絡卻 : Luoque : Declining Connection

Classifications:

One of the "59 piercings" for clearing Heat in Su Wen Ch. 61
One of the Greater Four Alert Spirits (Da Sishencong) along with Houding Du-19 and Qianding Du-21

Location:

1.5 cun posterior to Tongtian Bl-7, and 5.5 cun within the anterior hairline, 1.5 cun lateral to the midline. Most easily located as 0.5 cun posterior to and 1.5 cun lateral to Baihui Du-20.

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 five 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:

Benefits the sense organs
Pacifies Wind, transforms Phlegm and calms the Shen

TCM Indications:

• Dizziness, tinnitus, nasal congestion, deviation of the mouth, blurred vision.
  
• Mania-Withdrawal (癲狂, Dian Kuang), mad walking, epilepsy, disorientation, goitre, vomiting, abdominal distension, collapse.

Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: Greater occipital nerve from C2

Dermatome Segment: C2

Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

A strike here cause great local pain with Qi drainage down the same side of the body. Hard enough will cause knock out or nausea (Montaigue, Dim Mak Locations, Taijiworld.com).

Major Combinations:

• Madness with vomiting:
    Luoque Bl-8 with Zhubin Kid-9, Yanggu SI-5, Houding Du-19, Qingjian Du-18, Naohu Du-17 and Yuzhen Bl-9
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
  
  
• Collapse on sudden standing:
    Luoque Bl-8 with Tongtian Bl-7
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
  
  
• Tinnitus:
    Luoque Bl-8 with Tinggong SI-19, Tinghui GB-2, Ermen SJ-21, Baihui Du-20, Yangxi LI-5, Qiangu SI-2, Houxi SI-3, Wangu SI-4, Zhongzhu SJ-3, Yemen SJ-2, Shangyang LI-1 and Shenshu Bl-23
    (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 and Ling Shu Ch. 23 for treating Heat diseases. This point along with Wuchu Bl-5, Chenguang Bl-6, Tongtian Bl-7 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.

In Tung acupuncture the point Zhou Kun (1010.03), Prefecture Elder, is located close to this point, 1.3 cun lateral and 1.5 cun posterior to Baihui Du-20. It is indicated for indicated for hemiplegia, asthma, fatigue, weakness of the limbs, sciatica and back pain (eLotus, 2022).

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 name of "Declining Connection" recalls the function of the Heart being to connect us to others and its representation by the hexagram ䷫ where the entrance of Yin represents the first decline of Yang. Combined with this point's actions of transforming Phlegm and calming the Shen in cases of Mania-Withdrawal, along with other indications of abdominal distention (which can be a sign of heart disease) and collapse, this point would make a suitable candidate for the Bladder Qi Street point relating to the Heart, Small Intestine and Shaoyin disorders.

In Mayan medicine:
Combined with Houding Du-19 and Qianding Du-21 to form a cross used to treat asthma and late closure of the fontanel (Garcia, Sierra, Balam, 1999: Wind in the Blood).

In Tibetan Medicine:
Venesection point, called Itag Rtsa (Occipital Vein) measured by finding the vena occipitalis or vena emissaria mastoidea approx. 2 cun lateral and 3 cun posterior to the posterior fontanel. Its is indicated for:

- Stiff neck
- Back pain
- Tendon problems
- Rotation problems
- Deep headache
- Drug addiction
- Shooting pain in the neck and shoulders

(Chenagtsang & Nguyen, 2017, Sowa Rigpa Points).

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