Atlas of Acupuncture

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

Location

On the anterior midline, 4 cun superior to the umbilicus or 4 cun

inferior to the sternocostal angle.

How to find

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

centre of the umbilicus can be divided into 8 cun, which can vary

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

portional cun measurements should be applied here (helpful

device: elastic tape ➞2.3.1). From the centre of the umbilicus,

measure either 4 cun in a superior direction or from the ster-

nocostal angle 4 cun in an inferior direction. There, locate Ren-

12 on the anterior midline. Or:Spreading hands technique

(➞2.3.3): Place the little fingers on the sternocostal angle and

the centre of the umbilicus respectively and determine the mid-

point (
Ren-12) of this distance by joining the index fingers.

Located on the same level are ➞KID-19(0.5 cun lateral to the

midline) and ➞ST-21(2 cun lateral to the midline).

Needling

0.8–1.5 cun vertically or obliquely towards surrounding points

(➞ST-21, Ren-10, Ren-15). Caution: Peritoneum, pregnancy.

If indicated, moxa is recommended.

Actions/Indications

● Harmonises and tonifies the Middle Burner, descends coun-

terflow Qi, regulates the Qi flow and alleviates pain, trans-

forms Dampness

Special features

Front-mupoint of the stomach, meeting point with the S.I.,

T.B.* and ST channels, hui-meeting point of the fu-Organs.

Major point for (functional) stomach disorders.

Ren-12 Middle Cavity ZHONGWAN

18

16

18

15

25

24

(^2218)
16
17
22
19
8
17
12
LIV-14
G.B.-24
16
LIV-13
15
8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Umbilicus
1
Sterno-
costal
angle
4 cun
4 cun
Ren-12
Sternocostal
angle
Ren-12
Sternocostal
angle
Umbilicus
Sternocostal
angle
Ren-12
KID-19 Ren-12
KID-18 Ren-11
KID-17 Ren-10
8 cun
4 cun
1/2
Ren-12
ST-21

• Mentioned by only some authors
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