迎香 : Yingxiang : Welcome Fragrance

Location Guides:

Classifications:

Exit point to Chengqi St-1
Binding point of the foot Taiyang, foot Shaoyang and hand Yangming Sinews
Connecting point of the Yangming Sinews
Confluent point of the Yangming zone

Meetings:

Meeting of Large Intestine with Stomach

Location:

In the naso-labial groove, at the level of the midpoint of the lateral border of the ala nasi

Needling:

Transverse insertion medio-superiorly 0.3 - 0.5 cun or join to Bitong (M-HN-14) at the highest point of the naso-labial groove

Warnings:

According to some texts this point is contraindicated to moxibustion

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).
"It is needled to a depth of three fen" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).

TCM Actions:

Opens the nasal passages
Expels Wind and clears Heat

TCM Indications:

• Nasal congestion, nasal congestion and discharge, rhinitis, profuse nasal discharge, loss of sense of smell, nasal polyps, nasal sores, sneezing, nosebleed.
  
• Deviation of the mouth, swelling and itching of the face, pain and swelling of the lip, heat and redness of the eyes, dyspnoea, round worms in the bile duct.

Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: Branches of infraorbital nerve, from maxillary branch of trigeminal nerve (V2) going to nose

Dermatome Segment: CN V2 maxillary branch of trigeminal

Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

May cause knock out but not death (Montaigue, Dim Mak Locations, Taijiworld.com).

Major Combinations:

• Nasal congestion with inability to distinguish the fragrant from the foul:
    Yingxiang LI-20 with Shangxing Du-23, Wuchu Bl-5 and Kouheliao LI-19
    (Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Rhinitis with clear nasal discharge:
    Yingxiang LI-20, Hegu LI-4, Fengmen Bl-12, Shenting Du-24, Zanzhu Bl-2, Zhiyin Bl-67 and Futonggu Kid-20
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
  
  
• Rhinitis with nosebleed:
    Yingxiang LI-20 with Erjian LI-2 and Fengu DU-16
    (Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Itching and swelling of the face:
    Yingxiang LI-20 with Hegu LI-4
    (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).
  
  
• Nasal disease, biliary ascariasis and constipation:
    Yingxiang LI-20 and Yintang Ex-HN-3
    (Liu Yan, 2008, Diagrams of Acupuncture Manipulations, p. 149).
  
  
• Loss of smell:
    Yingxiang LI-20 with Yintang Ex-HN-3, Jingming Bl-1, Meichong Bl-3, Shangxing Du-23, Erheliao SJ-22, Hegu LI-4 and Ear Shenmen
    (Empirical combination from western anosmia specialist in Germany).

Notes:

The Su Wen Ch. 20, Discourse on the Three Sections and Nine Indicators, describes "the moving vessels on the two [sides of the] cheeks" as the "The earth [indicator] of the upper section... The earth [indicator] serves to examine the qi of mouth and teeth". Wang Bing's commentary says this means "This is the vessel movement to be felt on both sides, next to the grand crevice, below the nose holes. The movement of the qi of the hand yang brilliance vessels [can be felt] there" (Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen, trans. Unschuld & Tessenow, 2011). This description suggests Dichang St-4 but Wang (2019, Daoist Internal Mastery) translates this verse as "They are located on both sides of the nostrils, near the edges. Use your hands to feel them. The Yang Brightness meridian of the foot also runs here" which implies this point but to use palpation to find the pulse.

This point would also be on the upper trajectory of the Chong mai in Jeffrey Yuen's descriptions (Yuen, 2005, The Extraordinary Vessels).

In ayurvedic medicine:
Phana marma point
Size: 1/2 angula (cun)
Structure: Blood vessels
Effect of Injury: Disability (vaikalyakar marma); Loss of smell
(Harish Johari, 1996, Ayurvedic Massage, Sanatan Society; Anupama Bhattacharya, n.d. Marma Shastra)

Lad and Durve (2008) in Marma Points of Ayurveda call this point Kapola Nasa and associate it with the doshas: Prana Vayu, Tarpaka Kapha, Avalambaka Kapha.

They give the following functions:
- Benefits the nose, relieves congestion
- Opens nasal passages and sinuses
- Enhances flow of prana vayu and benefits respiration
- Improves functional capacity of the lung
- Benefits the face
- Calms the mind, balances emotions

In Thai massage:
Acupressure point along the Itha (left) and Pingala (right) sen lines of head running from the base of the occiput Fengfu Du-16 where it branches at the glabella, Yintang, along the side of the nose to terminate here.
Indicated for constipation, facial pain/numbness/paralysis, mouth problems and sinus complaints (Salguero & Roylance, 2011, Encyclopedia of Thai Massage)

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