements
No acupuncture book is complete without this, although we did not make a great deal of use of this law in our course.
There are five elements in traditional Chinese philosophy: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Wood is represented by the liver and gall bladder, water the kidney and urinary bladder, fire the heart and small intestine, earth the spleen and stomach, and metal the lung and large intestine. There is a creating and destroying cycle for these elements.