The Concept of the Meridians:

 The Meridians/Channels = Jin Luo = Pathways of qi & blood, regulate yin & yang,
connect Zang fu organs, associate external & internal and upper & lower.

 Jin = Meridians, longitudinal trunk parts.

 Luo = Collaterals, branches of meridians, thinner & smaller, run crisscrossly.

Composition of the Meridian System:

Meridians:
 The 12 Regular Meridians
 The 12 Divergent Meridians
 The 12 Muscular Meridians (Sinews Regions)
 The 12 Cutaneous (Skin) Meridians
 The 8 Extra Meridians
Collaterals:
 The 15 Collaterals (Connecting Meridians)
 Superficial Collaterals
 Minute Collateral

Classification and Distribution of the Twelve Regular Meridians:

Yin meridians (Zang) Yang meridians ( F u ) Yin= Medial aspect
Yang= Lateral aspect
H Taiyin Lung Anterior lateral Yangming L. Intestine Posterior lateral
A (ST, Middle jiao)
N
D Jueyin Pericardium Anterior middle Shaoyang Sanjiao Poster Middle

Shaoyin Heart Anterior later Taiyang Small Intestine Posterior medial

(Lung) (Stomach)
F Taiyin Spleen Anterior medial Yangming Stomach Anterior lateral
O (Heart)
O
Jueyin Liver Medial middle Shaoyang Gallbladder Lateral Middle
T
(Lung,Stomach)
Shaoyin Kidney Posterior medial Taiyang Bladder Posterior(thigh, calf)
(Liver,Lung,Heart) (Brain) Posterior lateral(foot)

•Ex: Foot Jueyin runs anterior to the Foot Taiyin. It converges with Foot taiyin and
runs between the taiyin and shaoyin after 8 cun up to the medial malleolus

Head and face:

• Yin Meridians –deep in the head and neck; connect the throat, tongue and eyes.
• Yang Meridians — head and face; connect five sense organs.
“ The head is the convergence of all yang meridians (头为诸阳之会)”.

Internal part:
• Yin Meridians –pertain to zang; connect with fu
• Yang Meridians –pertain to fu; connect with zang
3. Running direction
 3 hand yin: chest —> hand (finger)
 3 hand yang: hand (finger) –> head
 3 foot yang: head –> foot (toe)
 3 foot yin: foot (toe) –> abdomen & chest

4. Circulation: Lung —> Large intestine —> Stomach.... etc.

 Order of yin and yang in exterior-interior relation and yang yang with same name

5. Meridians Convergent principle:

 *Yin & Yang Meridians converge a t = Four limbs
 *Yang & Yang Meridians converge at = Head / Face
 *Yin & Yin Meridians converge at = Chest / Abdomen

The functions of the meridians:

In Physiological condition
1. Linking all the body parts:
 *Exterior—interior upper—lower viscera—organs
 *Viscera—extremities
 *Viscera— sensory organ and orifices
 *Between Viscera
 *Between meridians

2. Transporting the Qi and Blood:

 Zong Qi (Pectoral), Yuan Qi (Primordial), Ying Qi (Nutritive), Wei Qi (Defensive)
3. Moistening and Nourishing the Body
4. Regulating Yin and Yang to maintain balance of body

In Pathological condition
1. Reflecting dysfunction of the body
 Pathological change of pathway
 Pathological change of corresponding zang-fu organs
2. Resisting the disease

In clinical application:
1. Guiding the diagnosis: pathological change
2. Guiding the treatment and prevention

*Needling technique: reinforce, regulate and reduce

*Herbs Tropism: specific functions to one or several meridians
The 12 Divergent Meridians:
1. Characters:
 Linking exterior-interior meridian relationship and other zang fu organs
 Vertical branches of the regular meridians
 Run along the chest, abdomen and head
 No specific points of their own

2. Distribution:
 Leaving 离: separate from the regular meridian above knees & elbows
 Entering 入: run deeply into chest and abdomen and enter viscera
 Exiting 出: run towards external of the body at head and neck
 Meeting 合 (6 pairs): yin divergent merge to yang divergent, then run in Yang meridian.

3. Functions:
 Strengthening the Yin/Yang (interior-exterior) Meridian relationship.
 Distributing Qi to the face and head.
 Integrating the neglected areas of the body into the meridian system.

The 15 Collaterals: (15 Luo-connecting points)

1. Characters:
 Branch of 12 regular meridian + Du, Ren and Major Spleen.
 Run external of the body

2. Functions:
 Strengthen the interior-exterior meridian relationship
 Assist in the distribution of Qi and Blood to all tissues
 Supplement the course of regular meridians

The Twelve Muscular Meridians (Sinew Regions):

1. Characters:
 Originate from the ends of four limbs
 Gather at joints and skeleton
 Some enter chest and abdomen
 No pertaining and connecting viscera

2. Functions:
 Movement

The Twelve Cutaneous Regions: (Skin)

 Superficial layers of the skin
 Twelve distinct areas on the skin within the domains of the twelve regular meridians
 Indicate the diseases of internal organs
 Evil qi transmitting: cutaneous regions —> collaterals —> meridians —> Zang Fu
The Eight Extra Meridians:
1. Common characters
 Large branch vessels of the regular meridians
 No interior-exterior, pertaining-connecting, cyclical flow

2. Distribution
Du (governor): Midline of the back
Ren (conception): Midline of the front
Chong (thoroughfare): Internal of body
Dai (belt/girdle): Around the waist
Yang Qiao (Heel): lateral side of leg – shoulder –head
Yin Qiao(Heel): medial side of leg – eyes
Yang Wei (Link): lateral side of leg – shoulder – back of neck
Yin Wei (Link): medial side of leg –third line of abdomen—neck

3. The functions
 Integrating with regular meridians
 Linking and Supervising the regular meridians
 Regulating the Supply of Qi and Blood in the regular meridians

FOUR SEAS（四海）:

 Brain = " the sea of marrow ”

 Tan zhong = “ the sea of qi ”
 Stomach = " the sea of grain and water ”
 Chong Vessel (Thoroughfare) = “ the sea of the 12 meridians” = “ the sea of blood "
Introduction to Acupoints Concept of acupoints:
 Acupoints = where qi and blood of Zang Fu and meridian are transported to the body
surface.
 腧穴 ShuXue, 腧=输 = transportation, 穴 = hole.

The name of acupoints indicates the two basic characteristics:

1. Connect with internal viscera: Viscera—Meridian—Acupoints
2. Locate in hollow of muscles / bones

Classification of acupoints:

1. Meridian / regular acupoints

 Belong to definite meridians
 Have fixed names & location
 361 acupoints —14 meridians

2. Extraordinary acupoints (extra points)

 Definite location
 Have fixed names
 Not belong to any meridian

3. Ashi acupoints (tender & other sensitive points)

 No fixed location
 Not belong to any meridian
 No names

Special acupoints:

 Refer to the acupoints on the 14 meridians with special therapeutic effect.

 They have their special names given after their indications and functions.
 There are 10 categories of special acupoints

Five-shu

Yuan-source

Luo-connecting Below the knees and elbow

Lower he-sea

Xi-cleft point

8 Hui-converging --- Trunk and limbs

Back-shu
Trunk
Front-mu

8 confluent
Whole body
Crossing
1. Five shu point 五输穴:
 Distal extremities to the elbows and knees.
 Named between the Qi flow in meridian and the flow of water.

 Jing-Well = qi starts to bubble.

 Ying-Spring = qi starts to gush.

 Shu-Stream = qi flourishes.

 Jing-River = qi is pouring abundantly.

 He-Sea = qi meets in viscera.

2.Yuan(source) point 原穴 = origin

 Zang Fu primary qi flows by and retains.
 Usually around wrists & ankles.
 Diagnose & treat the disorder of related viscera.
 Yin meridians: Yuan-source = Shu-Stream points
 Yang meridians: Shu-Stream point is located before Yuan-source point.(different)

3.Luo (Connecting) point 络穴= connecting.

 15 collaterals from the 12 r e g u l a r meridians + Du, Ren Meridians + the major
collateral of the spleen.
 All 12 meridians Luo connecting points are below elbows and knees.
 Jiu wei (RN 15) of Ren Meridian is in the abdomen region
 Chang qiang (Du 1) of Du Meridian is between coccyx and the anus.
 Dao bao (SP 21) of the major collateral of the spleen in hypochondriac region.
 Treating the disorders of the regions that the meridians and collaterals run through as
well as the disorders to the meridians in exterior-interior relation.

4.Back-shu point 背俞穴 = Zang Fu qi is infused on the back.

 Locate on the back & waist along the 1st lateral line of bladder meridian (1.5 cun
lateral to the back middle line)
 Distributing order is similar to the location of the Zang Fu
 Diagnose & treat the disorder of related viscera, tissues and organs.

5. Front-Mu point 募穴 = Zang Fu qi is infused & converged on the chest & abdomen
 The location is similar to that of the related viscera (among these points, six on
the Ren Meridian are unilateral points, the rest are bilateral points).
 Diagnose & treat the disorder of related viscera, especially six fu-organs.
 Usually with the combination of Back-shu points.

6. Lower He (Sea) point 下合穴

 Six points of the three yang meridians of hand and foot—Where the downward
flowing qi of six fu-organs along the three yang meridians of foot.
 Most of them are distributed around the knee joints.
 Main points for the treatment of the disorders of the six fu-organs.
 “Lower He-sea points can be used for diseases of six fu-organs”.
7. Xi (cleft) point 郄穴 = Xi Cleft where meridian qi is deeply converged.
 16 acupoints (each of the 12 regular + Yin/ Yang Wei(Link) & Qiao(Heel)) are
distributed below knees / elbows (Except LianQiu—ST 34)
 Treat severe acute disorders of the meridians.
-- Yin Meridian: Blood syndrome
-- Yang Meridian: Pain syndrome

8. Eight Hui (meeting / converging) point 八会穴

 “Hui” means join together.
 Locate on the trunk & four limbs below the knees & elbows.
 The sites where the essence of qi, blood, tendons, vessels, bones, marrow, zang and
fu-organs converges.
 Frequently used to treat diseases of corresponding tissues & organs.

9. Eight Confluent point (八脉交会穴)

 The 8 points on the 12 regular meridians that are connected with 8 extra meridians.
 Superior or inferior to the wrist and ankle joints – where the qi of both 8 extra meridian
and 12 regular meridian meet
 Treat disorders of face, head & trunk related to 8 extra meridians and 12 regular
meridians.

10. Crossing points

 Located on the intersections of 2 or more meridians
 Most of them are located on the head, face and trunk. (except a few which are
located on the lower limbs)
 Treat disorders of the crossing meridians.
Methods for locating acupoints

1.Bone-length measurement

•A method in which the bone segments are taken as main measurement markers to
measure the width and length of various portions of the body, and then the measurements
are converted into proportional units as the acupoint-locating standards.

•These standards are applicable on any patient of different sexes, ages, and body sizes.

Head
•The distance between the anterior and posterior hairlines is 12 cun.
•The distance between the glabella and the anterior hairline is 3 cun.
•The distance between the angles of the hairline is 9 cun.
•The distance between the mastoid processes is 9 cun.
•The distance between the posterior hairline and the inferior border of the spinous
process of C7 is 3 cun.

Back, chest and abdomen

•The distance between the medial borders of the scapulae is 6 cun.
•The distance between the tip of the acromion process and the midline of the body is 8 cun.
•The distance between the nipples is 8 cun.
•The distance between the suprasternal fossa to the sternocostal angle is 9cun.
•The distance between the sternocostal angle and the umbilicus is 8 cun.

•The distance between the umbilicus and the pubic symphysis is 5 cun.
•The distance between the end of axillary fold and the tip pf the 11th rib is 12cun.

Upper limbs
•The distance between the anterior axillary and cubital creases is 9 cun.
•The distance between the cubital crease and the wrist creases is 12 cun.

Lower limbs
•The distance between the level of the border of symphysis to the medial epicondyle of
femur is 18cun.
•The distance between the lower border of the medial condyle of tibia and the tip of
medial malleolus is 13cun.
•The distance between the prominence of the great trochanter to the middle of patella is 19
cun.
•The distance between the center of patella to the tip of lateral malleolus is 16 cun.
2. Anatomical landmarks
 Fixed landmarks
 The five sensory organs, hair, nails, nipple, umbilicus,
 Prominence and depression of the bones,
 Texture of the muscles.
 Moving landmarks
 Spaces, depression, wrinkles appear when moving joints, muscles, skin and
others.

3. Finger measurements:
It refers to the length and width of the patient’s fingers are taken as a standard for
point location.

 Middle finger: (1 cun)

 Middle finger is flexed, between two medial ends of the crease of the
interphalangeal joints is taken as 1 cun.
 For the vertical distance on the limbs / horizontal distance on the back

 Thumb: (1 cun)
 The width of the interphalangeal joint of the patient’s thumb is taken as 1 cun.
 For the vertical distance on the limbs

 Four-finger: (3 cun)
 The width of the four fingers(index, middle, ring and little) close together at the level
of the dorsal skin crease of the proximal interphalangeal joint of the middle
finger is taken as 3 cun.
 For the vertical distance on the lower limbs and lower abdomen / horizontal distance
on the back.

Note: each finger measurement method has its own range of application and one
cannot replace the others. Finger measurement should be done on the basis of
bone-length measurement. If finger measurement and bone-length measurement
cannot agree with each other, the later should be taken as the standard.

4. Simple location: By the ancient doctors according to their clinical experience.

5. Searching points:
 It means that the doctor presses around the acupoint to decide its exact location.
 It is the method used to find the exact location of acupoints after the application of
the other methods.
 The acupoints are usually located in the bone spaces, muscular interstices and
depression, pressing around is helpful for finding such spaces and interstices.
 Acupoints usually reflect pathological changes. Under pathological conditions,
searching such tenderness points for needling is often satisfactorily effective.