五處 : Wuchu : Fifth Place

Classifications:

One of the "59 piercings" for clearing Heat in Su Wen Ch. 61

Location:

0.5 cun directly posterior to Quchai Bl-4, 1 cun within the anterior hairline, and 1.5 cun lateral to Shangxing Du-23.

Needling:

Transverse insertion 0.5 - 1 cun

Classical Needling:

"The Taiyang usually has much Blood and little Qi" (Su Wen 素問 ch. 24) implying this channel should normally be bled.
"The foot Taiyang is to be pierced 5 fen deep and remain inserted for seven exhalations" (Ling Shu 靈樞 ch. 12).
"It is needled to a depth of three fen, (the needle) is retained for a duration of seven exhalations, and it is moxaed with three cones" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).

TCM Actions:

Eliminates Wind, descends Yang and clears Heat
Clears the head and nose

TCM Indications:

• Rigidity of the spine, opisthotonos, upward staring eyes, epilepsy, madness, tetany, clonic spasm, dizziness, Visual Dizziness, dimness of vision.
  
• Headache, pain of the head and eye, heaviness of the head, nasal congestion.

Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: CN V1 ophthalamic branch of trigeminal

Dermatome Segment: CN V1 ophthalamic branch of trigeminal

Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

Requires less force than Quchai Bl-4, it causes local pain, Qi drainage that moves down the body with nausea when it reaches the stomach and knock out if struck hard enough (Montaigue, Dim Mak Locations, Taijiworld.com).

Major Combinations:

• Opisthotonos, clonic spasm, epilepsy and headache:
    Wuchu Bl-5 with Shenzhu Du-12, Weizhong Bl-40, Weiyang Bl-39 and Kunlun Bl-60
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
  
  
• Constant sneezing:
    Wuchu Bl-5 with Fengmen Bl-2
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
  
  
• Nasal congestion with inability to distinguish the fragrant from the foul:
    Wuchu Bl-5 with Yingxiang LI-20, Shangxing Su-23 and Kouheliao LI-19
    (Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).

Notes:

The "59 piercings" are named in the Su Wen Ch. 61 and mentioned in Su Wen Ch. 32 for treating Heat diseases. This point along with Chenguang Bl-6, Tongtian Bl-7, Luoque Bl-8 and Yuzhen Bl-9 clear Heat from counterflow in the foot Taiyang Bladder channel.

Ling Shu Ch. 24, On Counterflow Diseases, seems to employs this set of points in treating headache, dizziness and heaviness of the head. It advises draining from the five points on each of the five channels on the top of the head, including this point, followed by the hand Shaoyin and then foot Shaoyin.

Yue Hanzhen attributes actions on Liver disorders to the points Bl-5 to Bl-8 (Yue, 17th Century, Explanation of Channels and Points Vol. 1, p.272-276). These points connect with the Liver because the Liver channel runs internally upwards to the vertex and connects to the eyes. In terms of indications, the main Liver symptoms associated with these points are eye and visual disorders, and dizziness from ascendant Yang, although Yue attributes these last symptoms to disorders of the Du Mai, with which the Taiyang is closely associated, both anatomically and functionally.

The Ling Shu ch. 52 describes four Qi "Streets" (街 Jie, "street or market") on the head, chest, abdomen and shins. The Head Qi Street refers to the points located along the Bladder and Gall Bladder channel of the head and are said to have a special connection with the brain.

This point's actions of eliminating Wind, descending Yang and clearing Heat would make it a suitable candidate for the Bladder Qi Street point relating to the Liver and Gall Bladder.

處 Chu in this point's name is also an ancient term meaning "to stop or cease" and "to punish, discipline, manage or deal with" and Su Wen ch. 9 says the Liver is said to be responsible for "stopping extremes" (罷極 Ba Ji). The number five is connected with the Five Phases suggesting that this point relates to keeping the Five Phases in check, adding some evidence that this point is connected to the function of the Liver to prevent extremes from any of the Phases. "Five" (五 Wu) is also a homophone for "martial" (武 Wu) making another possible meaning of "Martial Discipline" or "Martial Place" (i.e. barracks or dojo). Finally, it's alternative name "Huge Place" could indicate the courtyard where the army trains. Combined these indicate a point where the person can recruit additional resources to fight an exterior invasion.

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