Atlas of Acupuncture

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

5.5 Yin wei mai

Synonym: Yin Motility Vessel(Deadman), Yin Heel Vessel

(Maciocia)

Relationships (➞1.7.3)

● Yin/Yang:yin wei mai/yang wei mai

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

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

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

Pathway

The extraordinary vessel yin wei maioriginates in the hypochon-

drium at ➞KID-9(zhubin), 5 cun proximal to the prominence of

the medial malleolus, ascends the medial aspect of the leg to the

inguinal region, follows the Spleen and Liver primary channels,

passing the points ➞SP-12(chongmen) and ➞SP-13(fushe). It

then passes ➞SP-15(daheng) and ➞SP-16(fuai) and again

meets with the Spleen and Liver primary channels at ➞LIV-14

(qimen). The vessel then traverses the thoracic region, passes

➞Ren-22(tiantu) in the suprasternal fossa and follows the

extraordinary vessel ren maito ➞Ren-23(lianqiao) where it

terminates.

Meeting points with other channels

Heart

Ren-22

Ren-23

LIV-14

SP-16

SP-15

SP-13

KID-9

SP-12

KID-7

KID-3

LIV-5 KID-9

5 cun

KID-9(zhubin): 5 cun proximal to KID-3 and 2 cun posterior to

the medial border of the tibia

SP-12

Upper border

of the pubic

symphysis

3.5 cun

Symphysis

SP-12(chongmen): 3.5 cun lateral to the midline, level with the

upper border of the pubic symphysis, lateral to the femoral

artery

SP-13

SP-12

3.5 cun

0.7 cun

0.5 cun

Symphysis

Upper border

of the pubic

symphysis

SP-13(fushe): 4 cun lateral to the anterior midline (mamillary

line) and 0.7 cun superior to the upper border of the pubic

symphysis

4 cun

ST-25 SP-15

2 cun

SP-15(daheng): 4 cun lateral to the centre of the umbilicus

SP-15

4 cun SP-16

3 cun

SP-16(fuai): 3 cun superior to the centre of the umbilicus and

4 cun lateral to the anterior midline, on the mamillary line

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