昆侖 : Kunlun : Kunlun Mountains

Location Guides:

Classifications:

Jing-River and Fire point
Ma Dan-yang Heavenly Star point
Binding point of the foot Taiyang Sinews

Location:

Behind the ankle joint, in the depression between the prominence of the lateral malleolus and teh Achilles tendon.

Needling:

Perpendicular insertion 0.5 - 1 cun, or directed superiorly to join with Taixi Kid-3, 1.5 - 2 cun.

Warnings:

Contraindicated in pregnancy

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 five fen, (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).

TCM Actions:

Clears Heat and lowers Yang
Pacifies Wind and leads down excess
Activates the entire Bladder channel and alleviates pain
Relaxes the sinews and strengthens the lumbar spine
Promotes labour

TCM Indications:

• Childhood epilepsy, epilepsy, madness, lockjaw, headache, heat in the head, Visual Dizziness, redness pain and swelling of the eyes, bursting eye pain, pain of the upper teeth, rhinitis with nosebleed.
  
• Stiff neck, contraction of the shoulder and back, Heart pain that radiates to the back, lumbar pain, sacral pain, pain of the coccyx, sciatica, pain behind the knee, ankle pain, hemiplegia.
  
• Fullness of the chest, dyspnoea, cough, Malarial (瘧, Nue) Disorders, Malarial (瘧, Nue) Disorders with copious sweating.
  
• Difficult labour, retention of placenta, difficulty in conceiving, swelling of the genitals, abdominal pain, difficult defecation.

I Ching Hexagram:

䷾ Ji Ji 既濟 After Crossing

Shared with Rangu Kid-2 and balanced by ䷿ (Shaohai He-3 or Xianggu SI-2).

Hexagram attributions are my own with an explanation given in the glossary.

Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: Sural nerve (L5 - S2)

Dermatome Segment: S1

Deeper Structures: Sural nerve (L5 - S2)

Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

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 Rugen St-18 and Tianding LI-17 are associated with Yin 寅 Tiger (3-5 am) and if struck during this time is said to cause death within 20 days from trauma to the external malleolar artery. Along with Taixi Kid-3, Jiuwei Ren-15 and Baihui Du-20 it is associated with Si 巳 Snake and causes death within 3 years. In Article 24: Bronze Man Statue, which divides the body into zones associated with the Twelve-Hour branches (Shichen 時辰) going from top downwards, the ankle and Achilles tendon are the vital points of You 酉 Cock (5 - 7 pm) and considered most vulnerable to being kicked, stomped on or squeezed during this time (McCarthy, 2016, Bubishi: The Classic Manual of Combat).

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

Major Combinations:

• Heart pain that feels like being struck with a bent and painful back, associated with the Kidneys:
    Kunlun Bl-60 with Jinggu Bl-64
    (Anon, 400BC-260AD: Huang Di Nei Jing Ling Shu, 黃帝內經靈樞, Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic: Spiritual Pivot Ch. 24, On Counterflow Diseases).
  
  
• Headache and dizziness:
    Kunlun Bl-60 with Ququan Liv-8, Feiyang Bl-58, Qiangu SI-2, Shaoze SI-1 and Tongli He-5
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
  
  
• Wind dizziness and headache:
    Kunlun Bl-60 with Tianyou SJ-16, Fengmen Bl-12, Guanchong SJ-1 and Guanyuan Ren-4
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
  
  
• Head Wind:
    Kunlun Bl-60 with Xiaxi GB-43, Shangxing Du-23, Qiangding Du-21, Baihui Du-20, Yanggu SI-5, Hegu LI-4 and Guanchong SJ-1
    (Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Heat in the head and rhinitis with nosebleed:
    Kunlun Bl-60 with Chengshan Bl-57, Feiyang Bl-58, Jinggu Bl-64 and Yinbai Sp-1
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
  
  
• Visual Dizziness, dimness of vision with bursting eye pain:
    Kunlun Bl-60 with Tianzhu Bl-10 and Taodao Du-13
    (Wang Zhizhong, 王執中, 1220: Zhen Jiu Zi Sheng Jing, 針灸資生經, Classic of Supporting Life with Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Opisthotonos, clonic spasm, epilepsy and headache:
    Kunlun Bl-60 with Wuchu Bl-5, Shenzhu Du-12, Weizhong Bl-40 and Weiyang Bl-39
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
  
  
• Dian Kuang (Mania) with raving:
    Kunlun Bl-60 with Yangxi LI-5, Xialian LI-8 and Taiyang Lu-9
    (Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Dian Kuang (Mania) with incessant talking without rest:
    Kunlun Bl-60 with Shugu Bl-65 and Fengfu Du-16
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
  
  
• Wind epilepsy with upward staring eyes:
    Kunlun Bl-60 with Baihui Du-20 and Sizhukong SJ-23
    (Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Lumbar pain:
    Huantiao GB-30 and Weizhong Bl-40. If the pain radiates up the back add Kunlun Bl-60
    (Anon, nd, Shi Si Jing Yao Xue Zhu Zhi Ge, 十四經要穴主治歌, Song of the Points of the Fourteen Primary Channels).
  
  
• Pain of the legs and lumbar region:
    Kunlun Bl-60 with Yinshi St-33, Huantiao GB-30, Fengshi GB-31, Weizhong Bl-40, Chengshan Bl-57 and Shenmai Bl-62
    (Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Pain of the lumbar region and knee:
    Kunlun Bl-60 with Shenmai Bl-62, Yanglao SI-6, Huantiao GB-30 and Yanglingquan GB-34
    (Zhang Jiebin, 張景岳, 1624: Lei Jing Tu Yi, 類經圖翼, Illustrated Supplement to the Classic of Categories).
  
  
• Straw Shoe Wind (redness, swelling and pain of the leg and foot):
    Kunlun Bl-60 with Shenmai Bl-62 and Kid-3
    (Ma Dan Yang Tian Xing Shi Er Xue Ge, 馬丹陽天星十二穴歌, Song of Ma Danyang's Heavenly Star Points. First recorded in Wang Guorui, 王國瑞, 1329: Bian Que Shen Ying Zhen Jiu, Yu Long Jing, 扁鵲神應針灸玉龍經, Bian Que's Spiritual Guide to Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Classic of the Jade Dragon).
  
  
• Pain of the ankle and heel:
    Kunlun Bl-60 with Xuanzhong GB-39 and Qiuxu GB-40
    (Shen Yu Ge, 勝玉歌, Song More Precious than Jade. First recorded in Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Painful Obstruction of the calf:
    Kunlun Bl-60 with Fengshi GB-31
    (Liao Runhong, 廖润鸿, 1874: Zhen Jiu Ji Cheng, 針灸集成, Compilation of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Windstroke with one-sided withering and incessant pain:
    Kunlun Bl-60 with Jianyu LI-15, Xuanzhong GB-39, Taixi Kid-3, Zusanli St-36 and Quchi LI-11
    (Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).

Notes:

The name of this point references the Kunlun mountain range, a metaphor for the ridges of the spine. This indicated the ability of this point to affect the entire length of bladder channel.

Ling Shu Ch. 20, On the Five Evils, advises piercing this point and Yongquan Kid-1, removing any stagnant blood from visible vessels for pathogens in the Kidneys causing aching bones and Yin-type Bi syndrome with numbness, swollen abdomen, difficult defecation, dizziness and aching of the lower back, neck, nape and shoulders. A near identical passage in the Su Wen Ch. 74, gives the same advice but only refers to this point which might save a lot of unnecessary pain.

Ling Shu Ch. 24, On Counterflow Diseases, employs this point for the treatment of Heart pain. It advises piercing this point and Jinggu Bl-64 when treating a Heart pain that feels like being struck with a bent and painful back, associated with the Kidneys.

The contraindication for pregnancy seems to be from its use in protocols for difficult labour to stimulate contractions and not an absolute contraindication if used appropriately in conjunction with other points (Betts & Budd, 2011). A review of trials where "forbidden points" were used in pregnancy found no objective evidence of harm (Carr, 2015).

In Mayan medicine:
Used to treat pain in the lower limbs (Garcia, Sierra, Balam, 1999: Wind in the Blood)

In Tibetan medicine:
Moxa point (AMNH, Tibetan Medical Paintings)

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