Atlas of Acupuncture

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

Location

On the midline, below the spinous process of the 3rd thoracic

vertebra (T3).

How to find

Locate T7 (➞3.4.2). From there, count up 4 spinous processes

and locate Du-12on the midline, below the spinous process of

T3. Or:Locate C7 (➞3.4.1). Du-12can then be located by

counting down 3 spinous processes (T1–T3).

Located on the same level are a point of ➞Ex-B-2/BL-13/

BL-42(0.5/1.5/3 cun lateral to the midline).

Needling

0.3–1 cun strictly vertically to the skin or obliquely in an inferior

direction, with the patient’s back straight or flexed in order to

avoid puncturing the spinal canal. Oblique insertions should

only be carried out by experienced practitioners, as in small per-

sons (irrespective of their body weight), the spinal canal may be

reached after only 1.25 cun.

Actions/Indications

● Dispels internal and external Wind

● Calms the shen

● Tonifies the Lungs

Special features

Meeting point with the BL channel

Du-12 Body Pillar SHENZHU

Du-12

Spinous process C7

Midline

Spinous process T3

Spinous process T7

Base of the

scapular spine

Inferior

angle

15

17

18

20

14

12

8

49 6

47

46

44

42

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10

11

12

S.I.-12

S.I.-10

11 13

13

11

9

S.I.-15

Ex-B-3

BL-13

Spinous process T3

Scapular spine

Medi

scapula

a

BL-42

Spinous process C7

Spinous process T3

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