Atlas of Acupuncture

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

5.8 Yang qiao mai

Synonym: Yang Motility Vessel(Deadman), Yang Heel Vessel

(Maciocia)

Relationships (➞1.7.3)

● Yin/Yang:yin qiao mai/yang qiao mai

● Central/peripheral:du mai/yin qiao mai. Regions supported

by this pairing: Inner canthus of the eye, occiput, shoulders

and back. Opening point: BL-62(shenmai), coupled point:

S.I.3(houxi)).

Pathway

The extraordinary vessel yang qiao maioriginates at ➞BL-62

(shenmai) below the prominence of the lateral malleolus, curves

briefly around the malleolus to ➞BL-61(pucan) and ascends

anterior to the Achilles tendon to ➞BL-59(fuyang), travels up

the lateral aspect of the leg, crosses the hip, passing ➞G.B.-29

(juliao), ascends the flanks and the posterior aspect of the shoul-

ders, passes ➞S.I.10(naoshu), continues to ➞L.I.-15(jianyu)

and runs in a curve to ➞L.I.-16(jugu), crosses the supraclavic-

ular fossa, ascends the throat, according to some authors passing

➞ST-9(renying), and reaches the face. Here the vessel passes

the points ➞ST-4(dicang) and ➞ST-3(juliao); according to

some authors also ➞ST-2(sibai) and ➞ST-1(chengqi) in the

infraorbital region. It then reaches ➞BL-1(jingming), where it

meets the extraordinary vessel yin qiao mai, ascends the fore-

head to the vertex and descends posteriorly to ➞ G.B.-20

(fengchi); according to the Nan Jingand the Nei Jingit also

reaches ➞Du-16(fengfu), where it enters the Brain.

Intersection points with other channels

BL-59

BL-61 BL-62

S.I.-10

L.I.-15

L.I.-16 ST-4

ST-3

BL-1

ST-1

G.B.-29

G.B.-20 ST-2*

ST-9*

* According to Deadman et al 1998.

BL-62

Lower border of the

lateral malleolus

BL-62(shenmai): In a depression directly inferior to the highest

prominence of the lateral malleolus, over the joint space

between the talus and calcaneus

BL-61

1.5 cun

BL-61(pucan): In a depression on the calcaneus, approximately

1.5 cun inferior to ➞ BL-60

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