Today's entry is also all about study notes, so for those of you who don't understand a word I'm about to say, this is all about studying for my exam... My notes are back at the office, so I thought this would be a good way for me to create study notes and store them in a secure location!
Here's a fundamental principle of all acupuncture points. All acupuncture points treat diseases that are local to the area they are in. Duh... Boy, am I glad I put that one down...
Influential Points: There are 8 of these, that have specific influence over generalized structures in the body. Sounds like an oxymoron, but you'll see:
Lu9 Vascular System
Gb34, Muscles and Tendons
Ub11, Bone and cartilage
Ub17, Blood (also, blood sugar)
Ren12, Fu (hollow, Yang) organs
Gb39, Marrow (including cerebral-spinal fluid)
Liv14, Zang (solid, Yin) organs
Ren17 for respiration
Horary Points: There is a wax and wane of energy flow in each of the 12 regular channels. Depending on the time of day, there is a 2 hour period where each organ system is the most active. Traditionally, one can use the point for that organ system if it is they happen to be in the clinic at the time that organ is out of balance. If it is not at that time, you can use the point 12 hours opposite to influence the diseased organ. The organ watch diagram is really useful for this. Also, from the organ watch diagram, the mother/son points for organ watch become apparent. One useful feature of horary points is that they can be used to treat jet-lag.
Yuan Source Points: There is one on each channel, and this is where energy accumulates. It is at this point that Yin energy is converted to Yang energy and vice-versa, before it is transferred to it's paired organ via the Luo connecting point. Yuan source points are excellent for treating sub-acute or chronic disorders of the pertaining organ. When there is an imbalance in both paired organs, both the Yuan source and Luo connecting points can be used to balance the energy.
Collateral Channels: The Luo collateral channels are the channel between the Yuan source point and Luo connecting points of paired organs. There is a connection running in both directions, depending on which organ is deficient or in excess. In deficiency, use the Luo connecting point of that organ.
Xi-Cleft Points: In each channel, there is a point called the Xi-Cleft point that is used in cases of acute disorders of that channel or organ. These make excellent first aid points until conventional treatment arrives.
Jing Wells: These are the most distal points on the body for each channel. They are used like Xi-Cleft points in acute emergencies, such as coma, severe pain, high fever and shock. The best of the bunch is K1 on the ball of the foot where the skin changes color. This one can resuscitate a drowned person all by itself. But, I'd recommend that you also do all the other first aid things too!
Confluent Points: These are points of the 8 extraordinary channels where the main energy in that channel is focused.
6 Important Distal Points:
Arm:
Lu7, back of head and neck
Li4, Front of head and neck, face and all senses
P6, Chest, upper half of the abdomen (above umbilicus) and internal organs in these areas
Leg:
St36, abdomen, including abdominal organs. Also a general tonification point
Ub40, low backache, sciatica, urinary/genital problems
Sp6, pelvic disorders, external genitalia, perineal area. This is another general tonification point.
Lung Channel Commonly Used Points:
Lu1, Alarm point for lung. Alarm points are special acupuncture points that, when palpated, if sore, indicate that the corresponding organ is distressed or diseased. This is a dangerous point, as the lung lies underneath it.
Lu5, Water point (Kidney), Son point. This is particularly effective for skin diseases, such as psoriasis and excema and pruritus (any condition that makes you want to scratch).
Lu6, Xi-Cleft point. This is the point of choice for asthma attacks or other lung related acute distress, such as bleeding cough (not that I see that in my clinic, but it's good to know)
Lu7, Luo Connecting Point, One of the 6 important distal points, Confluent Point for the Ren Channel. This point works distally for any occipital pain, or pain in the upper half of the spine, stiff neck, pain in the back of the chest or any lung disorder.
Lu8 Metal point (Horary Point)
Lu9, Yuan Source Point, Influential point for Vascular disorders, Earth Point, Mother Point. This point works for all vascular disorders, including arteriosclerosis. Good local point for anything not working right in the wrist.
Lu10, Motor point
Lu11, Jing Well Point, good for hysterical attack! Fainting, epileptic attack, convulsions, high fever, resuscitation of a newborn and other acute emergencies.
Syndromes of the Lung:
A: The lung channel: cough, fullness of chest, bronchial asthma, haemoptysis (coughing of blood), pharyngitis, pain along the superficial course of the channel
B: The Organ Lung: There are 4 main clinical syndromes:
- Deficient Yin: This occurs in chronic lung disorders. Manifests as dry cough, scanty sputum, evening temperature, night sweats, red tongue, thready, rapid pulse
- Invasion of the Lung by Pathogenic Wind: Difficulty breathing, cough and nasal obstruction together with copious sputum and watery nasal discharge. If there is wind and cold, a white coating on the tongue occurs. If there is heat with wind, the tongue coating is yellow and the sputum is purulent (full of pus, Ie, not clear, yellow or green colors)
- Damp Phlegm in the Lung: The damp phlegm blocks the passage of the vital energy pathways. Once again, we have cough, but this time with dyspnoea (a fancy way to say "short of breath") and the expectoration of copious white frothy sputum. The tongue coating would be white
- Phlegm-heat in the Lung: This is caused by an invasion of endogenous factors which produces heat in the lung. Manifests as bronchial asthma. Foul smelling purulent sputum may be expectorated. There may be blood in the sputum. Red tongue with yellow coating and rapid pulse may also be present.
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