Atlas of Acupuncture

8.3 Point Combinations

Clinical application for Interiorly–Exteriorly paired

channels (➞1.2.3)

● For acute unilateral channel disorders caused by the invasion

of pathogenic factors, combine local pointson the affected

side with the luo-connecting pointon the contralateral side.

● For chronic unilateral channel disorders caused by the inva-

sion of pathogenic factors, combine local pointson the affected

side with the luo-connecting point of the Interiorly–Exteriorly

paired channelon the contralateralside (with tonifying

technique).

Indications for unilateral and/or contralateral

needling

● For acute, painful disorders: contralateral or diagonal

needling (corresponding hand and foot channel, also see ➞

8.2.1 and ➞8.2.2)

● For chronic joint disorders:ipsilateral needling of several

points balanced by needling of contralateral points.

● In paediatric acupuncture(use fewer needles)

● For ongoing treatment sessions:occasional balancing con-

tralateral needling of the healthy side of the body

8.3.6 Chain and Lock Point

Association Method

Two, three or more points on the same channel are selected and

needled one after the other (in a row). This method is predomi-

nantly applied for disorders of the musculoskeletal system or the

nervous system.

8.3.7 Point Selection According to the

Organ Clock

Within a 24-hour cycle each channel experiences a two-hour

period of maximum Qi flow (➞Fig. 1.17, Chinese Organ clock).

Some modern (Western) schools extrapolate the circadian Qi flow

to the Organs (internal channel pathways and divergent channels).

If one Organ is at its maximum period, the Organ on the oppo-

site side of the clock will be at its minimum period, in other

words the Qi flow will at that time be at its lowest. Symptoms of

a disorder occurring at a particular time may provide a hint about

the Organ affected, which at that time will be during its maxi-

mal period in excess syndromesor during its minimal period

in deficiency syndromes.

For example:Always waking up between 1 and 3 am can be a

sign of a Liver syndrome. Thus the tonification point and/or luo-

connecting point of the channel opposite to the Liver on the

Organ clock could be selected, in this example S.I.-3(houxi,

tonification point) or S.I.-7(zhizheng, luo-connecting point).

L.I.-4

L.I.-11

L.I.-14

G.B.-30

G.B.-31

G.B.-34

1

KID

BL

S.I.

HE

SP

T.B.

G.B.

LIV

LU

L.I.

ST

P

3

5

7

9

1 11

3

5

7

11

9

Most distal

transverse crease

S.I.-3

S.I.-2

Junction shaft/head

5 cun

S.I.-7

Ulna Medial epicondyle

of the humerus

Addendum: There are some very specific methods for chrono-

acupuncture, for exampel the zi wu liu zhumethod and the ling

gui ba famethod, where points are needled at specific times (➞

Kubiena and Ramakers 2002).

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