Atlas of Acupuncture

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

Location

On the midline, in the sacral hiatus.

How to find

Palpate for the sacral hiatus (➞3.4.4) from the sacrum. It can be

felt at the inferior end of the iliac median crest as a U-shaped

depression opening towards the inferior. Du-2is located on the

midline, directly below the hiatus.

➞BL-35is located slightly more inferiorly, 0.5 cun lateral to

the midline, on the level of the tip of the coccyx.

Needling

Up to 1 cun vertically or obliquely in a superior direction.

Actions/Indications

● Strengthens the lumbar region and the legs

● Dispels Wind-Dampness

● Warms the Lower Burner

Du-2 Lumbar Shu YAOSHU

BL-35

Anus

0.5 cun

Coccyx

Tip of the coccyx

Median sacral crest

Sacral hiatus

Fingers on the

1st to 4th sacral

foramina

Du-2

25 3

54

Ex-B-6

4

5

2

36

30

1

Bladder channel,

outer branch

Bladder channel,

inner branch

Du mai

Ex-B-8

Ex-B-5 Ex-B-5

Ex-B-7

Ex-B-11

Median sacral

crest

Sacral hiatus

Sacral foramina

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