Atlas of Acupuncture

5 The Eight Extraordinary Vessels (qi jing ba mai) with Points

Location

On the anterior midline, 1.5 cun inferior to the umbilicus or 3.5

cun superior to the upper border of the pubic symphysis.

How to find

The distance between the centre of the umbilicus and the upper

border of the pubic symphysis is divided into 5 cun, which can

vary considerably from the patient’s finger cun. Therefore, only

proportional cun measurements should be used here (helpful

device: elastic tape ➞2.3.1). Ren-6is located on the midline,

1.5 cun inferior to the umbilicus or 3.5 cun superior to the upper

border of the pubic symphysis.

Needling

Vertically 0.8–1.5 cun. Caution: Peritoneum, pregnancy. Accord-

ing to some authors, this point should never be needled with

strong reducing techniques owing to its strong Qi tonifying action.

Moxibustion and cupping are recommended for this point.

Actions/Indications

● Tonifies the Original Qi (yuan qi) as well as Qi in general,

strengthens the Kidneys (especially Kidney Yang), regulates

Qi, harmonises Blood and eliminates Dampness

Special features

Important tonification point for mental and physical exhaustion,

strengthens especially the Qi and Yang with moxibustion. One

of the most important acupuncture points.

Ren-6 Sea of Qi QIHAI

Ren-2

Ren-6

Ren-8 Umbilicus

Upper border

of the pubic

symphysis

3.5 cun

1.5 cun

Ren-6

Upper border of the

pubic symphysis

16

Ren-2

25

29

ST-30

14

12

13

SP-12 KID-11

8

27

6

4

14

15 Umbilicus

Upper border

of the pubic

symphysis

1

2

3

4

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