Atlas of Acupuncture

4 Acupuncture Points of the Twelve Primary Channels

hypochondriac pain, irritability, shortness of breath, restless-

ness, dizziness, mental confusion

Connections of the Heart primary channel

(➞1.2)

Connections with other channels

Small Intestine primary channel (shou tai yang jing)

Connection:Hand Yin–Yang connection of the second great

circuit

Location: H-9 ➞S.I.-1(on the hand).

Circulation:Circadian (according to the Organ clock)

Importance:Exterior–Interior relationship

Kidney primary channel (zu shao yin jing)

Connection:Paired according to the six channel theory (hand–

foot pairing): shao yin(Yin axes of the second great circuit)

Location: KID➞HE(on the thorax). An internal branch of the

Kidney primary channel travels to the Liver (gan), penetrates the

diaphragm and spreads in the Lung (fei). From the Lung a branch

runs to Heart (xin) and there connects with the Heart primary

channel.

Circulation: Non-circadian (notaccording to the Organ clock)

Importance:Above–below relationship

Spleen primary channel (zu tai yin jing)

Connection:Deep Yin–Yin connection

Location: SP➞HE(on the thorax). An internalbranch of the

Spleen primary channel spreads in the Heart (xin) and connects

with the Heart primary channel.

Circulation:Circadian (according to the Organ clock)

Importance:The Heart primary channel receives Nutritive Qi

(ying qi) from the Spleen primary channel (first circulation of

the ying qi➞1.1.4)

Connections with other zangfu-Organ systems

Small Intestine (xiaochang), Heart (xin), Lung (fei)

4.5.2 The Heart Divergent Channel

(zu shao yin jing bie)

HE-1

Ren-23

BL-1

(4th confluence

• variant)

G.B.-22

(4th confluence

• variant)

Pathway

The Heart divergent channel separates from the Heart primary

channel at HE-1(jiquan) in the axilla

➡penetrates the thorax at ➞G.B.-22(yuanyue) on the mid-

axillary line and 3 cun distal to the axilla

➡and reaches the Heart (xin) (see commentary below).

➡It then ascends to the neck and crosses ➞Ren-23(lianquan)

➡disperses in the cheek and reaches the medial canthus of the

eye at ➞BL-1(jingming), where, according to most authors,

it connects with a small branch coming from ➞S.I.-18

(quanliao) to form one of the six he-confluences (here: S.I./BL

as fourth confluence ➞1.3).

Commentary: according to Solinas et al (1998) the Heart diver-

gent channel meets the Small Intestine divergent channel and

the Small Intestine primary channel at the Heart (xin) in order to

bind with one of the six he-confluences.

Clinical importance

● Strengthens the relationship between the Heart and the tho-

racic region. Points on the Heart primary channel mainly treat

disorders of the Heart and the thorax. There is no connection

with the Small Intestine (xiaochang).

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