Atlas of Acupuncture

4 Acupuncture Points of the Twelve Primary Channels

Clinical importance (➞1.2)

Exterior (biao) signs and symptoms: Fever, aversion to cold,

nasal blockage, headache, pain in the region of the thorax, shoul-

der and back, pain with cold sensations along the channel

Interior (li) or zangfu-Organ signs and symptoms: Cough, asthma,

wheezing, dyspnoea, shortness of breath, fullness and tightness

of the chest, expectoration of phlegm, dry throat, changed colour

of the urine, irritability, heat sensation in the palms, abdominal

fullness and distension, diarrhoea

Excess (shi): Shoulder and back pain, Wind-Cold attack with

spontaneous sweating, frequent urination, yawning

Deficiency (xu): Shoulder and back pain with aversion to cold,

shortness of breath, changed colour of urine

Connections of the Lung primary channel

(➞1.2)

Connections with other channels

Large Intestine primary channel (shou yang ming jing)

Connection:Hand Yin–Yang connection of the first great circuit

Location: LU-7➞L.I.-1(on the hand). A branch of the Lung

primary channel separates at LU-7(lieque) and connects with

the Large Intestine primary channel at L.I.-1(shangyang),

according to some authors also with ➞L.I.-4(hegu).

Circulation:Circadian (according to the Organ clock)

Importance:Interior–Exterior relationship

Spleen primary channel (zu tai yin jing)

Connection: Paired according to the six channel theory

(hand–foot pairing): tai yin(Yin axes of the first great circuit)

Location: SP-20➞LU-1(on the thorax). A branch of the

Spleen primary channel separates at ➞SP-20(zhourong) and

connects with the Lung primary channel at ➞LU-1(zhongfu).

Circulation:Non-circadian (not according to the Organ clock)

Importance:Above–below relationship

Liver primary channel (zu jue yin jing)

Connection:Deep Yin–Yin connection

Location:LIV ➞LU (on the thorax). An internal branch of the

Liver primary channel emerges at the Liver, passes the diaphragm

and spreads inside the Lung (fei), forming a network with the Lung

primary channel.

Circulation:Circadian (according to the Organ clock)

Importance:Closes the circle of the first great circuit of the

Nutritive Qi (ying qi, ➞1.1.4)

Ren mai

Connection:Ren mai➞Lung primary channel

Importance:Closes the circle of the second circuit of the Nutri-

tive Qi (ying qi, ➞1.1.4). The Lung primary channel as well as

the great circuit (circulation through the 12 primary channels)

receives Qi from the small circuit (ren mai – du mai).

Connections to the zangfu-Organ systems

Lung (fei), Large Intestine (dachang), Stomach (wei)

4.1.2 The Lung Divergent Channel

(shou tai yin jing bie)

LU-1

G.B.-22

L.I.-18

ST-12

(6th confluence)

Pathway

The Lung divergent channel separates from the Lung primary

channel in the axillary region

➡travels anteriorly to ➞G.B.-22(yuanye) on the midaxillary

line, 3 cun inferior to the axilla

➡enters the thoracic region

➡disperses in the Lung (fei), its pertaining zang-Organ

➡descends to the Large Intestine (dachang), its paired fu-Organ

➡ascends again and emerges in the region of the supraclavicu-

lar fossa at ➞ST-12(quepen)

➡traverses the neck in a cranial direction and connects with the

Large Intestine primary channel at ➞L.I.-18(futu) at one of

the six he-confluences* (L.I./LU as 6th confluence. ➞1.3).

There exist variations regarding the channel pathway due to dif-

fering interpretations of the Ling Shu(➞Solinas et al. 1998).

*According to some authors the 6th confluence is localised at ➞ST-12

(quepen).

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