Lung Point 9
Taiyuan: Great Abyss
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Lung point 9 has a number of important qualities:
- Shu-stream point: so can be used to treat the lung organ
- Yuan source point
- Earth Point (tonification point)
- Hui-Meeting point for the Blood Vessels
Location
In the wrist crease on the anterior forearm between the radial bone and the first metacarpal bone, between the radial artery and the tendon of abductor pollicis longus - the tendon that abducts the thumb.
Needling
Perpendicular to the skin, 0.25 cun is usually enough but in some people can be up to 0.5 cun.
When needling this point, some acupuncturists find the radial pulse, then press laterally to it with a fingernail to push it away (ie medially) as the needle penetrates. I've never needed to do this, however, because it's quite hard to penetrate the artery wall, and the point is usually easy to find just medial to the abductor pollicis longus.
Needling Sensation: a heavy aching sensation is felt deep within the wrist joint, spreading out from the tip of the needle.
Actions of Lung Point 9: Taiyuan
- Tonifies, circulates and supports Lung qi and Lung Yin
- Stimulates the descending function of the Lung
- Eliminates Wind and by regulating qi, transforms phlegm: stops cough
- Harmonises excess Stomach qi
- Steadies and harmonises the (100) Blood vessels
Indications and Comment for Lung Point 9
Because of the various actions of this point, the origin of the Lung channel in the epigastrium and stomach, the relationship between the lung and the heart in the Upper Jiao, and its relationship with the Large Intestine channel and zang, we can divide its actions into various groups.
However, please realise that in many cases the nature of the symptom means that it could be classified in several ways. Also, it would be wonderful to be able to ascribe complete healing of all the following symptoms to Lung point 9 alone, but in practice few acupuncturists would risk it: they'd use other points to back it up, depending on the exact diagnosis.
Duplication below is on purpose, but not intended to be complete.
Tonifies Lung qi and Lung Yin
- Rebellious Lung qi: cough
- Sighing and yawning
- Shortness of breath and wheezing: asthma with much watery phlegm. NB Lung point 9 is the best point on the Lung channel for conditions with Cold and cold Mucus. (Most other Lung channel points are better for clearing heat. This point circulates Lung qi, but affects Water as well, the main point on the channel to do so, if not the only such point.)
- Feeling of fullness and oppression in the chest
- Shivering and panting with cold
- Oedema of the face
- Breathing difficulty when lying: so can't lie down
- Sighing and yawning
- Shortness of breath and wheezing
- Breathing difficulty when lying: so can't lie down
- Asthma: can't catch breath
- Rebellious Stomach qi: belching, hiccups
- Difficulty urinating
Lung qi
- Frequent tiredness; needs to pause often to catch breath when talking, walking or climbing (eg stairs)
- Numbness of chest
- Asthma
- Much watery phlegm
- Breathing difficulty when lying
- Asthma: can't catch breath
- In chronic conditions, of Lung qi deficiency, one would certainly use other points as well, such as Stomach 36, or Conception Vessel points 12 or 17)
Heat in Lungs and/or Lung yin deficiency
- Haematemesis: vomiting blood
- Haemoptysis: coughing up blood
- Dry throat
- Agitation: crazy, raving talk, and can't get to sleep
- Colitis
Lung Yin deficiency
- Insomnia: wakes and worries after 3am (but there are other possible reasons for this, including Liver qi stagnation, Kidney Yin deficiency, Stomach Heat)
- Palms of the hands are hot. (Interesting how we usually say "palms 'of the hands'"! Unless you have other palms about your person, surely 'of the hands' is redundant?)
- Asthma: can't catch breath (although this would almost certainly entail some Kidney qi deficiency as well, possibly caused long term by failure of the Mother-Child relationship between Lung and Kidney, as per the 5 Phase/Element diagram)
- Dry throat and/or mouth
- Haemoptysis: coughing up blood
- Sparse, dry phlegm
Relationship with Stomach qi
- Rebellious Stomach qi: belching
- Difficulty swallowing: stenosis (narrowing) of the oesophagus
- Toothache
- Pain in the breasts
- Eye: inflammation of the whites of the eyes; blepharitis (inflamed eyelids); eye pain
Meeting Point for the 100 Vessels
When
Lung qi is healthy, the movement of Blood around the body is
harmonious. When Lung qi is deficient or excessive, Blood movement
becomes disturbed.
When deficient, it may seem impossible to
feel the pulse at the wrist, and difficult even at other points eg the
carotid artery in the neck.
An old trick if you can't feel the pulse, is to needle Lung point 9: this brings qi to all the pulses, at least temporarily. In so doing, of course, you may alter the quality of the pulses making your diagnosis of the kind of pulse less certain:
- Heaviness, oppression, fullness, in the chest
- Chest pain: eg of heart and lung
- Agitation mentally, (crazy talking), with a choppy pulse and difficulty breathing
- Cardiac pain
- Distension of the lungs and can't breathe out properly
Lung's relationship with the Water passages
- Oedema in the face - but can be elsewhere in the upper part of the body. Typically, the face is puffy on waking in the morning, and/or there are large white bags of fluid under the eyes. (If the bags under the eyes are blue or black, suspect Kidney involvement as well.)
- Difficulty urinating
- Blood in the urine
Lung Channel problems
- Pain or weakness in the thumb, wrist, anterior/radial side of the forearm, biceps, shoulder and supraclavicular fossa.
For other points on the Lung channel, click below:
| Lung-1 | Zhongfu | Middle Mansion |
| Lung-2 | Yunmen | Cloud Gate |
| Lung-3 | Tianfu | Heavenly Palace |
| Lung-4 | Xiabai | Protecting White |
| Lung-5 | Chize | Foot Marsh |
| Lung-6 | Kongxui | Great Opening |
| Lung-7 | Lique | Broken Sequence |
| Lung-8 | Jingqu | Channel Gutter |
| Lung-9 | Taiyuan | Great Abyss |
| Lung-10 | Yujo | Fish Region |
| Lung-11 | Shaoshang | Lesser Shang |
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