For an overview of the theoretical background of the eight

extraordinary vessels ➞1.7.

5.1 Chong mai

Synonym: Penetrating Vessel

Relationships (➞1.7.3)

● Yin/Yang:chong mai/dai mai

● Central/peripheral:chong mai/yin wei mai. Regions sup-

ported by this pairing: Heart, thorax, Stomach. Opening

point: SP-4 (gongsun), coupled point: P-6 (neiguan)

Pathway

The extraordinary vessel chong maioriginates like the du mai

and ren maiin the lower abdomen at bao zhong(in women in the

Uterus) or, according to some authors, at the Kidneys. It crosses

the genital area and divides into two branches:

➡A deep branchreaches the perineum at ➞Ren-1(huiyin),

travels to the spine, penetrates the spinal canal and ascends to

the level of T1 and T2. (According to some authors the vessel

ascends the anterior aspect of the spine.)

➡The other branchemerges at ➞ST-30(qichong) to the sur-

face of the body and divides into two external branches, one

descending and one ascending branch:

● the ascendingbranch reaches ➞KID-11(henggu) 0.5 cun

lateral to the midline at the level of the pubic symphysis and

from there follows the KID channel to ➞KID-21(youmen).

The KID channel initially ascends the abdomen at a distance

of 0.5 cun from the midline, passing ➞KID-12(dahe),

➞ KID-13(qixue), ➞KID-14 (siman) and ➞ KID-15

(zhongzhu), runs to the midline, meeting ➞Ren-7(yinjiao)

1 cun inferior to the umbilicus, and again returns to its

pathway 0.5 cun lateral to the midline, passing ➞KID-16

(huangshu), ➞KID-17(shangqu), ➞KID-18(shiguan),

➞KID-19(yindu), ➞KID-20(futonggu) and ➞KID-21

(youmen). The vessel then disperses into the intercostal

spaces, ascends the neck, circles the inner surface of the lips

and spreads in the upper pharynx and the nasal cavities.

● the descending branchmeets the Kidney primary channel

and descends the medial aspect of the thigh (according to the

Ling Shuit divides into the three foot Yin channels), pene-

trates the popliteal fossa, follows the medial border of the

tibia and emerges posterior to the medial malleolus, where it

divides into two sub-branches: one branch travels along the

anteromedial aspect of the foot to the big toe, the other branch

reaches the sole of the foot.

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

Points

Claudia Focks, Ulrich März

KID-20

KID-21

KID-19

KID-18

KID-17

KID-16

KID-15

KID-14

KID-13

ST-30

KID-11

ab

Ren-1

Du-1

Ren-7

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