Acupuncture Meridians

RM Clemmons, DVM, PhD, CVA, CVFT

University of Florida

Acupuncture and Meridians

“Meridians not only feed vital energies to their related organs, they also reflect any pathological disturbance in those organs, thus providing a convenient

and highly accurate tool for diagnosis as well as therapy.”

Concepts of Meridians & Acupoints

• No one knows how meridians were originally identified.

• Some believe that acupoints originated by practitioners treating tender spots, also called trigger points, using acupressure or acupuncture.

• The radicular pattern of pain during stimulation of the tender spot may have been interpreted as a meridian.

• Early practitioners may have believed pain represented blockage of Qi through a meridian.

• Needling or pressure to reduce pain was then thought to restore the normal flow of Qi through the meridian.

An Ancient View of Pain• Qi travels through our meridian system

• Qi provides nourishment for every cell, tissue, muscle, gland and organ

• When Qi becomes blocked and imbalanced, pain and disease result

• As water flows through river networks nourishing our planet, Qi flows through our meridian networks nourishing our body

Acupuncture Background

• Meridian channels (n=12) – run length of body

• Form the basis for theory and clinical application of acupuncture

• Part of traditional Chinese medicine– Used for >3,000 yrs– Empirical basis– Rare in U.S. until Nixon visited China in 1972

Acupuncture and Back Pain

Meridians are the river network insideWater flows in rivers, Qi flows in meridians

Flow of QiStagnation = Pain

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Meridians: Myth or Reality?

• Close correlation between– AP Meridian– Peripheral Nerve Pathways

• Meridians appear to possess bioelectric function similar to PN

• Meridians follow PN– Lung (LU) = Musculocutaneous N– Pericardium (PC) = Median N

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Meridian Research• Stimulation of AP

points on meridian lower resistance at other meridian points

• Injection of radio-isotopes into one point gradually accumulates at other points

• Radio signals places over one AP point can be picked up at other AP points along the meridian

Nuclear Medicine to Identify Meridians

• Technetium 99-m injected into acupoints

• Migration studied with scintillation camera

Injection at non-acupointNo migration 307 sec afterinjection

Injection at acupointMigration 6 cm/minute

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Local Effects: De Qi

PRABM response in horses (pilomotor reaction along bladder meridian)

12 Regular Channels

Chanel Location Fang Fu Organ Abbreviation

Tai Yin of the thoracic limb Lung LU

Tai Yin of the pelvic limb Spleen SP

Shao Yin of the thoracic limb Heart HT

Shao Yin of the pelvic limb Kidney KID

Jue Yin of the thoracic limb Pericardium PC

Jue Yin of the pelvic limb Liver LIV

Yang Ming of the thoracic limb Large Intestine LI

Yang Ming of the pelvic limb Stomach ST

Tai Yang of the thoracic limb Small Intestine SI

Tai Yang of the pelvic limb Urinary Bladder BL

Shao Yang of the thoracic limb Triple Heater TH

Shao Yang of the pelvic limb Gall Bladder GB

Energy Levels of 12 Channels

8 Extraordinary ChannelsChannel Name Location Meridian

ConnectionPoint Connections

Du Governing Vessel Dorsal Midline CV, ST GV1 to GV28

Ren Conception Vessel Ventral Midline GV, ST CV1 to CV24

Chong Penetrating Parallel to KID Meridian KID Internal sex organs to lips via ST30 & KID Channel

Dai Girdle Encircling Lumbar Area GB Hypochondriac region to GV3 via GB26-28

Yang-Qiao Yang Mobility Lateral Hindlimb, Shoulder & Head

SI, BL, LI, ST, GB

BL62 to GB20 via BL1

Yin-Qiao Yin Mobility Medial Hindlimb to Eye KID, SI KID6 to BL1

Yang-Wei Yang Linking Lateral Stifle to Shoulder

GV, SI, BL, TH, GB, ST

GB63 to GV15

Yin-Wei Yin Linking Medial Hindlimb to Neck

CV, GB, SP, LIV KiID9 to CV23 via LIV14

TCM 24 Hour Clock

LU 3-5 AM

LI 5-7 AM

ST 7-9 AM

SP 9-11 AM

HT 11-1 PM

SI 1-3 PMBL 3-5 PM

KID 5-7 PM

PC 7-9 PM

TH 9-11 PM

GB 11-1AM

LIV 1-3 AM

Lung Meridian

• Contains 11 points– Begins in front of

shoulder– Runs on medial side of

leading edge of front leg

– Ends at medial nail bed of first (functional) digit

• Man/Cats P3 of digit 1• Dogs P3 of digit 2

• Tai Yin

Large Intestine Meridian

• Contains 20 points– Begins at medial nail bed

of 2nd functional digit of foreleg

• Man/Cats P3 of digit 2

• Dogs P3 of digit 3

– Travels on the lateral aspect of the leading edge of the leg

– Crosses at GV26 to end 1 fen from widest portion of the nares

• Yang Ming

Canine LU/LI Meridians

Stomach Meridian

• Contains 45 points– Begins in center of the orbit– Forms big smile & then

travels in front of body (ventral surface of animals) & lateral side of the front of rear leg

– Ends on the lateral nail bed of 2nd function toe

• Man/Cats P3 of digit 2

• Dogs P3 of digit 3

• Yang Ming

Spleen Meridian

• Contains 21 points– Begins on the medial

surface of 1st functional toe• Man P3 of digit 1

• Dogs/Cats P3 of digit 2

– Travels up medial side of the front of the rear leg and ventrolateral trunk to axial

– Ends in the 7th intercostal space level with shoulder

• Tai Yin

Canine ST/SP Meridians

Heart Meridian

• Contains 9 points– Begins in center of

axilla– Travels on medial

aspect of the caudal part of the foreleg

– Ends at the nail bed on the medial side of digit 5

• Shao Yin

Small Intestine Meridian

• Contains 19 points– Begins at the nail bed

of the lateral side of the 5th digit

– Travels up the lateral aspect of the caudal foreleg & neck

– Ends at the end of the tragus of the ear

• Tai Yang

Canine HT/SI Meridians

Bladder Meridian

• Contains 67 points– Begins 1 fen lateromedial

to the medial canthus of eye

– Travels down the back (dorsal surface of animals) 1.5 to 3 cun off midline

• Inner meridian 1.5 cun

• Outer meridian 3.0 cun

– Ends at lateral nail bed of 5th digit of rear leg

• Tai Yang

Kidney Meridian

• Contains 27 points– Begins at the functional

center of rear foot between metatarsal/phalangeal joint

• Man between digit 2 & 3

• Dogs/Cats between digit 3 & 4

– Travels up caudolateral aspect of rear leg & near midline of ventral truck

– Ends in pectoral muscles

• Shao Yin

Canine BL/KID Meridians

Pericardial Meridian

• Contains 9 points– Begins just lateral to

the cranial nipple– Travels down the center

of the medial fore leg– Ends at center of

middle finger• Man/Cats tip of 3rd digit

• Dogs medial nail bed of 4th digit.

• Jue Yin

Triple Heater Meridian• Contains 23 points

– Begins on the lateral nail bed of the 4th digit

– Travels up the middle of the lateral aspect of the fore leg & neck

– Loops around ear and ends at the orbit where the eyebrow ends (if the eyebrow is extended like in man)

• Shao Yang

Canine PC/TH Meridians

Gall Bladder Meridian

• Contains 44 points– Start 2 fen

ventrolateral to lateral canthus

– Travels down the medial part of the lateral trunk & leg

– Ends at lateral nail bed of the 4th digit

• Shao Yang

Liver Meridian

• Contains 14 points– Begins on lateral nail

bed of the 1st functional toe

• Man at 1st digit

• Dog/Cats at 2nd digit

– Travels up the middle of the medial leg and trunk

– Ends at 6th costrochondral junction

• Jue Yin

Canine GB/LIV Meridians

Governing Vessel Meridian

• Contains 28 points– Begins between anus

and tail– Travels up the dorsal

midline– Ends under lip at gum

line

• Yang

Conception Vessel Meridian

• Contains 24 points– Begins between the

anus and the external genitailia

– Travels up the ventral midline

– Ends in center of metolabial groove

• Yin

Canine GV/CV Meridians

Multiple Meridians

Multiple Meridians

Conclusion

• Meridians make up the highways for organized energy circulation throughout the body.

• Acupuncture points are the major cities along the highway which control traffic.

• Knowing the location and timing of the energy flow in the body helps develop appropriate treatment strategies.

• Remember, that the surface meridian also connects with the central one.