The twelve Primary Meridians

The twelve Primary Meridians: the backbone of the acupuncture system

The twelve Primary Meridians are the core of the meridian system in Traditional Chinese Medicine. They are the twelve major energetic channels that run vertically through the body, each connected with one internal organ and each bearing the name of that organ. Most of the acupuncture points used in daily practice are located on these twelve meridians. Whoever knows the Primary Meridians knows the anatomy of vital energy.

Six Yin, six Yang

The twelve Primary Meridians are divided into six Yin meridians and six Yang meridians. The Yin meridians are: the Heart meridian, Spleen meridian, Lung meridian, Kidney meridian, Liver meridian and Pericardium meridian. The Yang meridians are: the Small Intestine meridian, Stomach meridian, Large Intestine meridian, Bladder meridian, Gallbladder meridian and Triple Burner meridian.

Each Yin meridian is paired with a Yang meridian: together they form pairs that represent the energetic system of one element. Heart and Small Intestine (Fire), Spleen and Stomach (Earth), Lung and Large Intestine (Metal), Kidney and Bladder (Water), Liver and Gallbladder (Wood), Pericardium and Triple Burner (Fire). This pairing has direct clinical consequences: a disturbance in a Yin organ also affects the paired Yang organ, and vice versa.

The four groups: hand and foot, Yin and Yang

The twelve Primary Meridians are divided into four groups of three, based on their location (hand or foot) and their quality (Yin or Yang). The three hand-Yin meridians — Heart, Lung and Pericardium — begin in the chest cavity and run along the inner side of the arm toward the hand. The three hand-Yang meridians — Small Intestine, Large Intestine and Triple Burner — begin in the hand and run upward along the outer side of the arm toward the head.

The three foot-Yin meridians — Spleen, Liver and Kidney — begin on the foot and run upward along the inner side of the leg toward the abdomen and chest cavity. The three foot-Yang meridians — Bladder, Stomach and Gallbladder — begin in the face and run downward along the outer side of the body toward the foot. The foot-Yang meridians are particularly extensive: the Bladder meridian is the longest meridian in the body and runs from the corner of the eye via the back to the little toe.

Clinical application

Knowledge of the pathway of each Primary Meridian is essential for diagnosis and treatment. Pain or complaints along the course of a meridian indicate a disturbance in the corresponding organ or energy system. By stimulating acupuncture points on the meridian, the energy flow can be restored — both locally (at the site of the complaint) and distally (far from the complaint, but on the same meridian). This principle of both local and distal treatment is one of the most elegant aspects of acupuncture.