NMT 150: Naturopathic Therapeutics I (TCM) PDF

NMT 150: NATUROPATHIC THERAPEUTICS I T RA DIT ION AL CHIN ES E M ED ICIN E (TCM ) E-L EAR NIN G L ECT UR E 13 CON NE CTIN G ( LUO) P OIN TS BACK ( S HU) PO INT S FRONT (MU) POINTS Author: Neemez Kassam, M.Sc., N.D., R.Ac. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Understand the function and uses for: Connecting (Luo...

NMT 150: NATUROPATHIC THERAPEUTICS I T RA DIT ION AL CHIN ES E M ED ICIN E (TCM ) E-L EAR NIN G L ECT UR E 13 CON NE CTIN G ( LUO) P OIN TS BACK ( S HU) PO INT S FRONT (MU) POINTS Author: Neemez Kassam, M.Sc., N.D., R.Ac. LEARNING OBJECTIVES Understand the function and uses for: Connecting (Luo) Points Back Shu Points Front Mu Points CONNECTING (LUO) POINTS 15 connecting points throughout the body 12 regular meridians 1 Governing vessel 1 Conception vessel 1 Great Spleen CONNECTING CHANNELS Refers to the areas governed by the Connecting point Each point has 2 areas to govern: 1. Along a path to a defined area for each meridian See table 1 for areas governed 2. Between the main meridian and the skin Works like a mesh or network stretching horizontally between the skin and muscles The main meridians run deeper in the body Connecting channels are unable to pass through large joints  Organ Connecting Channel Lung Lu 7 to the thenar eminence Large Intestine LI 6 to the teeth and ears TA B L E 1 Stomach St 40 to the neck Spleen Sp 4 to the stomach and intestines Heart Ht 5 to the tongue and eye Small Intestine SI 7 to the shoulder Urinary Bladder UB 58 to the Kidney channel on the leg Kidney Kd 4 to the pericardium Pericardium Pc 7 to the heart Triple Warmer TW 5 to the chest Gall Bladder GB 37 to the dorsum of foot Liver Lr 5 to the external genitalia Governing Vessel GV 1 to the spine and occiput Conception Vessel CV 15 to the abdomen Great Connecting Sp 21 to the chest and ribs Maciocia p.848-849 CONNECTING (LUO) POINTS 3 main uses: In conjunction with Source Point of the paired organ On their own based on Full-Empty symptoms To affect the area(s) governed by the respective Connecting channel WITH SOURCE POINT Paired with Yin-Yang organ in the same element Ie. Lung-LI, ST-Spleen, Heart-SI, etc. Movement is generally from Connecting → Source Using the Connecting point with the Source point increases effect of the Source point Ie. Lung 9 (Source) with LI 6 (Connecting) for treating Lung Qi deficiency ON THEIR OWN Based on Full or Empty symptoms of Connecting Channels See Table 51.1 (p852) in Maciocia More frequently used from the table are listed in Table 2  Point Symptomatology St 40 Insanity (Full) TA B L E 2 Sp 4 Abdominal pain (Full), abdominal distenstion (Empty) Ht 5 Aphasia (Empty) Kd 4 Backache (Empty) Pc 6 Chest pain (Full) Lr 5 Genitalia concerns (Full), itching genitals (Empty) Maciocia p851 BASED ON CONNECTING CHANNELS As per Table 1, the Connecting point can be used to affect the area of the Connecting Channels for that meridian Ie. Lung 7 for thenar eminence or Ht 5 for the tongue and eye Can be used in conjunction with other points of the same action, or affecting the same area BACK SHU POINTS Have a direct connection to their respective organ Transport Qi directly to the organ Western correlation is the sympathetic chain ganglia and their associated organ systems Energetically, they resemble areas governed by major energy centres or Chakras BACK SHU POINTS Used mainly for chronic conditions Treat diseases of the Yin organs better than the Yang organs Located on the back (Yang area), they are effective in treating conditions of feeling cold or Yang deficiency Can also treat excess conditions, Yin concerns, and Yang organs. BACK SHU Organ Shu Point Organ Shu Point P OINT S Lu UB 13 LI UB 25 Pc UB 14 TW UB 22 Ht UB 15 SI UB 27 Lr UB 18 GB UB 19 Sp UB 20 St UB 21 Kd UB 23 UB UB 28 OUTER BACK SHU POINTS The outer line (3 cun lateral to the midline) More for psychological and emotional concerns Mainly for the Yin organs Organ Outer Shu Emotion Lung UB 42 Corporeal Soul Heart UB 44 Shen or Mind Liver UB 47 Ethereal Soul Spleen UB 49 Intellect Kidney UB 52 Will Power FRONT MU POINTS Mu is equivalent to “Alarm” or “Collecting” Located on the anterior torso of the body Usually located directly over the organ itself Located on the front of the body (Yin area), they have a cooling effect. FRONT MU POINTS Used to treat conditions of mainly Yang organs. Used in both acute and chronic conditions but mainly for acute excess conditions. Some say the points are beneficial when treating intrinsic disorders of the organ I.e. Liver Mu for hepatitis or cirrhosis, Lung Mu for emphysema or pneumonia. FRONT MU Organ Mu Point Organ Mu Point P OINT S Lu Lu 1 LI St 25 Pc CV 17 TW CV 5 Ht CV 14 SI CV 4 Lr Lr 14 GB GB 24 Sp Lr 13 St CV 12 Kd GB 25 UB CV 3 BACK SHU AND FRONT MU POINTS Can be used together to enhance a treatment if the patient is in a position that allows access to both points. E.g. Lung 1 and UB 13, CV 14 and UB 15 If treatments are not frequent (every 2 weeks), then both groups of points are encouraged in one treatment. Best to use either Back Shu or Front Mu, if treatments are occurring more frequently Can be used for treatment and diagnosis Tenderness in the area of the point can carry with it a lot of information E.g. Sharp or excess type pain in a point indicates sedation is required. E.g. Dull or empty type pain indicated tonification is required. REFERENCES Kassam, Neemez et al. Fundamentals of Clinical Acupuncture. Toronto, Canada: CCNM Press, 2009. Liangyue, Deng et al. Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion. Beijing, China: Foreign Languages Press, 1996. Maciocia, Giovanni. The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. 3ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Ltd, 2015.