Atlas of Acupuncture

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

Location

On the anterior midline, 2 cun inferior to the sternocostal angle

or 6 cun superior to the umbilicus.

How to find

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

centre of the umbilicus is divided into 8 cun (note: these are pro-

portional cun ➞2.2). Ren-14is located on the midline, 2 cun

inferior to the sternocostal angle or 6 cun superior to the umbili-

cus. Or:Use spreading hands technique (➞Chapter 2): Place

the little fingers on the sternocostal angle and the umbilicus

respectively and determine the midpoint of this distance (➞

Ren-12). Then locate Ren-14on the midpoint of the distance

between ➞Ren-12and the sternocostal angle.

Located on the same level are ➞KID-21(0.5 cun lateral to the

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

(approximately on this level, in the 6th intercostal space, on the

mamillary line).

Needling

0.3–0.8 cun vertically or often obliquely in an inferior direction or

up to 1.5 cun transversely (subcutaneously). Depending on indi-

vidual anatomy, this point can be located on the xiphoid process.

Caution: Peritoneum, injury to hypertrophied organs (left: heart,

right: liver) depending on the thickness of the abdominal wall.

Actions/Indications

● Regulates the Heart, disperses stagnant Phlegm, alleviates

pain, unbinds the thorax, descends the Qi

● Harmonises the Stomach, descends Stomach Qi

● Transforms Phlegm, calms the shen

Special features

Front-mupoint of the Heart. Major local point for thoracic pain

caused by Blood stasis or Phlegm blockages.

Ren-14 Great Gateway JUQUE

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 1
Umbilicus
Sterno-
costal
angle
2 cun
6 cun
Ren-14
Sternocostal
angle
Ren-14
Sternocostal
angle
KID-21 Ren-14
2 cun
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