消濼 : Xiaoluo : Dispersing Luo River

Location Guides:

Location:

On the upper arm, on a line drawn between Tianjing SJ-10 and Jianliao SJ-14, 4 cun proximal to Tianjing SJ-10 and 6 cun distal to Jianliao SJ-14.

Needling:

Perpendicular or oblique insertion 1 - 2 cun

Classical Needling:

"The Shaoyang usually has little Blood and much Qi" (Su Wen 素問 ch. 24) implying this channel should normally be needled.
"The hand Yin and Yang receive their Qi via nearby paths so their Qi arrive swiftly. The depth of piercing must not exceed 2 fen and must not remain inserted for longer than one exhalation" (Ling Shu 靈樞 ch. 12).
"It is needled to a depth of six fen and is moxaed with three cones" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).

TCM Actions:

Activates the channel and alleviates pain

TCM Indications:

• Stiffness and pain of the nape and back with inability to turn the head, pain of the shoulder and arm, wind Painful Obstruction (痹, Bi).
  
• Headache, chills and fever, dizziness, toothache, madness.

Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: Posterior cutaneous nerve of the arm (C5 - C8)

Dermatome Segment: C5, T1 on dorsal axial line

Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

See Montaigue, Dim Mak Locations, Taijiworld.com for explanation of effects.

Major Combinations:

• Pain of the nape of the neck:
    Xiaoluo SJ-12 with Touqiaoyin GB-11
    (Wang Zhizhong, 王執中, 1220: Zhen Jiu Zi Sheng Jing, 針灸資生經, Classic of Supporting Life with Acupuncture and Moxibustion).

Notes:

In Thai massage:
Acupressure point along the outer Kalatharee sen line running from the lateral malleolus, up the sides of the leg, along the outer bladder channel, over the shoulder blade and down to the hands.
Indicated for shouder pain/injury/arthritis.
(Salguero & Roylance, 2011, Encyclopedia of Thai Massage)

Reference Notes:

Basic information on location, needle depth, TCM actions, indications and combinations is taken from Deadman et al (2001): A Manual of Acupuncture with additional anatomical information researched by reference to Gray's Anatomy (38th Ed., 1995) unless otherwise referenced. Images were found on acupunctureschoolonline.com and can be traced back to Claudia Focks (2008) Atlas of Acupuncture originally. I cannot claim any credit or rights over them. Other sources should be quoted in the text.

For some of the more unusual terms I have created a glossary here