天池 : Tianchi : Heavenly Pool

Classifications:

Window of Heaven point
Entry point from Bulang Kid-22
The breasts are also binding points of the foot Shaoyang Sinews

Meetings:

Meeting of Pericardium with Gall Bladder, Liver, San Jiao, Small Intestine Divergent, Heart Divergent and Pericardium Divergent

Location:

1 cun lateral and slightly superior to the nipple, in the 4th intercostal space.

Needling:

Transverse-oblique insertion posteriorly along the intercostal space 0.5 - 1 cun

Warnings:

Deep needling carries a substantial risk of causing a pneumothorax.

Classical Needling:

"The Jueyin usually has much Blood and little Qi" (Su Wen 素問 ch. 24) implying this channel should normally be 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 seven fen, and moxaed with three cones" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).

TCM Actions:

Unbinds the chest, transforms Phlegm and descends rebellion
Regulates Qi and dissipates nodules
Benefits the breasts

TCM Indications:

• Cough with copious phlegm, rattling sound in the chest and throat, fullness of the chest, agitation of the chest and diaphragm, shortness of breath, uprising qi, pain of the lateral costal region.
  
• Swelling and pain of the axilla, scrofula of the neck, breast diseases, breast abscess, insufficient lactation.
  
• Headache, blurred vision, Malarial (瘧, Nue) Disorders, fever with absence of sweating, inability to raise the four limbs, pain of the arm.

Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: Lateral cutaneous from T4 or T5

Dermatome Segment: T4, T5

Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

Drains Qi from the Heart, Lungs and possibly Kidneys causing coughing, itching on the neck and great internal damage, even death by heart attack, with few external signs. Especially damaging if combined with with Shidou Sp-17 It will also affect the emotions (Montaigue, Dim Mak Locations, Taijiworld.com).

Major Combinations:

• Swelling of the axilla:
    Tiachi Pc-1 with Weiyang Bl-39
    (Gao Wu, 高武, 1529: Bai Zheng Fu, 百症賦, Ode of a Hundred Symptoms).
  
  
• Swelling of the axilla:
    Tiachi Pc-1 with Weiyang Bl-39, Shenmai Bl-62, Diwuhui GB-42, Yangfu GB-38 and Zulinqi GB-41
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
  
  
• Scrofula:
    Tiachi Pc-1 with Shaohai He-3, Zhangmen Liv-13, Zulinqi GB-41, Zhigou SJ-6, Yangfu GB-38, Jianjing GB-21 and Shousanli LI-10
    (Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion),
  
  
• Rebellious Qi cough:
    Tiachi Pc-1 with Tiantu Ren-22, Shanzhong Ren-17, Jiexi St-41 and Jianzhongshu SI-15
    (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:

Ling Shu Ch. 2, The Roots of the Acupuncture Points, lists this point along with 9 others, with no indications for their use. This chapter later became the origin of the "Window of Heaven" points, although this name was not given until modern times.

Ling Shu Ch. 52, On the Wei Qi, considers this to be the tip of the hand Jueyin meridian with the root being at Neiguan Pc-6.

Needling around the nipple can stimulate the Jing (Magidoff, n.d.).

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