Classifications:
Jing-River and Fire point
Child point of the Gall Bladder channel
Trigger point (Travell & Simons, 1998, Trigger Point Manual)
Location:
On the lateral aspect of the lower leg, 4 cun superior to the prominence of the lateral malleolus, at the anterior border of the fibula.
Needling:
Perpendicular insertion 0.7 - 1 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 five fen, (the needle) is retained for a duration of seven 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 Gallbladder channel Heat
Harmonises shaoyang
Benefits the sinews and bones
Activates the channel and alleviates pain
TCM Indications:
- One-sided headache, pain of the outer canthus, Throat Painful Obstruction (喉痹, Hou Bi).
- Bitter taste in the mouth, sighing, pain of the chest and lateral costal region, chills and fever, sweating with cold shivering, pain in the middle and supraclavicular fossa, swelling and pain of the axilla, scrofula, Malarial (瘧, Nue) Disorders, blue-green (qing) complexion.
- Wind Painful Obstruction (痹, Bi) with numbness, wandering pain of the joints, hemiplegia, contracted sinews, pain of the hundred joints, pain and numbness of the lateral side of the lower limb, lower limb Painful Obstruction (痹, Bi), oedema below the knee, Leg Qi (腳氣, Jiao Qi), sensation in the lumbar region as if sitting in water, severe lumbar pain, lumbar pain like a small hammer in the middle of the back, pain of the lateral malleolus.
I Ching Hexagram:
䷶ Feng 豐 Opulence
Shared with Xingjian Liv-2. Balanced by ䷺ (Quze Pc-3 or Yemen SJ-2).
Hexagram attributions are my own with an explanation given in the glossary.
Neuroanatomy:
Superficial Innervation: Superficial fibular (peroneal) nerve (S4 - S1)
Dermatome Segment: L5
Trigger Point Associations:
Muscle:
Extensor hallucis longus
Myotome Innervation:
Deep fibular (peroneal) nerve (L4 - S3)
Location Notes:
Lies deep to the extensor digitorum longus muscle so might need palpation more anteriorly to find
Pain Referral Pattern:
To big toe
Indications:
Strain of toe extensors
Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:
See Montaigue, Dim Mak Locations, Taijiworld.com for explanation of effects.
Major Combinations:
- Swelling of the axilla:
Yangfu GB-38 with Zulinqi GB-41, Diwuhui GB-42, Weiyang Bl-39, Shenmai Bl-62 and Tianchi Pc-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).
- Swelling of the axilla:
Yangfu GB-38 with Qiuxu GB-40 and Zulinqi GB-41
(Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
- Swelling and sabre lumps of the axilla:
Yangfu GB-38 with Xiaxi GB-43 and Taichong Liv-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).
- Scrofula:
Yangfu GB-38 with Shaohai He-3, Tianchi Pc-1, Zhangmen Liv-13, Zulinqi GB-41, Zhigou SJ-6, Jianjing GB-21 and Shousanli LI-10
(Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
- Wind Painful Obstruction:
Yangfu GB-38 with Chize Lu-5
(Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
- Wind Painful Obstruction:
Yangfu GB-38 with Chize Lu-5, Tianjing SJ-10, Shaohai He-3 and Weizhong Bl-40
(Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
- Bony Painful Obstruction and numbness of the hip joint and knee:
Yangfu GB-38 with Yangqiao GB-35 and Yanglingquan GB-34
(Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
- Paralysis of the lower extremity:
Yangfu GB-38 with Huantiao GB-30, Yinlingquan Sp-9, Taixi Kid-3 and Zhiyin Bl-67
(Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
Notes:
In five element acupuncture this point is reduced to drain excess in the Gall Bladder.
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
