手五里 : Shouwuli : Arm Five Miles

Location:

On the lateral side of the upper arm, 3 cun proximal to Quchi L.I.-11 on the line connecting Quchi L.I.-11 with Jianyu L.I.-15

Needling:

Perpendicular insertion 1 - 1.5 cun

Warnings:

According to the Ling Shu Ch. 2 this point is contraindicated to needling.

Classical Needling:

"The Yangming usually has much Qi and much Blood" (Su Wen 素問 ch. 24) implying this channel can normally be needled or bled.
"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).
"Needling is prohibited, but it may be moxaed with three cones" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).

TCM Actions:

Activates the channel and alleviates pain
Alleviates coughing
Regulates Qi, drains Damp and transforms Phlegm

TCM Indications:

• Pain, numbness or contraction of the elbow and upper arm, inability to raise the arm, shoulder pain, wind-taxation with fear and fright.
  
• Cough, difficulty in breathing, vomiting blood.
  
• Scrofula, desire to sleep, diminished qi, inability to move the four limbs, yellow body with intermittent low-grade fever, Malarial (瘧, Nue) Disorders, blurred vision, fullness and distension below the Heart, fear and fright.

Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: Lower lateral cutaneous nerve of the arm (C5 - C6)

Dermatome Segment: C5

Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

This is a nerve point, which inflicts great pain and nervous shock when struck. The pain will grow very quickly until the recipient has to give up because of this pain. It does not have to be that hard either, although the harder the strike the greater pain (Montaigue, Dim Mak Locations, Taijiworld.com).

Major Combinations:

• Scofula:
    Shousanli LI-13 with Binao LI-14
    (Gao Wu, 高武, 1529: Bai Zheng Fu, 百症賦, Ode of a Hundred Symptoms).
  
  
• Scofula:
    Moxa Shousanli LI-13 and Renying St-9 thirty times
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).

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