橫骨 : Henggu : Pubic Bone

Location Guides:

Classifications:

Doorway to the Earth Point

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

Meetings:

Meeting of Kidney with Chong Mai and Yin Qiao Mai

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Location:

On the lower abdomen, 5 cun below the umbilicus, at the superior border of the symphysis pubis, 0.5 cun lateral to the midline (Qugu Ren-2). Note: The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion locates this 1 cun from the midline.

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Needling:

Perpendicular insertion 0.5 - 1 cun

Warnings:

Deep insertion will penetrate a full bladder which should be emptied before treatment.

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 foot Shaoyin is to be pierced 2 fen deep and remain inserted for three 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).

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TCM Actions:

Benefits the Lower Jiao

TCM Indications:

• Seminal emission, impotence, deficiency and exhaustion of the five zang with seminal emission, enuresis, retention of urine, the five tupes of painful urinary dysfunction, pain of the genitals, painful retraction of the genitals, Shan (疝) Disorder, hypogastric pain, redness of the eyes originating in the inner canthus.
  
• Uterine prolapse, prolapse of the rectum.

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Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: Ilioinguinal nerve (L1)

Dermatome Segment: S4

Trigger Point Associations:

Muscle:
Rectus abdominus and pyramidalis

Myotome Innervation:
Rectus abdominus: Thoraco - abdominal nerves from T12; Pyramidalis: Subcostal nerve from T12

Location Notes:
The Great Compendium's location of 1 cun from the midline would be a better choice for the trigger point as the diagrams show them in the middle of the rectus abdominus muscle

Pain Referral Pattern:

Rectus abdominus: In a band across the back at the level of the the point, above the buttocks and below the PSIS
Pyramidalis: Between symphysis pubis and umbilicus

Indications:
Abdominal pain and digestive discomfort

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Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

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

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Major Combinations:

• Stagnation of Qi, lumbar pain with inability to stand:
    Henggu Kid-11 with Dadu Sp-2
    (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).
  
  
• The five types of urinary dysfunction from chronic accumulation:
    Henggu Kid-11 with Huangshu Kid-16
    (Gao Wu, 高武, 1529: Bai Zheng Fu, 百症賦, Ode of a Hundred Symptoms).

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Notes:

This point is also the origin of the 4th trajectory of the Chong mai relating to structural aspects of the body via the Qiao (Yuen, 2005, The Extraoridinary Vessels).

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At the end of a Kidney Luo treatment this point is needled, deqi grasped and removed immediately to normalize the circulation of blood (Cecil-Sterman, 2012, Advanced Acupuncture).

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In Thai massage:
Point along the Kalatharee sen line running from the navel Shenque Ren-8 to the feet (Salguero & Roylance, 2011, Encyclopedia of Thai Massage)

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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

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