風池 : Fengchi : Wind Pool

Location Guides:

Classifications:

One of the "59 piercings" for clearing Heat in Ling Shu Ch. 23
Binding point of the hand Taiyang Sinews

Homeostatic point 7 (Ma, Ma & Cho, 2005, Biomedical Acupuncture for Pain Management)
Trigger point (Travell & Simons, 1998, Trigger Point Manual)

Meetings:

Meeting of Gall Bladder with San Jiao, Yang Qiao Mai and Yang Wei Mai

Location:

Below the occiput, approximately midway between Fengfu Du-16 and Wangu GB-12, in the hollow between the origins of the the sternomastoid and trapezius muscles.

Needling:

Slightly oblique inferior insertion in the direction of the channel 1 - 1.5 cun, or directed towards the tip of the nose, the contralateral eyeball or Yintang (M-HN-3) 0.5 - 1 cun, or joined by through-needling to contralateral Fengchi GB-20, 2 - 3 cun.

Warnings:

When directing towards nose, contralateral eyeball or Yingtang (M-HN-3) deep needling may damage the spinal chord

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, (the needle) is retained for a duration of three 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
Benefits the head and eyes
Clears the sense organs
Activates the channel and alleviates pain

TCM Indications:

• Headache, head wind, one-sided and generalised headache, dizziness, Visual Dizziness, hypertension, hemiplegia, deviation of the mouth and eye, goitre, lockjaw.
  
• Insomnia, loss of memory, epilepsy, loss of speech following Windstroke (中風, Zhong Feng).
  
• Injury by cold, injury by cold with absence of sweating, chills and fever, warm febrile disease with absence of sweating, Malarial (瘧, Nue) Disorders, Throat Painful Obstruction (喉痹, Hou Bi), swelling of the face, urticaria.
  
• Redness and pain of the eyes, redness and pain of the inner canthus, blurred vision, lacrimation (especially on exposure to wind), night blindness, dimness of vision.
  
• Nosebleed, rhinitis, nasal congestion and discharge.
  
• Deafness, tinnitus, blocked ears.
  
• Stiffness and pain of the neck with inability to turn the head, pain of the shoudler and upper back, pain of the lumbar spine, crooked lumbar spine leading to flaccidity and lack of strength in the sinews of the neck.

Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: Lesser occipital nerve, from dorsal rami of C2 and C3

Dermatome Segment: C3

Trigger Point Associations:

Muscle:
Suboccipital muscles

Pain Referral Pattern:
Across temporal region

Indications:
Headache ; Deep pain in upper neck ; Usually involves more superficial posterior cervical muscles too (e.g. Tianzhu Bl-10 and Bailao)

Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

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

Major Combinations:

• "In Taiyang Disorders, initially prescribe Gui Zhi Tang. If this causes agitation, needle Fengchi GB-20 and Fengfu Du-16, then re-prescribe Gui Zhi Tang. Recovery will follow."
  (Zhang Zhong-Jing, 張仲景 c.220: Shang Han Lun, 傷寒論, Discussion of Cold Damage).
  
  
• The hundred diseases due to Cold Damage:
    Fengchi GB-20 with Fengfu Du-16
    (Xi-Hong Fu, 席弘賦, Ode of Xi-Hong. First recorded in: Xu Feng, 徐鳳, 1439: Zhen Jiu Da Quan, 針灸大全, Complete Collection of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Headache:
    Fengchi GB-20 with Muchuan GB-16 and Taichong GB-9
    (Haungfu Mi, 皇甫謐, 282: Zhen Jiu Jia Yi Jing, 針灸甲乙經, Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• One-sided or generalised headache:
    Fengchi GB-20 with Hegu LI-4 and Sizhukong SJ-23
    (Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• One-sided or generalised Head-Wind:
    Fengchi GB-20 with Baihui Du-20, Qianding Du-21, Shenting Du-24, Shangxing Du-23, Sizhukong SJ-23, Hegu LI-4, Zanzhu Bl-2 and Touwei St-8
    (Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Head-Wind and dizziness:
    Fengchi GB-20 with Hegu LI-4, Fenglong St-40 and Jiexi St-41
    (Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Dizziness:
    Fengchi GB-20 with Shangxing Du-23 and Tianzhu Bl-10
    (Gao Wu, 高武, 1529: Zhen Jiu Yu Jing, 針灸聚英, Glorious Anthology of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Lacrimation on exposure to Wind:
    Fengchi GB-20 with Touwei St-8, Jingming Bl-1 and Toulinqi GB-15
    (Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Cold lacrimation:
    Fengchi GB-20 with Zulinqi GB-41, Jingming Bl-1 and Wangu SI-4
    (Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Pain of the eyes with inability to see:
    Fengchi GB-20 with Naohu Du-17, Yuzhen Bl-9, Fengfu Du-16 and Shangxing Du-23
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
  
  
• Nosebleed with stifled breathing:
    Fengchi GB-20 with Chengling GB-18, Fengmen Bl-12, Yixi Bl-45 and Houxi SI-3
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
  
  
• Impaired hearing and deafness:
    Fengchi GB-20 with Xiaxi GB-43, Tinghui GB-2, Ermen SJ-21 and Tinggong SI-19
    (Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Swelling of the face:
    First needle Yixi Bl-45, then Tianyou SJ-16 and Fengchi GB-20
    (Haungfu Mi, 皇甫謐, 282: Zhen Jiu Jia Yi Jing, 針灸甲乙經, Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Redness and swelling of the face:
    Fengchi GB-20 with Shangxing Du-23, Xinhui Du-22, Qianding Du-21 and Naohui Du-17
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
  
  
• Curvature of the lumbar spine:
    Reinforce Fengchi GB-20 and reduce Xuanzhong GB-39
    (Yu Long Fu, 玉龍賦, Ode of the Jade Dragon. First recorded in Gao Wu, 高武, 1529: Zhen Jiu Yu Jing, 針灸聚英, Glorious Anthology of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).

Notes:

One of the principle acupuncture points for all diseases of the head, brain and sense organs, especially the eyes making it the primary point for headaches and migraines.

Ling Shu Ch. 23, On Heat Diseases, gives a different list of points for the "59 Piercings" to Su Wen Ch. 61 which includes this point.

Shang Han Lun Ch. 1, Taiyang diseases, line 24, advises using this point and Fengfu Du-16 if the patient has taken Gui Zhi Tang and remains vexed with the exterior unresolved. These two points are needled and Gui Zhi Tang is administered again. This is presumably due to their being on the Yang Wei Mai which is connected with inability to send Yang to protect the exterior.

The combination of Fengchi GB-20 and Fengfu Du-16 is sometimes referred to as the "Three Winds" (Dong, 2020).

The importance of this point in releasing Wind from the Exterior makes it a suitable candidate for a head-Shu for the Yang Wei Mai.

Avicenna describes cupping at this point in his treatise On Cupping:

"Cupping on the occiput and the top of the head is beneficial in mental confusion and dizziness, and it is said that it slows down the advancement of hair greying; however it should be checked because it varies among different bodies and in most cases it accelerates it. It is also beneficial in eye diseases, which is where it is most effective since it helps in the recovery from trachoma and pustules; however its side effects include senility, loss of memory, mental confusion, and some chronic diseases, and it is harmful to people with glaucoma unless used at the proper time." (Aspects of Treatment According to General Diseases, 22nd section in Abu-Asab, Amri & Micozzi, 2013, Avicenna's Medicine)

In ayurvedic medicine:
Krikatikas marma point
Size: 1/2 angula (cun)
Structure: Joint
Effect of Injury: Disability (vaikalyakar marma)
(Harish Johari, 1996, Ayurvedic Massage, Sanatan Society; Anupama Bhattacharya, n.d. Marma Shastra)

In Thai massage:
Acupressure points along the Itha (left) and Pingala (right) sen lines of head running from this point to the temple, Taiyang.
Indicated for headache, hypertension, neck and shoulder pain/injury/arthritis and stress.
(Salguero & Roylance, 2011, Encyclopedia of Thai Massage)

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