正營 : Zhengying : Upright Construction

Location Guides:

Classifications:

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

Meetings:

Meeting of Gall Bladder with Yang Wei Mai

Location:

In the parietal region, on a curved line drawn between Toulinqi GB-15 and Fengchi GB-20, following the contour of the cranium, 1.5 cun posterior to Muchuang GB-16 or two thirds of the distance between Toulingqi GB-15 and Chengling GB-18 (level with Baihai Du-20).

Needling:

Transverse insertion 0.5 - 1.5 cun in the direction of symptoms or to connect with other points.

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 foot Shaoyang is to be pierced 4 fen deep and remain inserted for five exhalations" (Ling Shu 靈樞 ch. 12).
"It is needled to a depth of three fen and moxaed with five cones" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).

TCM Actions:

Benefits the head and alleviates pain
Pacifies the Stomach

TCM Indications:

• Headache, one-sided headache, toothache of the upper jaw.
  
• Visual Dizziness, dizziness due to phlegm-fluid, ceaseless vomiting, nausea, stiff neck, stiffness of the lips, aversion to wind and cold, aversion to the sound of people talking.

Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: CN V1 ophthalamic branch of trigeminal

Dermatome Segment: CN V1 ophthalamic branch of trigeminal

Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

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

Major Combinations:

• Stiffness of the lips and pain from tooth decay of the upper jaw:
    Zhengying GB-17 with Muchuang GB-16, Duiduan Du-27 and Ermen SJ-21
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
  
  
• Toothache of the upper jaw:
    Zhengying GB-17 with Yanggu SI-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).
  
  
• Pain from tooth decay:
    Zhengying GB-17 with Sanjian LI-3 and Daying St-5
    (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:

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 Toulingqi GB-15, Muchuang GB-16, Chengling GB-18 and Naokong Bl-9 clear Heat from counterflow in the foot Shaoyang Gall 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.

Unusual among the points of the head for also pacifying the Stomach although this indication seems far from universal. Its primary use in relation to Stomach syndromes are toothache, stiffness of the lips, tooth decay and pain from Shaoyang Fire (Yue, 17th Century, Explanation of Channels and Points Vol. 2, p.180-181) with more Stomach pacifying properties being classically assigned to Shuaigu GB-8. This recent addition to its uses may stem from the alternative translation of 營 Ying as "Nutrition," or its use to pacify Rising Yang in migraines which may cause nausea.

Among the Gall Bladder points of the head, there appear to be some that indicate they are special points for influencing the five Zang, similar to the Front-Shu of the chest on the Kidney channel. The inclusion of the word "Ying" in this point's name, associated with nutrition, would make this point the head-Shu for the Spleen.

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