Thursday, August 26, 2010

Extra Ordinary Points

In addition to the points on the channels, there are numerous points not on the channels that have found their place in Chinese medicine.  Some of these are located on the channels, but away from established points of those channels.

Here's a summary of the good ones!

Ex1  On the ridge of the nose, midway between the medial ends of the eyebrows.  Rhinitis, headache, eye diseases, endocrine disorders.  Some believe that this point controls pituitary functions and improves extra-sensory perception!

Ex2  Extend the curved lines of the eyebrow and lower eyelid outwards, the point lies where these two lines cross.  Indicated for headache, migraine, facial paralysis, trigeminal neuralagia.

Ex3  At the midpoint of the eyebrow, directly above the iris.  Frontal sinus, eye disorders and facial paralysis.  This point is usually punctured through and through with Gb14, but this is already a sensitive spot.

Ex4, Dangerous point.  At the junction of the lateral fourth and medial three fourths of the infra orbital boarder.  Indicated for myopia, optic nerve disorders, glaucoma and other eye disorders.

Ex5, In the depression 1 cun lateral to Ren24 on the mental foramen.  Facial paralysis, trigeminal neuralgia, lower toothache.

Ex6 Sishencong (means, the four intelligences).  1 cun each N, S, E and W of Du20.  Powerful sedative, excellent for headache, apoplexy and epilepsy.

Ex7  1 cun posterior to Sj17, it lies in the straight line that connects Sj17 to Gb20.  Good for eyes and ears.

Ex8  Anmian I and Ex9, Anmian II.  These are used together to treat insomnia.

Ex10, Jinjin and Yuye.  On the sublingual veins on either side of the root of the tongue.  With the tongue rolled upwards, prick for bleeding.  Again, try and explain that to your western minded patient...

Ex17, 0.5 cun lateral to Du14.  This is also one of the Ex21 points, but these are specific to sooth asthma.

Ex20, 2.0 cun directly above the coccyx.  Epilepsy, muscular relaxation together with Du6 electrically stimulated.

A word on electrical stimulation.  I've had many patients come to me from other acupuncturists, and they have almost all universally been uncomfortable with the concept of electrical stimulation of acupuncture points.  They don't like to be "hooked up like a car battery" and have found the sensation unpleasant.  Most do report that they felt a bit better afterwards, but also sited it as a reason why they would not return for more treatments.

Ex21.  This is a series of 28 pairs of points situated 0.5 cun lateral to each of the dorsal spines of the spinal cord, from the 1st cervical to the 4th sacral vertebra.  Excellent for pain along the spine, and spinal related disorders.  I've used this series of points with piercing to great effect.

Ex28  On the dorsum of the hand, on the webs between the 5 fingers.  Excellent for disorders of the hands and fingers, rheumatoid arthritis and polyneuropathy.

Ex30, 10 points.  0.1 cun anterior to the apex of the nail of each finger.  Same as the Jing Wells, prick to cause bleeding with 3 edge or filiform needle.  Same as Jing Wells, these are for acute emergencies such as shock, coma, heat stroke, apoplexy, fever.

Ex31,  On the midpoint of the upper boarder of the patella.  Knee problems.

Ex32,  In the depression on the medial side of the ligamentum patellae, level with St35.  These two points, together with Ex31 are excellent for correcting knee problems.

Ex33,  Special alarm point for the vermiform appendix.  It's 2 cun south of St36 on the stomach channel.  Good for appendicitis and for post operative pain after appendicectomy.

Ex35,  Distal alarm point for the gall bladder channel.  1.0 cun below Gb34 on the gall bladder channel.

Ex36  Eight points, on the dorsum of the foot, .5 cun proximal to the borders of the webs between the 5 toes, 4 on each foot.  St44, Liv2 and Gb43 are three of these points, and are needled the same way.  Obviously, these points are good for anything foot related.  Arthritis of the toes, numbness of the foot and toes, polyneuropathy.

Well.  That's the lot of them.  There's another 100 points in the ear which won't be discussed, as the important ones I already use.  Other than that, using Ah Shi points where no acupuncture point exists but pain does, is very effective.

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