Chinese Acupuncture

There are 14 ‘main’ meridians or pathways joining the acupuncture points. 12 meridians are bilateral (both on the right and left). And 2 are midline on the body (front and back). There have been new meridians discovered which are called “Extra Meridians”. I am not covering them at this time.

Each meridian has a definite pathway on the body, and is divided into internal and external pathways.

The internal pathway begins at an organ. It traverses inside the body and is linked to the external pathway at the ‘starting’ acupuncture point.

The external pathway ends at the ‘terminal’ point and is then linked to another internal pathway leading back to the organ of origin. The whole meridian or pathway is a closed circuit and has a definite direction of flow. Since the whole meridian is a closed circuit, a point on the hand can cure a headache. Each meridian has a starting point and a terminal point. The terminal point of each meridian is connected to the starting point of another meridian through ‘connecting meridians’. No meridian exists as a separate circuit. They are all interconnected in the following sequence: lung,large intestine, stomach, spleen, heart, small intestine, urinary bladder, kidney, pericardium, triple heater, gall bladder, and liver.

Horary Clock / 24 Hour Clock

In each organ below a time will be given. These are the times when the organs are at their peak: Striking the meridians at the proper time is crucial.

Lung Channel of Hand-Taiyin

Lung Meridian

There are 11 acupuncture points on each side of the body belonging to this meridian. These points are mainly used for treatment of chronic cough, dyspnea, chest discomfort, sorethroat, fever, influenza, and for alleviating shoulder and arm pain.

Horary Clock
Metal
3am – 5am Lungs (yin)

Large Intestine Channel of Hand-Yangming

Large Intestine Meridian

There are 20 bilateral points on this meridian. These points are mainly used for treatment of abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, fever and also symptoms arising from the head and neck region such as toothache, eptistaxis, sorethroat, or rhinitis.

Horary Clock
Metal
5am – 7am Colon (yang)

Stomach Channel of Foot-Yangming

Stomach Meridian

There are 45 bilateral point on this meridian. These points can be used for stomach ache, vomiting, sorethroat, knee pain, ascites, epistaxis, abdominal extension, hyperpyrexia, and facial palsy.

Horary Clock
Earth
7am – 9am Stomach (yang)

Spleen Channel of Foot-Taiyin

Spleen Meridian

This meridian has 21 bilateral points. Spleen points can be used for, indigestion, malabsorption, anemia, general malaise, vomiting, ulcer pain, abdominal distension, and pain in the lower extremities.

Horary Clock
Earth
9am – 11am Spleen (yin)

Heart Channel of the Hand-Shaoyin

Heart Meridian

The heart meridian has 9 bilateral points. The points on the heart meridian can be used for treatment of, chest pain, palpitation, jaundice, and arm pain.

Horary Clock
Fire
11am – 1pm Heart (yin)

Small Intestine Channel of the Hand-Taiyang

Small Intestine Meridian

This meridian has 19 bilateral points. These points can be used for treatment of, neck and shoulder pain, lower abdominal pain, sore throat, and symptoms of the ear such as tinnitus and hearing loss.

Horary Clock
Fire
1pm – 3pm Small Intestine (yang)

Urinary Bladder Channel of Foot-Taiyang

Urinary Bladder Meridian

There are 67 bilateral points on this meridian. Some of the points on this meridian can treat, dysuria, incontinence of urine, soreness of the eyes, headache, backache, runny nose, loin and leg pain, and general malaise.

Horary Clock
Water
3pm – 5pm Urinary Bladder (yang)

Kidney Channel of Foot-Shaoyin

Kidney Meridian

There are 27 bilateral points on this meridian. These point can be used to treat, kidney problems, constipation, loin pain, and diarrhea.

Horary Clock
Water
5pm – 7pm Kidneys (yin)

Pericardium Channel of Hand-Jueyin

Pericardium Meridian

There are 9 points on this meridian. These points can be used to treat, chest pain, palpitation, arm pain and drowsiness.

Horary Clock
Fire
7pm – 9pm Pericardium (yin)

Triple Heater Channel of Hand-Shaoyang

Triple Heater Meridian

This meridian has 23 bilateral points. Points on this meridian can be used to treat, hearing loss, mastoiditis, headache, sore throat, abdominal distension, dysuria, ascites, and incontinence of urine.

Horary Clock
Fire
9pm – 11pm Triple Heater (yang)

Gall Bladder Channel of the Foot-Shaoyang

Gall Bladder Meridian
There are 44 bilateral points on this meridian. These points can be used to treat, symptoms of the head and chest, and for paralysis of the lower extremities.

Horary Clock
Wood
11am – 1pm Gall Bladder (yang)

Liver Channel of Foot-Jueyin

Liver Meridian

There are 14 bilateral points on this meridian. The points on the liver meridian cna be used to treat, abdominal pain, loin pain, uterine bleeding, hernia, and retention of urine.

Horary Clock
Wood
1am – 3am Liver (yin)

Du Channel

Governing Meridian
There are 28 points running midline down the back on this meridian. The point on this meridian can be used to treat symptoms arising from the neck and posterior trunk area, cervical syndrome, and mental disorders.

Ren Channel

Conception Meridian

There are 24 points running midline down the front of the body. Acupuncture points on this meridian are mainy used for treatment problems of the genital-urinary system such dysuria and enuresis, dysmnorrhea, and genital pain such as hernia.

The Governing Meridian and the Conception Meridian are connected through the tongue which acts as a switch. The circuit is connected when the tip of the tongue touches the point where the gums meet the front two teeth. Siu Lim Tao, the first Wing Chun form is performed using this principle.

Disclaimer:

I studied Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine for nearly 2 years at the First World Acupuncture Institute of North America in NYC. I dropped out for financial reasons. I am not a qualified acupuncturist and I’m not making any such claim.

One of my former sifus (instructors) is an acupuncturist and a doctor of TCM. He helped me ace my tests while in acupuncture school. My present sifu has a guest professorship at the Beijing Medical University and is teaching me Cheung’s Meridian Therapy. My training in the school and my training with my instructors have given me solid knowledge of the five element theory. I recommend reading the Yellow Emperor’s Classic translated by Elza Veith, and the Barefoot Doctor’s Manual, prepared by The Revolutionary Health Committee of Hunan Province. I hope that my notes will be of some help.

Sifu Phillip (Bilal) Redmond

Chinese Acupuncture