少沖 : Shaochong : Lesser Rushing

Classifications:

Jing-Well and Wood point
Mother point of the Heart channel
Exit point to Shaoze SI-1
Binding point of the hand Shaoyin Sinews

Location:

On the dorsal aspect of the little finger, at the junction of lines drawn along the radial border of the nail and the base of the nail, approximately 0.1 cun fomr the corner of the nail

Needling:

Perpendicular or oblique insertion directed proximally 0.1 - 0.2 cun, or prick to bleed

Classical Needling:

"The Shaoyin usually has little Blood and much Qi" (Su Wen 素問 ch. 24) implying this channel should normally be needled.
"The hand Yin and Yang receive their Qi via nearby paths so their Qi arrive swiftly. The depth of piercing must not exceed 2 fen and must not remain inserted for longer than one exhalation" (Ling Shu 靈樞 ch. 12).
"It is needled to a depth of one fen, (the needle) is retained for a duration of one exhalation, and it is moxaed with one cone" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).

TCM Actions:

Revives consciousness
Clears Heat and benefits the tongue, eyes and throat
Regulates Heart Qi and calms the Shen

TCM Indications:

• Heart pain, pain of the chest and lateral costal region, palpitations, pounding of the Heart, loss of consciousness from Windstroke (中風, Zhong Feng), loss of consciousness, Mania-Withdrawal (癲狂, Dian Kuang), epilepsy, fright epilepsy, excessive sighing, fright and sadness with diminished qi, febrile disease with agitation and restlessness.
  
• Pain at the root of the tongue, swollen tongue, tongue thrusting, Throat Painful Obstruction (喉痹, Hou Bi), dry throat, heat in the mouth, pain of the eyes, red eyes, yellow eyes, jaundice, Malarial (瘧, Nue) Disorders, heat in the body like fire.
  
• Contraction of the hand, pain of the arm, inability to extend the elbow, pain of the palm that radiates to the elbow, axilla and chest.

I Ching Hexagram:

䷔ Shi Ke 噬嗑 Biting Through

Shared with Houxi SI-3 and balanced by ䷯ (Shuiquan Kid-5 or Jinmen Bl-63).

Hexagram attributions are my own with an explanation given in the glossary.

Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: Ulnar nerve (palmar digital branch) from C8 - T1

Dermatome Segment: C8

Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

Can cause a shock to the heart, long enough to get another strike in, but due to its positioning it is hard to get to without opening yourself, and if not struck hard enough might have the healing effect of revival instead of shock (Montaigue, Dim Mak Locations, Taijiworld.com).

In seizing martial arts (Qin Na) this point is a cavity pressing point (Dian Xue, 點穴). Both sides of the nail are pinched to obstruct the Qi and cause serious pain. If the pain is significant it can cause fainting. Sometimes the top of the nail bed is pressed instead. (Yang, 2004, Analysis of Shaolin Chin Na, 2nd Edition).

Major Combinations:

• Heat in the mouth:
    Shaochong He-9 with Dazhong Kid-4
    (Wang Zhizhong, 王執中, 1220: Zhen Jiu Zi Sheng Jing, 針灸資生經, Classic of Supporting Life with Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Fever:
    Shaochong He-9 with Quchi LI-11
    (Gao Wu, 高武, 1529: Bai Zheng Fu, 百症賦, Ode of a Hundred Symptoms).
  
  
• Fear and fright with Heart pain:
    Shaochong He-9 with Shenmen He-7, Yanglingquan GB-34 and Neiguan Pc-6
    (Liao Runhong, 廖润鸿, 1874: Zhen Jiu Ji Cheng, 針灸集成, Compilation of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Diminished Qi:
    Shaochong He-9 with Pangguangshu Bl-28, Shaofu He-8, Bulang Kid-22, Xingjian Liv-2 and Dazhong Kid-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:

In five element acupuncture this point is reinforced to tonify Heart deficiencies.

Ling Shu Ch. 19, on the Four Seasonal Qi, advises selecting the Jing-Well and Ying-Spring openings in winter, piercing deeply and retaining for a while. However, the character for "retain" 留 is a combination of 田 "a field," possibly referring to the idea of waiting for things to grow, and 卯 which is the 4^th Earthly Branch (Mao, Rabbit, ䷡, 5-7 am, Large Intestine) and said to derive from a Shang Dynasty glyph, originally referring to a blood sacrifice (a person or animal cut in half) before coming to mean bloodletting and "pouring out" (Smith, 2011). This might suggest it was actually referring to bleeding these points, and maybe even letting the points bleed for a time rather than retaining the needle.

In the Maoshan Daoist tradition, when the 12 earthly branches, I Ching trigrams and elements are mapped onto the hand this fingertip equates to the branch 申 Shen and the element of Metal with no Trigram association (Read, 2020, FB Post; 17QQ.com, 2020, Eight trigrams and twelve Branches of the earth palm).

In Maoshan Daoism the character for Jing 井 is used to trap disease, ghosts and demons. It is drawn in the air invoking the "three mountains" mudra (index, middle and ring finger extended) with the bent line continuing in a circle (usually clockwise), or with ash and sprayed on with water held in the mouth, and sometimes on talismans (Read, 2020, FB Post, 1 Sep 2020). This may explain why the Jing-Well points are so often used to expel pathogens.

Lad and Durve (2008) in Marma Points of Ayurveda locate a point at the midpoint of the base of the nail on the little finger called Kanishthika and associate it with the doshas: Prana Vayu, Vyana Vayu, Sadhaka Pitta and Avalambaka Kapha.

They give the following functions:
- Regulates heart functions
- Enhances coronary functions
- Benefits the hands
- Balances emotions

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