Atlas of Acupuncture

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

Location

On the anterior midline, 2 cun superior to the centre of the

umbilicus.

How to find

The distance between the sternocostal angle (➞3.5) and the

centre of the umbilicus is divided into 8 cun, which can vary

considerably from the patient’s finger cun. Therefore only pro-

portional cun measurements should be applied here (helpful

device: elastic tape ➞2.3.1). From the centre of the umbilicus,

measure 2 cun in a superior direction and there locate Ren-10on

the anterior midline.

Located on the same level are ➞KID-17(0.5 cun lateral to the

midline), ➞ST-23(2 cun lateral to the midline) and Ex-CA

(weishang; 4 cun lateral to the midline).

Needling

Vertically 0.5–1 cun. Caution: Peritoneum, pregnancy.

Actions/Indications

● Tonifies and regulates the Spleen and Stomach Qi, dispels

food stagnation

Special features

Meeting point with the SP channel and according to some

authors with the ST channel. According to some classical texts,

this point is contraindicated during pregnancy (for both needling

and moxibustion).

Ren-10 Lower Cavity XIAWAN

weishang

SP-15

6

2 cun

Ren-10

Ren-10

8 cun

Umbilicus

Sterno-

costal

angle

2 cun

18

16

18

15

25

24

(^2218)
16
17
22
19
8
17
12
LIV-14
G.B.-24
16
LIV-13
15
8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Umbilicus
1
Sterno-
costal
angle
KID-18 Ren-11
KID-17 Ren-10
0.5 cun Umbilicus
3 cun
ST-23
2 cun
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