Atlas of Acupuncture

4.2 The Large Intestine Channel System – Hand yangming(shou yang ming jing luo)

Location

With the thumb abducted, in a depression between the tendons

of the extensor pollicis longus and brevis muscles (‘anatomical

snuffbox’), on the radial aspect of the wrist.

How to find

The anatomical snuffbox is a depression on the radial aspect of

the wrist formed when abducting the thumb. Holding the hand in

a horizontal position, it opens towards the body. L.I.-5is located

on the wrist joint space, which becomes palpable by moving the

wrist. ➞LU-9is also located on the wrist joint space and can be

found by moving anteriorly from L.I.-5across the short tendon

of the extensor pollicis muscle.

Needling

Vertically 0.5–1 cun. Caution: Avoid the superficial cephalic vein.

Actions/Indications

● Supports the wrist joint

● Clears Fire and expels Wind

● Clears Fire from the yangming(L.I., ST) and calms the shen

Special features

Jing-river point, Fire point. Important local point for disorders

of the wrist, together with T.B.-4, S.I.-5, HE-7, P-7and LU-9.

Yang Stream YANGXI L.I.-5

L.I.-5

Tendon of the extensor

pollicis longus

Tendon of the extensor

pollicis brevis

Styloid process

of the radius

T.B.-9

L.I.-7

S.I.-7

T.B.- 6

T.B.- 5

T.B.- 4

L.I.-6

S.I.-6

L.I.-5

L.I.-10

T.B.-10 L.I.-11

S.I.-8

1

9

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

10

11

(^12) cun
Joint space
Radial artery
Lu-9
Carpal bones
Abductor
pollicis longus
Lu-8
1cun
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