建里 : Jianli : Strengthen the Interior

Location Guides:

Location:

On the midline of the abdomen, 3 cun above the umbilicus and 5 cun below the sternocostal angle.

Needling:

Perpendicular insertion 0.8 - 1.5 cun

Warnings:

In thin patients deep needling may penetrate the peritoneal cavity. No perpendicular needling in advanced pregnancy.

Classical Needling:

"It is needled to a depth of five fen and retained for a duration of ten exhalations. It is moxaed with five cones" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).

TCM Actions:

Harmonises the Middle Jiao and regulates Qi

TCM Indications:

• Abdominal distension, pain of the intestines, vomiting, no pleasure in eating, Sudden Turmoil (霍亂, Huo Luan) Disorder, Heart pain, oedema of the body.

Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: Anterior cutaneous thoracic nerve from T8

Dermatome Segment: T8

Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

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

Major Combinations:

• Oppression of the chest:
    Jianli Ren-11 and Neiguan Pc-6
    (Gao Wu, 高武, 1529: Bai Zheng Fu, 百症賦, Ode of a Hundred Symptoms).
  
  
• Oedema of the abdomen with drum-like distention:
    Reduce Jianli Ren-11 with Shuifen Ren-9
    (Anon, nd, Tian Xing Mi Jue, 天星秘訣, Secrets of the Celestial Star).

Notes:

Often combined with Zusanli St-36 and Shousanli LI-10 to make the "three Li for deficiency, especially of the Spleen and Stomach (Wang & Robertson, 2008, Applied Channel Theory).

From Yuen's school, this point along with Xuanshu Du-5, relate to the Third Level of Manifestation of the Soul (Po).

The third Po is connected to early adulthood and the Spleen - Kidney dynamic, the emergence of moral judgement and relationship between social conditioning and personal responsibility. An obstruction at this level results in Peter Pan syndrome, a person who refuses to take responsibility and seeks only to dream, escape and play.

Treatment typically involves the Po Activation points Changqiang Du-1 and Jiuwei Ren-15 which are the Luo of the Ren and Du channels, accessing emotion at the level of the Jing, followed by the points associated with the particular level of blockage.

Berardinis & Navarra (2017). The succession of Po in the ladder of life. https://www.acupuncturesida.com/The-succession-of-Po-in-the-ladder-of-life.aspx

In nine palaces abdominal acupuncture, this point is located in the region associated with ☲ Li, Fire, the south and the Heart and Small Intestine organs (Schelbert, 2014, Ryan, 2009).

Lad and Durve (2008) in Marma Points of Ayurveda call this point Surya or Amashaya and associate it with the doshas: Samana Vayu, Apana Vayu, Pachaka Pitta, Kledaka Kapha and Ranjaka Pitta.

They give the following actions:
- Regulates stomach and pancreas functions
- Enkindles agni
- Relieves pain locally
- Regulates hydrochloric acid secretion in the stomach
- Pacifies pitta
- Harmonises emotions

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