陽谿 : Yangxi : Yang Stream

Classifications:

Jing-River and Fire point
Father point of the Large Intestine channel
Binding point of the hand Yangming Sinews

Location:

On the radial side of the wrist, in the centre of the hollow formed by the tendons of extensor pollicis longus and brevis (anatomical snuffbox)

Needling:

Perpendicular insertion 0.5 - 1 cun, or transverse insertion 1.5 cun to Hegu LI-4 as part of "Jian Xi to Gu 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).
"It is needled to a depth of three fen, (the needle) is retained for a duration of seven exhalations, and it is moxaed with three cones" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).

TCM Actions:

Clears Heat and alleviates pain
Clears Yangming Fire
Calms the Shen
Benefits the wrist joint

TCM Indications:

• Rhinitis, nosebleed, tinnitus, deafness, ear pain, redness, swelling and pain of the eyes, Superficial Visual Obstruction, lacrimation, toothache, pain from tooth decay, headache, chronic headache, frontal headache, Throat Painful Obstruction (喉痹, Hou Bi), pain at the root of the tongue.
  
• Mania-Withdrawal (癲狂, Dian Kuang), febrile disease with agitation of the Heart, manic raving, propensity to laughter, seeing ghosts, fright.
  
• Cold cough, vomiting of foam, urticaria, Malarial (瘧, Nue) Disorders, fever with absence of sweating.
  
• Weakness and pain of the wrist, contraction of the five fingers, heat in the palms, difficulty in raising the elbow.

I Ching Hexagram:

䷰ Ge 革 Revolution, reform, skinning

Shared with Yuji Lu-10. Balanced by ䷱ (Yinxi He-6 or Yanglao SI-6).

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

Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: Superficial radial nerve from C6 - C8

Dermatome Segment: C6

Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

Causes great pain and can easily put someone down on their knees. Pressure is usually applied across the back of the wrist diagonally. Often combined with Erjian LI-2 in a Fire/Water combination (Montaigue, Dim Mak Locations, Taijiworld.com).

Major Combinations:

• Pain of the eye:
    Yangxi LI-5 with Erjian LI-2, Daling Pc-7, Sanjian LI-3, Qiangu SI-2 and Shangxing Du-23
    (Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Tinnitus and deafness:
    Yangxi LI-5 with Xiaguan St-7, Guanchong SJ-1, Yemen SJ-2, Yanggu SI-5
    (Haungfu Mi, 皇甫謐, 282: Zhen Jiu Jia Yi Jing, 針灸甲乙經, Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Tinnitus:
    Yangxi LI-5 with Shangyang LI-1, Pianli LI-6, Luoque Bl-8, Wangu SI-4 and Qiangu SI-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).
  
  
• Ear pain, deafness and tinnitus:
    Yangxi LI-5 with Tianchuang SI-16, Guanchong SJ-1, Yemen SJ-2 and Zhongzhu SJ-3
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
  
  
• Urticaria from extreme Heat:
    Yangxi LI-5 with Jianyu LI-15
    (Gao Wu, 高武, 1529: Bai Zheng Fu, 百症賦, Ode of a Hundred Symptoms).
  
  
• Toothache and lumbar pain accompanied by Throat Painful Obstruction:
    Yangxi LI-5 with Erjian LI-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).
  
  
• Vomiting phlegm and watery saliva, dizziness that does not cease:
    Yangxi LI-5 with Gongsun Sp-4, Fenglong St-40 and Shanzhong Ren-17
    (Xu Feng, 徐鳳, 1439: Zhen Jiu Da Quan, 針灸大全, Complete Collection of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Frequent laughter:
    Yangxi LI-5 with Lieque Lu-7, Daling Pc-7 and Renzhong Du-26
    (Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Manic raving, seeing Ghosts:
    Yangxi LI-5 with Pucan Bl-61 and Wenliu LI-7
    (Wang Zhizhong, 王執中, 1220: Zhen Jiu Zi Sheng Jing, 針灸資生經, Classic of Supporting Life with Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Manic raving:
    Yangxi LI-5 with Taiyuan Lu-9, Xialian LI-8 and Kunlun Bl-60
    (Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Fright palpitations:
    Yangxi LI-5 with Danshu Bl-19
    (Wu Yiding, 吳亦鼎, 1853: Shen Jiu Jing Lun, 神灸經論, Principles of Divine Moxibustion).

Notes:

In five element acupuncture, as father point of the Large Intestine channel this can control excesses in the Large Intestine.

In "Jian Xi to Gu Needling" Sanjian LI-3 and Yangxi LI-5 are needled transversely to meet at Hegu LI-4 in treatment of pain and heat in the upper body. Electro-stimulation can be applied too (Liu Yan, 2008, Diagrams of Acupuncture Manipulations, p.136).

In early Chinese medicine, the pulse felt near this point, at the wrist, between this point and Hegu LI-4, was taken as an indication of the health of the Large Intestine channel (Wang et al., 2012).

Medieval phlebotomy point (Hans von Gersdorff, 1517: Feldtbüch der Wundartzney, www.nlm.nih.gov), although Gersdorff appears to place it slightly distal, on the hand, and on the other side of the extensor pollicis longus tendon.

In ayurvedic medicine:
Kurchashira marma point
Size: 1 angula (cun)
Structure: Tendon
Effect of Injury: Pain (rujakar marma)
(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 Bahya Manibandha and associate it with the doshas: Prana Vayu, Vyana Vayu, Ranjaka Pitta and Shleshaka Kapha.

They give the following functions:
- Benefits the wrist and hand
- Detoxifies the liver
- Enhances immunity

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