Atlas of Acupuncture

4.8 The Kidney Channel System – Foot shaoyin(zu shao yin jing luo)

Location

2 cun inferior to the sternocostal angle, 0.5 cun lateral to the

anterior midline.

How to find

The distance between the sternocostal angle (➞3.5) and the cen-

tre of the umbilicus is divided into 8 proportional cun, which can

vary considerably from the patient’s finger cun. Therefore, only

proportional cun should be used (elastic tape ➞2.3.1). From the

sternocostal angle, measure 2 cun in an inferior direction and on

this level locate KID-210.5 cun lateral to the midline.

Located on the same level are ➞Ren-14(on the midline),

➞ST-19(2 cun lateral to the midline) and ➞LIV-14(on the

mamillary line, in the 6th intercostal space).

Needling

Vertically 0.5–1 cun. Caution: The liver is located on the right,

the peritoneum on the left. Caution during pregnancy.

Actions/Indications

● Harmonises the Stomach, regulates counterflow Qi

Special features

Meeting point with the chong mai. Last point of the chong mai

located on the Kidney channel.

Hidden Gate YOUMEN KID-21

KID-21 Ren-14

KID-20 Ren-13

KID-19 Ren-12

KID-18 Ren-11

KID-17 Ren-10

0.5 cun

Sternocostal

angle

Umbilicus

8 cun

5 cun

3 cun

Sternocostal

angle

Umbilicus

2 cun

Ren-14

ST-18

ST-19

2 cun

Sternocostal

angle

6th intercostal space

LIV-14

5th intercostal space

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