Atlas of Acupuncture

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

Location

On the midline, 0.5 cun superior to the anterior hairline or 4.5

cun anterior to ➞Du-20.

How to find

First, locate the anterior hairline (➞3.1.1) and, from there, pal-

pate 0.5 cun in a superior direction. There, locate Du-24on the

midline. For reference: The distance from the anterior hairline to

➞Du-20(at the junction of the vertical midline and a line con-

necting the apices of the ears) is 5 cun.

Located on the same level (0.5 cun superior to the anterior hair-

line) are ➞BL-3/BL-4/G.B.-15/G.B.-13(superior to the inner

canthus of the eye/1.5 cun lateral to the midline/on the pupil line

or 2.25 cun lateral to the midline/3 cun lateral to the midline).

These distances refer to the proportional cun distance (➞2.2)

between Du-24and ➞ST-8(on the corner of the forehead),

which equals 4.5 cun (1.5 cun lateral to the midline).

Needling

Transversely (subcutaneously) 0.3–0.5 cun. Moxibustion possible.

Actions/Indications

● Calms the shen

● Dispels (internal) Wind

● Clears pathogenic factors from the eyes and nose

Special features

Meeting point with the BL and ST channels. One of the major

points for calming the shen.

Du-24 Courtyard of the Spirit SHENTING

Hairline

Midline

0.5 cun

Du-24

BL-4

BL-6

BL-5

BL-7

BL-8

G.B.-18

G.B.-17

G.B.-16

G.B.-15

Du-20

Du-21

Du-22

Du-23

BL-3

Du-24 Hairline

Du-20

5 cun

Apex of the ear Apex of the ear

4.5 cun ST-8

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