Acupuncture Point Categories: Yuan Source, Luo Connecting, Shu Points...
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Acupuncture Point Categories
Traditional Chinese Medicine utilizes a number of theories which group acupuncture points together based on their functions and/or other relationships. Many of these theories are important in a clinical setting and are used, along with other theory and diagnostic information, to decide which acupuncture points will be used for a given condition.
Related Sections
- Acupuncture Point Selection Guidelines.
- Acupuncture Point Database
- Common Acupressure Points - For Self Treatment.
- What is Qi? - Qi Theory in TCM
- Five Element Theory
- Pulse Diagnosis
- Tongue Diagnosis
- General TCM Diagnoses
- Other Sections:
- Chinese Theory Section
- Treatment Protocols
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Point Categories
For complete information about a single point, click on it within the chart. For more information about a category, click on the "detailed theory" link
- Acupuncture Point Theoretical Groupings:
- Five Shu Points
- Five Element Points
- Lower He Sea Points
- Xi Cleft Points
- Yuan Source Points
- Luo Connecting Points
- Back Shu Points
- Front Mu Points
- Hui Meeting Points
- Extraordinary Vessel Master Coupled Points
- Command Points
- Four Seas Points
- Sky Window Points
- Thirteen Ghost Points
- Entry Exit Points
- Shokanten Points
- Additional Theory Related Resources
- Discussions:
- Discuss Acupuncture Theory
Acupuncture Point Groupings by TCM Theory
¤ Five Shu Points - detailed theory
|
Yin Meridians
|
Jing-well
(Wood) |
Ying-spring
(Fire) |
Shu-stream
(Earth) |
Jing-river
(Metal) |
He-Sea
(Water) |
| LU | LU 11 | LU 10 | LU 9 | LU 8 | LU 5 |
| PC | PC 9 | PC 8 | PC 7 | PC 5 | PC 3 |
| HT | HT 9 | HT 8 | HT 7 | HT 4 | HT 3 |
| SP | SP 1 | SP 2 | SP 3 | SP 5 | SP 9 |
| LV | LV 1 | LV 2 | LV 3 | LV 4 | LV 8 |
| KD | KD 1 | KD 2 | KD 3 | KD 7 | KD 10 |
|
Yang Meridians
|
Jing-well
(Metal) |
Ying-spring
(Water) |
Shu-stream
(Wood) |
Jing-river
(Fire) |
He-Sea
(Earth) |
| LI | LI 1 | LI 2 | LI 3 | LI 5 | LI 11 |
| TH | TH 1 | TH 2 | TH 3 | TH 6 | TH 10 |
| SI | SI 1 | SI 2 | SI 3 | SI 5 | SI 8 |
| ST | ST 45 | ST 44 | ST 43 | ST 41 | ST 36 |
| GB | GB 44 | GB 43 | GB 41 | GB 38 | GB 34 |
| UB | UB 67 | UB 66 | UB 65 | UB 60 | UB 40 |
¤ Five Element Points - detailed theory
|
Mother
|
Child
|
|
| Lung (Metal) | LU 9 | LU 5 |
| Large Intestine (Metal) | LI 11 | LI 2 |
| Stomach (Earth) | ST 41 | ST 45 |
| Spleen (Earth) | SP 2 | SP 5 |
| Heart (Fire) | HT 9 | HT 7 |
| Small Intestine (Fire) | SI 3 | SI 8 |
| Urinary Bladder (Water) | UB 67 | UB 65 |
| Kidney (Water) | KD 7 | KD 1 |
| Pericardium (Fire) | PC 9 | PC 7 |
| Triple Heater (Fire) | TH 3 | TH 10 |
| Gall Bladder (Wood) | GB 43 | GB 38 |
| Liver (Wood) | LV 8 | LV 2 |
¤ Lower He Sea Points of the 6 Fu (Yang) Organs - detailed theory
| Large Intestine | ST 37 |
-Yang Ming-
|
Stomach | ST 36 |
| Triple Heater | UB 39 |
-Shao Yang-
|
Gall Bladder | GB 34 |
| Small Intestine | ST 39 |
-Tai Yang-
|
Urinary Bladder | UB 40 |
¤ Xi-Cleft Points - detailed theory
| Lung | LU 6 | Urinary Bladder | UB 63 | Yin Qiao Vessel | KD 8 |
| Large Intestine | LI 7 | Kidney | KD 5 | Yang Qiao Vessel | UB 59 |
| Stomach | ST 34 | Pericardium | PC 4 | Yin Wei Vessel | KD 9 |
| Spleen | SP 8 | Triple Heater | TH 7 | Yang Wei Vessel | GB 35 |
| Heart | HT 6 | Gall Bladder | GB 36 | ||
| Small Intestine | SI 6 | Liver | LV 6 |
¤ Yuan - Source Points - detailed theory
| Lung | LU 9 | Urinary Bladder | UB 64 |
| Large Intestine | LI 4 | Kidney | KD 3 |
| Stomach | ST 42 | Pericardium | PC 7 |
| Spleen | SP 3 | Triple Heater | TH 4 |
| Heart | HT 7 | Gall Bladder | GB 40 |
| Small Intestine | SI 4 | Liver | LV 3 |
¤ Luo - Connecting Points - detailed theory
| Lung | LU 7 | Urinary Bladder | UB 58 |
| Large Intestine | LI 6 | Kidney | KD 4 |
| Stomach | ST 40 | Pericardium | PC 6 |
| Spleen | SP 4 | Triple Heater | TH 5 |
| Heart | HT 5 | Gall Bladder | GB 37 |
| Small Intestine | SI 7 | Liver | LV 5 |
¤ Back Shu Points - detailed theory
| Lung | UB 13 | Urinary Bladder | UB 28 |
| Large Intestine | UB 25 | Kidney | UB 23 |
| Stomach | UB 21 | Pericardium | UB 14 |
| Spleen | UB 20 | Triple Heater | UB 22 |
| Heart | UB 15 | Gall Bladder | UB 19 |
| Small Intestine | UB 27 | Liver | UB 18 |
| Governing Vessel | UB 16 | Diaphragm | UB 17 |
| Qihai (Sea of Qi) | UB 24 | Guanyuan (Gate of Source) | UB 26 |
| Zhonglu (Center Back Muscles) | UB 29 | Baihuan (White Ring) | UB 30 |
| Gaohuang (Vital Region) | UB 43 |
¤ Front Mu Points - detailed theory
| Lung | LU 1 | Urinary Bladder | CV 3 |
| Large Intestine | ST 25 | Kidney | GB 25 |
| Stomach | CV 12 | Pericardium | CV 17 |
| Spleen | LV 13 | Triple Heater | CV 5 |
| Heart | CV 14 | Gall Bladder | GB 24 |
| Small Intestine | CV 4 | Liver | LV 14 |
¤ Hui - Meeting Points - detailed theory
¤ Extraordinary Vessel - Master Coupled Points - detailed theory
|
Extraordinary Vessel
|
Master Point
|
Coupled Point
|
| Conception Vessel | LU 7 | KD 6 |
| Governing Vessel | SI 3 | UB 62 |
| Chong Vessel | SP 4 | PC 6 |
| Dai Vessel | GB 41 | TH 5 |
| Yin Qiao Vessel | KD 6 | LU 7 |
| Yang Qiao Vessel | UB 62 | SI 3 |
| Yin Wei Vessel | PC 6 | SP 4 |
| Yang Wei Vessel | TH 5 | GB 41 |
¤ Command Points - detailed theory
| Abdomen | ST 36 |
| Lumbar Region | UB 40 |
| Head & Posterior Neck | LU 7 |
| Face & Mouth | LI 4 |
| Heart, Chest & Epigastrium | PC 6 |
| Fainting & Collapse | GV 26 |
¤ The Four Seas - detailed theory
| Sea of Qi | ST 9, CV 17, GV 15, GV 14 |
| Sea of Blood | UB 11, ST 37, ST 39 |
| Sea of Water & Grain | ST 30 (upper point), ST 36 (lower point) |
| Sea of Marrow | GV 20, GV 16 |
¤ Window of the Sky Points - detailed theory
|
From Ling Shu
|
Ch. 21
|
From Ling Shu
|
Ch. 2
|
| Renying | ST 9 | Tiantu | CV 22 |
| Futu | LI 18 | Tianchuang | SI 16 |
| Tianyou | TH 16 | Tianrong | SI 17 |
| Tianzhu | UB 10 | Fengfu | GV 16 |
| Tianfu | LU 3 | Tianchi | PC 1 |
¤ Thirteen Ghost Points (from Sun Si Miao)
|
Point Number
|
Point Name
|
| GV 26 | Ghost Palace |
| GV 23 | Ghost Hall |
| GV 16 | Ghost Pillow |
| CV 24 | Ghost Market |
| LU 11 | Ghost Faith |
| LI 11 | Ghost Leg |
| PC 7 | Ghost Heart |
| PC 8 | Ghost Cave |
| ST 6 | Ghost Bed |
| SP 1 | Ghost Fortress |
| UB 62 | Ghost Path |
| Guifeng (Extra Point) on the underside of the tongue, one cun from the tip of the midline |
Ghost Seal |
| Essentially CV 1 originally described as Yumentou (Extra Point - Women) /Yinxiafeng (Extra Point - Men) |
Ghost Store |
¤ Entry Exit Points - detailed theory
The entry/exit points that are not the first or the last points on the meridian are marked with an "*" and with the first or last point within parentheses. The entry/exit points are also in red on the meridian flow diagram following the chart.
|
Entry
|
Exit
|
|
| LU | LU 1 | LU 7 *(LU 11) |
| LI | LI 4 *(LI 1) | LI 20 |
| PC | PC 1 | PC 8 *(PC 9) |
| TH | TH 1 | TH 22 *(TH 23) |
| HT | HT 1 | HT 9 |
| SI | SI 1 | SI 19 |
| SP | SP 1 | SP 21 |
| ST | ST 1 | ST 42 *(ST 45) |
| LV | LV 1 | LV 14 |
| GB | GB 1 | GB 41 *(GB 44) |
| KD | KD 1 | KD 22 *(KD 27) |
| UB | UB 1 | UB 67 |
¤ Shokanten Points and the Nine Continent Pulses - detailed theory
|
|
Pulse Location
|
Division
|
Shokanten
|
Effected Area
|
| Upper | Tai Yang | Tai Yang | KD 12 | Sides of the Head |
| Middle | TH 21 | Shao Yang | ST 25/KD 21 | Eyes & Ears |
| Lower | ST 2 | Yang Ming | ST 27 | Mouth & Teeth |
| Upper | LU 9 | Tai Yin | LV 13 | Lungs |
| Middle | HT 7 | Shao Yin | KD 16 | Heart |
| Lower | LI 4 | Jue Yin | LV 14/KD 19 | Chest |
| Upper | LV 3 | Tai Yin | LV 13 | Liver |
| Middle | ST 42 | Shao Yin | KD 16 | Spleen |
Related Resources
Sources and resources for further study
There are many resources which discuss acupuncture and chinese medicine at varying levels. Our research section includes a comprehensive list of the main texts and websites related to Chinese medicine. Below are the sources that were used for this section:
- Hartstein, Rachel: New England School of Acupuncture, Actions & Effects Lecture Notes
- LaBruzzo, Cynthia: New England School of Acupuncture, TCM Theory Lecture Notes
For a complete list of valuable resources, see our Acupuncture Theory Resources section.
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