Point Indication
Review
Point Selection
ACR class 11
POINT SELECTION
METHODS
• Basic strategy:
• 1) Select a Local Point
• 2) Select a Distal point
SELECTING LOCAL
POINTS
• Local points - on, over or very near the
diseased area.
• Most obvious method, yet very important
• Should not be dismissed as simplistic or
symptomatic
• Much used in treating disorders of the
organs.
• Examples include:
• ST-25 or REN-8 for diarrhea.
• REN-12 for nausea.
• REN-17 for tightness of the chest.
• L.I.-20 for diseases of the nose.
• SI-19 for diseases of the ears.
SELECTING
ADJACENT POINTS
• Adjacent points are located near the
affected area.
• Examples include:
• SP-10, ST-34 or SP-9 for diseases of the
knee joint.
• L.I.-14 for diseases of the shoulder.
• GB-21 or SI-11 for diseases of the breast.
SELECTING DISTAL
POINTS
• Most frequently used method in
acupuncture treatment.
• The Ode to Elucidate Mysteries refers to
the ‘four origins and three ends’.
• Four origins - extremities of the limbs
• Three ends - head, chest and abdomen
• Primary principle - choose a point from
the involved channel.
• Example: distal points from shaoyang
channel (Sanjiao and Gall Bladder) will
be selected for temporal headache,
• distal points from yangming channel
(Large Intestine and Stomach) will be
chosen for pain of the face and forehead,
• distal points from taiyang channel
(Bladder and Small Intestine) will be
selected for occipital headache and pain,
• points from the jueyin Liver channel will
be selected for vertex headache.
• It is common practice to combine local,
adjacent and distal points. Examples
include:
• GB-8, GB-20 and GB-43 for temporal
headache.
• ST-18, LIV-14 and GB-41 for breast
diseases.
• REN-12, REN-17 and ST-36 for Stomach
diseases.
SELECTING POINTS FROM ONE
CHANNEL TO TREAT ITS INTERIORLYEXTERIORLY RELATED CHANNEL
• Most commonly observed in relation to
the luo-connecting points, include:
• L.I.-4 to assist the Lung function of
distributing defensive qi.
• L.I.-6 to promote the Lung function of
regulating the water passages when this
is impaired by exterior wind.
• ST-40 to resolve phlegm due to
disharmony of the Spleen.
SELECTING POINTS FROM ONE PAIR
OF THE SIX CHANNELS TO TREAT
DISEASE OF THE OTHER
• Examples include:
• SJ-6 (hand shaoyang Sanjiao channel) to
treat hypochondriac pain due to disharmony
of the foot shaoyang Gall Bladder channel.
• P-6 (hand jueyin Pericardium channel) to
resolve stagnation of qi in the foot jueyin
Liver channel in the chest and
hypochondrium.
SELECTING POINTS ACCORDING TO
CHANNEL CONNECTIONS
• Examples include
• SP-6, the intersection of the Spleen,
Liver and Kidney channels, to treat most
diseases of the lower abdomen since all
these channels pass through this area.
• DU-14, the meeting point of the
Governing vessel with all the yang
primary channels to release pathogenic
factors from the (yang) exterior.
CROSS NEEDLING
• Contralateral (“cross”) needling is commonly
used either when the affected side is too
painful to treat, or when, after needling, one
wants the patient to mobilize the painful
area.
• Also used in acute painful disorders: select
points from the ankle to treat the opposite
wrist (and vice-versa), from the knee to treat
the opposite elbow (and vice-versa) and
from the hip to treat the opposite shoulder
(and vice-versa).
SELECTION OF EMPIRICAL
POINTS
• Frequently, the selection of distal points is
determined by their historically established
empirical effect. Examples include:
• ST-38 for shoulder pain.
• DU-10 for boils.
• LU-7 for headache.
• SI-4 for jaundice.
• GB-36 for rabies.
CHAIN AND LOCK POINT
ASSOCIATION METHOD
• Select points from the shoulder, elbow
and hand or wrist to treat disorders of the
upper limb and from the hip, knee and
ankle to treat disorders of the lower limb.
Pathogen Patterns
•
Wind
•
(Exterior) LI4, LU7, GB20, BL12
•
(Interior) GB16, GB20, DU20, GB31
•
Cold
•
(Exterior) LI4, LU7, BL12
•
(Interior) REN4*, REN12*, ST36*
•
•
•
Heat
(Exterior) LI4, LI11, DU14
(Interior) LI11, DU14 (XS); K2, K6 (Def)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Damp
SP9, BL20, REN9; add LI11 if Damp Heat
Summerheat
LI11, DU14; add SP9 if Damp
Phlegm
SP9, ST40; add LI11 if Heat
(Lung) LU5
(Heart) P5
Zang Fu Patterns
Heart Patterns
Heart Deficiency Patterns
•HEART-QI DEFICIENCY Points: HE-5, P-6, BL‐15, Ren17, Ren-6.
•HEART-YANG DEFICIENCY Points: HE-5, P-6, BL‐15,
Ren-17, Ren-6, Du‐14.
•HEART-YANG COLLAPSE Points: Ren-6, Ren-4, Ren-8,
Du-4, ST-36, P-6, BL-23, Du-20, Du-14, BL-15.
•HEART-BLOOD DEFICIENCY Points: HE-7, P-6, Ren14, Ren-15, Ren-4, BL-17, BL-20.
•HEART-YIN DEFICIENCY Points: HE-7, P-6, Ren-14,
Ren-15, Ren-4, HE-6, SP-6, KI-7, KI-6.
Heart Excess Patterns
•
•
•
•
•
HEART-FIRE BLAZING Points: HE-9, HE-8, HE-7, Ren-15,
SP-6, KI-6.
PHLEGM-FIRE HARASSING THE HEART Points: P-5, HE7, HE‐ 8, HE-9, P-7, Ren-15, BL-15, Ren-12, ST‐ 40, SP-6,
LIV-3, LIV-2, BL-20, Du-20, GB‐13, GB-15, Du-24.
PHLEGM MISTING THE MIND Points: HE-9, P-5, BL-15,
ST-40, Du-26, Ren-12, BL-20.
HEART-BLOOD STAGNANT Points: P-6, P-4, HE‐7, Ren17, BL-14, BL-17, SP-10, KI-25.
PERICARDIUM PATTERNS Points are mostly the same as
Heart patterns but add REN-17, BL-14, P-8, etc
Liver Patterns
Liver Excess patterns
•
•
•
•
•
STAGNATION OF LIVER-QI Points: GB-34, LIV-3, LIV-13,
LIV-14, T.B.‐6, P-6.
LIVER-FIRE BLAZING UPWARDS Points: LIV-2, LIV-3, GB20, Taiyang, GB-13, L.I.-11
DAMP-HEAT IN LIVER Points: LIV-14, GB-34, BL-18, Ren12, SP-9, SP-6, L.I.-11, LIV-2.
STASIS OF LIVER-BLOOD Points: GB-34, LIV-3, BL-18,
BL-17, SP-10, Ren-6.
STAGNATION OF COLD IN THE LIVER CHANNEL Points:
Ren-3, LIV-5, LIV-1, LIV-3.
Liver Deficiency Patterns
• DEFICIENCY OF LIVER-BLOOD Points:
BL-18, BL-20, BL-23, BL-17, LIV-8, SP-6,
ST-36, Ren-4.
• LIVER-YIN DEFICIENCY Points: LIV-8,
SP-6, ST-36, Ren-4, KI-3, KI-6, LIV-2.
Liver Deficiency/Excess
Patterns
•
•
•
LIVER-YANG RISING Points: LIV-3, T.B.-5, P-6, G.B.-43,
G.B.-38, BL-2, Taiyang extra point, GB-20, G.B.-9, G.B.-8,
G.B.-6. If Liver Yin or Liver Blood deficiency: KI-3, KI-6,
SP-6, LIV-8, ST-36
EXTREME HEAT GENERATING LIVER WIND Points:
LIV-3, Shixuan extra points, Du-20, Du-16, GB-20.
LIVER-BLOOD DEFICIENCY GENERATING WIND
Points: LIV-3, GB-20, L.I.-4, TB-5, Du-19, SP-6, LIV-8, KI3, BL-17, Ren-4
•LIVER-YANG RISING
CAUSING WIND
•a) Liver‐Yang Rising deriving from Liver‐Yin Deficiency
Points: LIV-3, GB-20, L.I.-4, TB-5, Du-19, SP-6, LIV-8, KI3
•b) Liver‐Yang Rising deriving from Liver‐ and Kidney-Yin
Deficiency Points: same as above, add KI-6, Ren-4 to
nourish Kidney Yin
•c) Liver‐Yang Rising deriving from Liver‐Blood
Deficiency Points: same as (a), add BL-17, Ren-4 to
nourish Blood
LIVER COMBINED
PATTERNS
•
•
•
LIVER INVADING THE SPLEEN Points: LIV-14, LIV13, G.B.-34, LIV-3, Ren-6, Ren-12, ST-25, SP-15 ST36, SP-6, P-6 and SP-4
LIVER INVADING THE STOMACH Points: LIV-14, LIV13, G.B.-34, Ren-13, Ren-10, ST-36, BL-21.
LIVER-FIRE INSULTING THE LUNGS Points: LIV-2,
LIV-14, Ren-17, Ren-22, P-6, LU-7, L.I.-11.
Lung Patterns
Lung Deficiency
Patterns
•
•
•
LUNG-QI DEFICIENCY Points: LU-9, LU-7, Ren-6,
BL-13, Du-12, ST-36, Ren-12.
LUNG-YIN DEFICIENCY Points: LU-9, Ren-17, BL-43,
BL-13, Du‐12, Ren-4, KI-6, Ren-12, SP-6, LU-10, LI11.
LUNG DRYNESS Points: LU-9, Ren-4, KI-6, SP-6,
Ren-12, ST-36.
Lung Excess Patterns
•
•
•
•
INVASION OF LUNGS BY WIND-COLD Points: LU-7, BL12, Du-16.
INVASION OF LUNGS BY WIND-HEAT Points: LU-7, L.I.-4,
L.L-11, LU-11, Du-14, BL-12, Du-16, GB-20, TB-5.
INVASION OF LUNGS BY WIND-WATER Points: LU-7, L.I.6, L.I.-7, L.I.-4, BL-12, Ren-9, BL-13, Du-26.
LUNG HEAT Points: LU-5, LU‐10 LU-7, LU‐1, LI‐11, BL-13.
Lung Phlegm Patterns
•
•
•
•
•
PHLEGM-HEAT IN THE LUNGS Points: LU-5, LU-7, LU10, L.I.-11, LU-1, BL-13, Ren-12, ST-40.
DRY-PHLEGM IN THE LUNGS Points: LU-9, LU-7, KI-6,
Ren-12, ST-36, SP-6, BL-13, REN-17, ST-40
DAMP-PHLEGM IN THE LUNGS Points: LU-5, LU-7,
LU‐ 1, Ren-17, ST-40, P-6, Ren-22, Ren-12, Ren-9, BL20, BL-13.
COLD-PHLEGM IN THE LUNGS Points: Same as
Damp-Phlegm pattern, add BL-23.
PHLEGM-FLUIDS OBSTRUCTING THE LUNGS Points:
LU-5, LU-9, Ren-17, BL-13, ST-40, BL-43, Ren-12, ST36, Ren-9, BL-20, BL-23.
Spleen Patterns
Spleen Deficiency
Patterns
•
•
•
•
SPLEEN-QI DEFICIENCY Points: Ren-12, ST-36, SP-3,
SP-6, BL-20, BL-21.
SPLEEN-YANG DEFICIENCY Points: same as for
Spleen-Qi deficiency, add SP-9, Ren-9, ST-28, BL-22.
SPLEEN-QI SINKING Points: same as Spleen-Qi
deficiency, plus Du-20, Ren-6, ST‐21, Du-1.
SPLEEN NOT CONTROLLING BLOOD Points: same as
Spleen-Qi deficiency, plus: SP-10, BL-17, SP-1.
Spleen Excess patterns
•
•
COLD-DAMPNESS INVADING THE SPLEEN Points:
SP-9, SP-6, Ren-12, SP-3, ST-8.
DAMP-HEAT INVADING THE SPLEEN Points: SP-9,
SP-6, Ren-12, SP-3, ST-8, BL-22, BL-20, REN-9,
REN-11, ST-22, ST-28.
Kidney Patterns
•
•
•
•
Kidney Qi/Yang Deficiency
Patterns
KIDNEY-YANG DEFICIENCY Points: BL-23, Du-4,
Ren-4, Ren-6, KI-3, KI-7, BL-52, extra point Jinggong
(0.5 cun lateral to BL-52).
KIDNEY-QI NOT FIRM Points: BL-23, Du-4, KI-3, BL52, Ren-4, extra point Jinggong.
KIDNEY-YANG DEFICIENT, WATER OVERFLOWING
Points: Du-4, BL-23, BL-22, BL-20, Ren-9, ST-28, SP9, SP‐6, KI-7. For Heart add Du-14 (moxa), BL-15. For
Lungs add LU-7, BL-13, Du-12.
KIDNEYS FAILING TO RECEIVE QI Points: KI-3, LU-7,
KI-6, ST-36, BL‐ 23, Du-4, Ren-6, Ren-17, KI-25, Du-12,
KI-7.
Kidney Yin/Jing Deficiency
Patterns
• KIDNEY-YIN DEFICIENCY Points:
Ren-4,
KI-3, KI-6, KI-10, KI-9, SP-6, Ren-1.
• KIDNEY-YIN DEFICIENT, EMPTY-FIRE
BLAZING Points: KI-3, KI-6, KI-2, KI-9,
Ren-4, KI-10, SP-6, HE-5, LU-7, LU-10.
• KIDNEY-ESSENCE DEFICIENCY Points:
KI-3, KI-6, Ren-4, BL-23, Du-4, GB-39, Du20, Du-14, BL-15, BL-11.
COMBINED
PATTERNS
Kidney Combination Patterns
•
•
•
KIDNEY- AND LIVER-YIN DEFICIENCY Points: KI-3, KI6, LIV‐8, Ren-4, BL-23, BL‐20, BL-17, BL-18, BL-10, Du20.
KIDNEY AND HEART NOT HARMONIZED Points: HE-7,
HE-6, HE‐5, Yintang, BL-15, Ren-15, GB-13, Du-24, KI-3,
KI-10, KI-9, Ren-4, P-6, SP-6.
KIDNEY- AND SPLEEN-YANG DEFICIENCY Points: KI-3,
KI-7, BL-23, Du-4, BL-20, BL-21, ST-36, Ren-6, ST-37,
ST-25, BL-25.
Stomach Patterns
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
STOMACH DEFICIENT & COLD Points: ST-36, Ren-12, BL20, BL-21, Ren-6.
COLD INVADING THE STOMACH Points: ST-21, SP-4, Ren13, ST-34.
STOMACH-YIN DEFICIENCY Points: Ren-12, ST-36, SP-6,
SP-3, ST-44.
STOMACH-FIRE Points: ST-21, Ren-13, ST-44, ST-45, SP-6,
Ren-12, P-6.
DAMP-HEAT IN THE STOMACH Points: SP-9, L.I.-11, LI-4,
ST-34, REN-9, REN-11, REN-12, REN-13, ST-21, ST-25, ST40, ST-44
RETENTION OF FOOD IN THE STOMACH Points: Ren-13,
Ren-10, ST-21, ST-44, ST-45, SP-4, P-6.
STASIS OF BLOOD IN THE STOMACH Points: Ren-10, ST21, ST-34, SP-10, BL-17, BL-18.
Small Intestine Patterns
•
•
FULL-HEAT IN THE SMALL INTESTINE Points: S.I.-2, S.I.5, HE-5, HE-8, ST-39.
SMALL INTESTINE DEFICIENT AND COLD Points: Ren-6,
ST-25, ST-39, ST-36, BL-20, BL-27.
Large Intestine
Patterns
•
•
•
•
•
DAMP-HEAT IN THE LARGE INTESTINE Points: SP9, SP-6, Ren-3, BL-22, ST-25, BL-25, BL-17, Ren-12,
L.I.-11, ST-37, BL-20.
HEAT IN THE LARGE INTESTINE Points: Ren-4, L.I.11, ST-37, ST-44, L.I.-2, SP-6, KI-6, Ren‐12.
COLD INVADING THE LARGE INTESTINE Points:
ST-37, ST-25, ST-36, SP-6, LIV-3, ST-27.
LARGE INTESTINE DRY Points: ST-36, SP-6, KI-6,
Ren-4.
LARGE INTESTINE COLD Points: ST-25, Ren-6, ST36, ST-37, BL-25, BL-20.
Gall Bladder Patterns
•
•
GALL-BLADDER DAMP-HEAT Points: G.B.-24, LIV14, Ren-12, G.B.-34, Dannangxue, Du-9, BL-19, BL18, BL-20, L.I.-11, T.B.-6.
GALL-BLADDER DEFICIENT Points: G.B.-40.
Bladder Patterns
•
•
DAMP-HEAT IN THE BLADDER Points: SP-9, SP-6, BL-22,
BL-28, Ren-3, BL-63, BL-66.
DAMP-COLD IN THE BLADDER Points: SP-9, SP-6, BL-22,
Ren-3, ST-28, Ren-9, BL-28.