Atlas of Acupuncture

8 Point Categories and Point Selection

8.1.16 Entry/Exit Points

While in modern Chinese literature entry/exit points are not

mentioned as a separate point category, they are listed as such in

some Western literature (for example Jarrett 2003, Hicks et al.

2004, Pirog 1996). However, Hicks et al. (➞2004, p. 250) pos-

tulate that original Chinese sources exist for these points. The

concept of entry/exit points is based on a continuous flow of Qi

from one channel to the next, the sequence corresponding to the

Organ clock (➞1.1.4). Shunts are suggested in order to facili-

tate the flow of Qi from the end of one channel to the beginning

of the next. At an entry point the Qi therefore flows from the pre-

ceding channel into the following one, while at the exit points it

leaves the current channel in order to enter the next one.

However, it should be noted that the entry/exit points do not

always correspond to the first or last point on a channel. In the

following table these points are marked by grey shading.

Channel (sequence Time of maximum Qi flow Entry/exit points in sequential order

according to Organ clock)

LU(LU-1–LU-11) 3–5am LU-1 (zhongfu) ➡ LU-7 (lieque)

L.I.(L.I.-1–L.I.-20) 5–7am L.I.-20 (yingxiang) L.I.-4 (hegxu)

ST(ST-1–ST-45) 7–9am ST-1 (chengqi) ➡ ST-42 (chongyang)

SP(SP-1–SP-21) 9–11am SP-21 (dabao) SP-1 (yinbai)

HE(HE-1–HE-9) 11am–1pm HE-1 (jiquan) ➡ HE-9 (shaochong)

S.I.(S.I.-1–S.I.-19) 1–3pm S.I.-19 (tinggong) S.I.-1 (shaoze)

BL(BL-1–BL-67) 3–5pm BL-1 (jingming) ➡ BL-67 (zhiyin)

KID(KID-1–KID-27) 5–7pm KID-22 (bulang) KID-1 (yongquan)

P(P-1–P-9) 7–9pm P-1 (tianchi)* ➡ P-8 (laogong)*

T.B.(T.B.-1–T.B.-23) 9–11pm T.B.-22 (erheliao) T.B.-1 (guanchong)

G.B.(G.B.-1–G.B.-44) 11pm–1am G.B.-1 (tongziliao) ➡ G.B.-41 (zulinqi)

LIV(LIV-1–LIV-14) 1–3am LIV-14 (qimen) LIV-1 (dadun)

➡➡➡➡➡

➡➡➡➡➡

➡

➡ ➡ ➡ ➡ ➡ ➡

* In women P-2 is often substituted for P-1 due to its anatomical location close to the breast.

Ch08-F10028.qxd 2/23/08 4:41 PM Page 684