Chapter 5: A good acupuncture treatment is a mixture of 'cook-book' points and 'energy-balancing' points. Combine the best of both worlds.
Point Categories
Area Distal Points
Points that treat an entire area — not used for tonification or sedation:
LI 4 → Head and face
Also 'the great eliminator' — constipation, urination, emotions, childbirth. Contraindicated in pregnancy.
Lu 7 → Neck and occiput
Also Confluent point of Ren meridian
P 6 → Thorax and upper abdomen
Nausea, vomiting, cough, asthma, chest pain, tachycardia
St 36 → Abdomen
Distension, diarrhoea, pain. 'Earth point of Earth meridian'
Sp 6 → Lower abdomen
All problems of urinary and reproductive systems
UB 40 → Back
Backache. Also Earth point of UB.
Meridian Distal Points
For problems along a channel or related to that organ system:
Lung
Lu 7
Large Intestine
LI 4
Stomach
St 36 / St 44
Spleen
Sp 6
Heart
H 7
Small Intestine
SI 5
Urinary Bladder
UB 37 / UB 40 / UB 60
Kidney
K 3
Pericardium
P 6
Triple Warmer
TW 5
Gall Bladder
GB 34 / GB 41
Liver
Liv 3
Symptomatic Points
Empirical prescriptions handed down through experience:
Tranquillizing
Du 20, Extra 6, P 6, H 7, UB 62, An Mian 1 & 2
Anxiety, tachycardia
P 6, Ren 14
Cough, asthma
P 6, Ren 22, Ex 17 (Ding Chuan)
Nausea, vomiting
P 6, Ren 12, St 36
Abdominal distension
St 25, St 36
Diarrhoea
St 25, St 37
Constipation
St 25, LI 4, TW 6
Oedema, excessive mucus
St 40, Sp 9
Allergy, pruritus
Sp 10, UB 17
Dysmenorrhoea
Sp 6, Sp 8
Excessive sweating
Lu 7, K 7
Headache
GB 20, GB 21
Tinnitus, dizziness
GB 20, GB 8
Immune-enhancing
LI 11, Du 14, Sp 6
Revival
Du 26, K 1
General excitation
K 6
High blood pressure
LI 10, Liv 3
Nervousness, tension
Liv 3, Lu 1
Anti-snoring
Ren 24
To improve energy
Ren 6, Lu 9, K 3, UB 24, St 36
Eight Influential (Master) Points
Ren 12
Yang (hollow) organs
Liv 13
Yin (solid) organs
Ren 17
Respiratory organs
GB 34
Muscles and tendons
Lu 9
Blood vessels
GB 39
Marrow (bone and nerve)
UB 11
Bone
UB 17
Blood
Point Prescription Builder
Select Organ
Energy State
Add Symptomatic Point (optional)
Suggested Prescription
Rationale
• Tonification (Mother) point — tonifies 90% house energy of Lung.
• Mu-Front point — tonifies cooling/calming Yin of Lung.
• Back-Shu point — tonifies functional Yang of Lung.
• Influential point: Lu 9 (Blood vessels) — treats related tissue group.
Educational use only. Point prescriptions should only be applied by licensed practitioners.
Which point category did you find most useful? How will knowing these categories change how you approach a prescription?