Shu Antique points on the lower leg
The Shu Antique points by meridian: a complete overview
The Shu Antique points — the Five Element points on each meridian — form a systematic and elegant network of therapeutic anchor points. Each of the twelve Primary meridians has five of these points, distributed over the lower leg for the six leg meridians and the forearm for the six arm meridians. Knowing these points by meridian is an essential skill for every acupuncturist.
Shu Antique points on the lower leg: the Yin meridians
The three Yin meridians of the leg — Spleen, Liver and Kidney — begin their Shu Antique sequence at the big toe or sole of the foot and follow the Sheng cycle from Wood to Water. The Spleen meridian has the following Shu Antique points: Spleen 1 (Jing-Well/Wood), Spleen 2 (Ying-Spring/Fire), Spleen 3 (Shu-Stream/Earth), Spleen 5 (Jing-River/Metal) and Spleen 9 (He-Sea/Water). The Liver meridian: Liver 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8. The Kidney meridian: Kidney 1, 2, 3, 7 and 10.
Particularly clinically relevant are: Liver 3 (Taichong, the Shu-Stream/Earth point) — the most frequently used point for Liver-Qi stagnation; Kidney 3 (Taixi, the Shu-Stream/Source point) — the anchor point for all Kidney treatments; Spleen 9 (Yinlingquan, the He-Sea/Water point) — the most powerful point for resolving Dampness.
Shu Antique points on the lower leg: the Yang meridians
The three Yang meridians of the leg — Stomach, Gallbladder and Bladder — begin their sequence with the Metal element and also follow the Sheng cycle. The Stomach meridian: Stomach 45 (Jing-Well/Metal), Stomach 44 (Ying-Spring/Water), Stomach 43 (Shu-Stream/Wood), Stomach 41 (Jing-River/Fire) and Stomach 36 (He-Sea/Earth). The Gallbladder meridian: Gallbladder 44, 43, 41, 38 and 34. The Bladder meridian: Bladder 67, 66, 65, 60 and 40.
The best-known points in this sequence are Stomach 36 (Zusanli, He-Sea/Earth) — the most powerful tonification point of the body; Gallbladder 34 (Yanglingquan, He-Sea/Earth) — the influential point for the tendons and an essential point for musculoskeletal disorders; Bladder 60 (Kunlun, Jing-River/Fire) — a powerful analgesic point along the Bladder meridian.
Shu Antique points on the forearm: the Yin meridians
The three Yin meridians of the arm — Lung, Pericardium and Heart — have their Shu Antique points on the forearm. The Lung meridian: Lung 11 (Jing-Well/Wood), Lung 10 (Ying-Spring/Fire), Lung 9 (Shu-Stream/Earth, also Source point), Lung 8 (Jing-River/Metal). The Pericardium meridian: Pericardium 9, 8, 7 and 5. The Heart meridian: Heart 9, 8, 7 and 4.
Among the arm-meridian points, particularly clinically relevant are: Lung 9 (Taiyuan, Shu-Stream/Source point) — the most powerful tonification point of the Lung meridian and the influential point for the blood vessels; Heart 7 (Shenmen, Shu-Stream/Source point) — the most frequently used point for palpitations, insomnia and Shen disorders; Pericardium 7 (Daling, Shu-Stream/Source point) — effective for Heart-Heat and mental agitation.