Nervous Stomach Anxiety: yin/yang explanation
Why You get Nervous Stomach Anxiety and How to Handle It. Acupuncture has great ways to help.
Liver 5 is one of the main points used for treating genital and urinary problems, though it does far more, but people forget this.
On the medial surface of the leg, 5 cun superior to the inner malleolus, immediately behind the tibia. If you measure up the medial edge of the tibia one-third of the way to the knee-joint there is often a small notch or indentation in the tibia at the level of the point.
Some put the point as being in that indentation on the bone at that point, others just behind it between the tibia and the gastrocnemius muscle.
Insert either perpendicularly (0.5 – 1.00 cun) to the skin or obliquely upwards towards the knee, slightly deeper.
Locally, a distending sensation: sometimes up towards the genitals or lateral lower ribs on the same side as the point being needled.
I have also noticed its sensation down to the area of Gallbladder 43.
I don’t think I’ve ever moxa’d this point, but I’m not sure why not: perhaps because I use it more for clearing damp and heat than for putting yang into the system. I suppose up to 3 moxa is OK.
Being a luo-connecting point gives this point special characteristics in addition to its position.
Bear in mind that Damp and Heat produce symptoms of itch, inflammation, discharge and swelling and so any of these symptoms in the genital area suggest this point.
Another use for the point is where emotional tensions produce the sensation of a plum-stone in the throat which is globus hystericus. Other Liver points also treat this as do points on other channels, many of which traverse the throat, but this point is often the first choice.
Liver 5 is a great point for menstrual disorders, but also for clearing stagnant Qi in the abdomen, with symptoms such as distension from trapped wind when the underlying cause is frustration or anger.
Liver 5 is also good when there is depression from either fright or fear. I suspect this is also because the Gallbladder is so tied up with courage and ‘gall’ and the luo-connecting point adjusts the energy between Liver and Gallbladder.
The point is one of a number that may benefit impotence in men, assuming it is caused by Liver deficiency or Damp-Heat. (Click for more on sexual impotence.)
Liver ‘deficiency’ really means Liver Blood deficiency, often together with Liver Qi stagnation, and this point can help the combination. However, impotence arises from various causes in Chinese medicine and the condition needs to be carefully diagnosed before relying on any one point.
The point is also mentioned for treatment of low back pain whether due to excess (eg from Wind or Cold – when one might use moxa) or deficiency – when one might use this point together with lower points on the Conception vessel because the Liver primary channel has branches to Conception Vessel points 2, 3 and 4: in the same way that one uses points on the Bladder channel to treat abdominal problems, points on the abdomen can be used for low back problems.
This is a main point for strengthening the lower abdomen but I do not always find the point easily nor find it that easy to use.
Click here to find out about the Liver’s functions in Chinese medicine
Click to find out about the liver organ in WESTERN medicine
Liver-1 | Dadun | Great Clarity |
Liver-2 | Xingjian | Walk Between |
Liver-3 | Taichong | Great Pouring |
Liver-4 | Zhongfeng | Middle Seal |
Liver-5 | Ligou | Woodworm Groove |
Liver-6 | Zhongdu | Central Capital |
Liver-7 | Xiguan | Knee Joint |
Liver-8 | Ququan | Spring at the Bend |
Liver-9 | YinBao | Yin Wrapping |
Liver-10 | Zuwuli | Leg Five Miles |
Liver-11 | Yinlian | Yin Angle |
Liver-12 | Jimai | Urgent Pulse |
Liver-13 | Zhangmen | System Gate |
Liver-14 | Qimen | Cycle Gate |
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Why You get Nervous Stomach Anxiety and How to Handle It. Acupuncture has great ways to help.
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