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Location Guides: |
Ying-Spring and Fire point
Child point of the Liver channel
Xu Qiufu Ghost point
On the dorsum of the foot, between the first and second toes, 0.5 cun proximal to the margin of the web.
0.5 - 1 cun obliquely towards the heel, or perpendicular insertion 0.5 - 0.8 cun.
"The Jueyin usually has much Blood and little Qi" (Su Wen 素問 ch. 24) implying this channel should normally be bled.
"The foot Jueyin is to be pierced 1 fen deep and remain inserted for two exhalations" (Ling Shu 靈樞 ch. 12).
"It is needled to a depth of sixfen, (the needle) is retained for a duration of ten exhalations, and it is moxaed with three cones" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).
Clears Liver Fire
Spreads Liver Qi
Pacifies Liver Wind
Clears Heat and stops bleeding
Benefits the Lower Jiao
Shared with Yangfu GB-38. Balanced by ䷈ (Quze Pc-3 or Yemen SJ-2).
Hexagram attributions are my own with an explanation given in the glossary.
Superficial Innervation: Deep fibular (peroneal) from L5
Dermatome Segment: L4, L5
Listed in the Wu Bei Zhi 武備志 (Treatise on Armament Technology) by Mao Yuanyi 茅元儀 (1621), Article 21: Delayed Death Touches with Twelve-Hour (Shichen 時辰) Diagrams. This point, along with Shangguan GB-3, Tianrong SI-17 and Quanliao SI-18, are associated with Zi 子 Rat (11 pm - 1 am) and if struck during this time is said to cause death within 1 day from trauma to the dorsalis hallucis artery (McCarthy, 2016, Bubishi: The Classic Manual of Combat).
As well as local pain and Qi drainage, this point adds Fire to the Liver causing great irritation and anger (Montaigue, Dim Mak Locations, Taijiworld.com).
Main point for treating Liver heat and fire.
In five element acupuncture this point is reduced to drain excess in the Liver.
Ling Shu Ch. 6 suggests piercing the Ying points (and Shu points according to Unschuld, 2016, but not according to Wu & Wu, 2010) of the Yin channels if a disease is in the Yin of the Yin realm (e.g. the Zang organs) suggesting this point (and Taichong Liv-3) in diseases of the Liver.
Ling Shu Ch. 9, On Ends and Beginnings, advises that in the case of Heat associated with receding Yin Qi the Yang conduit should be pierced once and the Yin conduits twice. Based on other recommendation to use the He-Sea of the Yang conduits (Ch. 19) and the Yuan-Source with the Ying-Spring points (Chs. 6, 19 and 24) to clear Heat from the Zangfu, that would suggest this point, Taiching Liv-3 and Yanglingquan GB-34 as a protocol to clear Heat in the Liver/Gall Bladder. Next it advises that in Cold associated with receding Yang Qi the Yang should be pierced twice and the Yin once but no such obvious protocol is evident for this situation. Another interpretation that would match with common practice today, based on the idea of odd numbers being Yang/moving/clearing while even numbers are Yin/tonifying/reinforcing, is that the points on the channel to be cleared are pierced on one side only while those on the channel to be tonified are pierced bilaterally.
Ling Shu Ch. 19, on the Four Seasonal Qi, advises selecting the Jing-Well and Ying-Spring openings in winter, piercing deeply and retaining for a while. However, the character for "retain" 留 is a combination of 田 "a field," possibly referring to the idea of waiting for things to grow, and 卯 which is the 4th Earthly Branch (Mao, Rabbit, ䷡, 5-7 am, Large Intestine) and said to derive from a Shang Dynasty glyph, originally referring to a blood sacrifice (a person or animal cut in half) before coming to mean bloodletting and "pouring out" (Smith, 2011). This might suggest it was actually referring to bleeding these points, and maybe even letting the points bleed for a time rather than retaining the needle.
Ling Shu Ch. 20, On the Five Evils, advises piercing this point while supplementing Zusanli St-36 to warm the middle, removing malign blood from the vessels and from the green veins in the ears to remove pathogens in the Liver causing flank pain, cold centre, joint cramps and swollen legs. Wu & Wu, 2010, say the vessels should be "of the same channel" while Unschuld, 2016, only specifies "Blood is removed from the vessels" leaving both unclear as to whether it should be the Liver or Stomach Luo. Stomach makes more sense as the Stomach point is mentioned immediately before and its Luo covers the hypochondriac region where the "malign blood" is residing while the Liver Luo only goes to the genitals.
Ling Shu Ch. 24, On Counterflow Diseases, employs the point combination mentioned in Ch. 6 for the treatment of Heart pain. It advises piercing this point and Taichong Liv-3 when treating a Heart pain accompanied by ash-grey corpse-like complexion and inability to breathe deeply, associated with the Liver.
Ling Shu Ch. 44, On the Qi Moving in Accordance with the Norms, indicates that the Ying-Spring points should be pierced in spring or when the disease is associated with a change in complexion. The seasonal aspect should not be interpreted literally as it describes the colours as "controlled by spring". It also describes the morning, afternoon, evening and night cycle of the day to be like the four seasons of the year with morning corresponding to spring.
Shang Han Lun, line 343, advises using moxa on Jueyin if a Jueyin pattern has lasted 6 or 7 days and is accompanied by faint pulse, reversal cold of the extremities, vexation and agitation. If it fails to restore the reversal the condition was considered fatal. Zhang Xi-Ju suggests this means using this point and Zhangmen Liv-13 while Chang Qi-Zhi suggests Taichong Liv-3. (Mitchell, Ye and Wiseman, 1999, Shang Han Lun).
In Tung acupuncture the Huo Ying (66.03), Fire Hard, point is located 0.5 cun proximal to this point. It is indicated for Liver patterns with Heat, syncope, myocardial infarction and teeth grinding or jaw pain from stress. It is often combined with Huo Zhu (66.04), Fire Ruler, 0.5 cun proximal to Taichong Liv-3 (Chu, 2015; eLotus, 2022).
The alchemical text Zhouyi Cantong Qi (周易參同契 attributed to Wei Boyang, 2nd century CE) represents the lunar cycle in sequence of 6 groups of 5 days governed by the waxing and waning trigrams. These correspond to a rotating cycle of the Early Heaven sequence, with Kan in the west and Li in the east governing the whole Yin and Yang parts of the cycle respectively.
These attributions can be mapped onto the body with the inner trigram representing the Early Heaven trigram that rules the period of 5 days and the outer trigram being its Late Heaven pair, corresponding to the Channel that governs that period. This results in a sequence that has relevance to the menstrual cycle which also corresponds to the moon.
䷭ Xun within Kun : Days 1-5 : Danzhong Ren 17
Front Mu of Pericardium, Hui of Qi and Sea of Qi point. Gathers Qi to make Blood.
䷠ Gen within Qian : Days 6-10 : Pishu Bl-20
Back Shu of the Spleen. Raises and holds the Blood by strengthening the Spleen, completing the endometrial lining and holding it in place.
䷇ Kun within Kan: Days 11-15 : Taixi Kid-3
Yuan-Source of Kidney, Kidneys govern fertility and this point in particular tonifies Kidney Yang as well as Yin, initiating the return of Yang from within Yin, representing ovulation and the start of the Yang part of the cycle.
䷚ Zhen within Gen: Days 16-20 : Yinbai Sp-1
Return of Yang. This point has many indications for stopping bleeding, especially uterine bleeding which would indicate a disorder of Yang failing to uphold the Blood. It is also a Ghost Point so has an influence on the Shen.
䷼ Dui within Xun: Days 21-25 : Jianshi Pc-5
Strong regulator of the Shen and menstruation for the pre-menstrual phase.
䷍ Qian within Li: Days 26-30 : Tongli He-5
Luo of the Heart, a strong invigorating Blood point to govern the days of the period.
One notable pattern that emerges is that the points which govern the 5 day periods corresponding to the ordinal directions only involve the Spleen and Pericardium, which are the channels that were chosen to open the Chong Mai and Yin Wei Mai. The cardinal directions of north and south are governed by the Heart and Kidneys that make up the Shaoyin Axis.
Another pattern is that the Yin part of the cycle draws upon the Ren, Du and Kidneys that connect to the Jing, while the Yang half of the cycle comprises of points that affect the Shen. This connects them to the principle of the Curious Organs, where Jing and Shen combine, and includes the uterus.
The two directions that are not part of the waxing and waning trigrams are Kan and Li. These govern the 15 day Yin and Yang halves of the cycle as a whole and correspond to:
䷮ Kan within Dui: Days 1-15 : Chize Lu-5
Water point of Taiyin, which is a term for the moon, thus representing the moon's influence on the tides and its corresponding influence on Yin aspects of the body.
䷶ Li within Zhen: Days 16-30 : Xingjian Liv-2
Fire point of Jueyin, reverting Yin, representing the return of Yang. Clinically this point clears Liver Fire, spread Liver Qi and stops bleeding due to Heat and so is appropriate for any number of issues stemming from overactive Yang in this half of the cycle.
In reflexology this point relates to the tops of the shoulders.
In ayurvedic medicine:
Kshipra marma point
Size: 1/2 angula (cun)
Structure: Tendon
Effect of Injury: Belatedly fatal (kalantarpranahar marma)
(Harish Johari, 1996, Ayurvedic Massage, Sanatan Society; Anupama Bhattacharya, n.d. Marma Shastra)
In Thai massage:
Acupressure point indicated for back pain (Salguero & Roylance, 2011, Encyclopedia of Thai Massage)
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
Steve Woodley Acupuncture & Traditional Medicine
90 Deane Croft Road,
Eascote, Pinner, Greater London. HA5 1SP
Tel/WhatsApp: +44 (0) 7946 174 829
Email: steve@steve-woodley.co.uk
