五樞 : Wushu : Five Pivots

Location Guides:

Classifications:

Trigger point (Travell & Simons, 1998, Trigger Point Manual)

Meetings:

Meeting of Gall Bladder with Dai Mai

Location:

In the depression just anterior to the ASIS, approximately level with Guanyuan Ren-4 (3 cun below the umbilicus). The Systematic Classic describes it as 3 cun below Dai Mai GB-26 and 1 cun 5 fen lateral to Shuidao St-28 so it could be located by drawing two lines from these two points.

Needling:

Perpendicular insertion 1 - 1.5 cun

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 one cun and moxaed with five cones" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).

TCM Actions:

Regulates the Dai Mai
Regulates the Lower Jiao and transforms stagnation

TCM Indications:

• Uterine prolapse, red and white leucorrhoea, irregular menstruation.
  
• Lower abdominal pain, cold Shan (疝) Disorder in men, abdominal pain due to retraction of the testicles, constipation, tenesmus, pain of the back, lumbar region and ilium, clonic spasm.

Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: Iliohypogastric nerve (L1)

Dermatome Segment: L1

Trigger Point Associations:

Muscle:
Iliopsoas

Location Notes:
Diagram appears to show this point slightly superior. Palpation point only as the iliacus muscle lies deep

Pain Referral Pattern:
To lower back and anterior of thigh

Indications:
Low back pain

Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

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

Major Combinations:

• Retracted testicle:
    Wushu GB-27 with Guilai St-29
    (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:

Important point on the 胯 Kua (hip-groin functional musculoskeletal region) that facilitates the opening and closing of the hips.

This point is also on the 3rd trajectory of the Chong mai connecting the Chong with the Du (Yuen, 2005, The Eight Extraoridinary Vessels).

This point is chosen in preference over Weidao GB-28 in cases of Damp-Heat Dai Mai pathology because Heat rises and this point is slightly higher (ibid.).

The name of this point refers to the "Five Pivots" or "Axes" of the body which are three muscles that go from the front to back of the body at the major sections of upper, middle and lower: the SCM at the neck, the diaphragm under the chest and the iliopsoas at the hips, plus the the abdominals and the paravertebral muscles that mediate the body on the front and back (ibid.). These regions can therefore also be considered as extensions of the Dai Mai and are often released with Gua Sha, Cupping or Tui Na as part of a Dai Mai treatment.

Wushu is also a homonym for a few famous terms such as "Martial Arts" 武術 and the "Five Arts" 五術 of Confucianism. The connection to martial arts is perhaps most likely to be deliberate due to the importance placed on the Kua 胯 in traditional Chinese martial arts making another possible rendering "Martial Pivot" 武樞.

In Mayan medicine:
Used to treat painful growths without abscess (Garcia, Sierra, Balam, 1999: Wind in the Blood)

Lad and Durve (2008) in Marma Points of Ayurveda call this point Lohita and associate it with the doshas: Apana Vayu, Vyana Vayu and Ranjaka Pitta.

They give the following functions:
- Regulates the blood
- Enhances circulation within lower extremities
- Benefits pelvic area
- Relieves pelvic pain

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