彧中 : Yuzhong : Comfortable Chest

Location Guides:

Classifications:

Spirit point
Front Shu of the Chest for the post-natal Lungs and pre-natal Kidneys on the upper Chong Mai trajectory (Yuen, 2005, The Extraordinary Vessels, Cecil-Sterman, 2012, Advanced Acupuncture)

Location:

In the first intercostal space, 2 cun lateral to the midline.

Needling:

Transverse-oblique insertion, directed laterally along the intercostal space 0.5 - 1 cun

Warnings:

Deep perpendicular or oblique needling may puncture the lung.

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).
"Locate it with (the patient) lying supine. It is needled to a depth of four fen and moxaed with five cones" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).

TCM Actions:

Unbinds the chest and benefits the breasts
Transforms Phlegm and lowers rebellious Lung Stomach Qi

TCM Indications:

• Cough, asthma, wheezing, dyspnoea, coughing blood, palpitations, fullness and distension of the chest and lateral costal region.
  
• Accumulation of phlegm, dyspnoea and cough with inability to eat, vomiting, drooling with much spittle.
  
• Breast abscess, pityriasis versicolor.

Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: Anterior cutaneous thoracic nerve from T2

Dermatome Segment: T2

Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

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

Major Combinations:

• Drooling with much spittle:
    Yuzhong Kid-26 with Yunmen Lu-2
    (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:

One of the twelve shu points of the chest mentioned in the Su Wen Ch. 58, along with Bulang Kid-22, Shenfeng Kid-23, Linxu Kid-24, Shencang Kid-25 and Shufu Kid-27.

In TCM these are employed for wheezing, dyspnoea and coughing due to 'fullness above and deficiency below' due to weak kidney qi not grasping lung qi (Deadman et al, 2001).

Yuen (2005, The Extraordinary Vessels) believes these points, when related to the front Shu points of the Chong mai are located at 0.5 cun from the midline.

In five element acupuncture indicated for a lack of sense of beauty or grace, self respect.

The inner line of Tung's 12 Monkeys (Shi Er Hou) would be located slightly lateral (5 fen) to this point.

In Mayan medicine:
Combined with Bulang Kid-22, Shenfeng Kid-23, Linxu Kid-24 and Shencang Kid-25 to reinforce Tiantu Ren-22 in treatments of asthma (Garcia, Sierra, Balam, 1999: Wind in the Blood)

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