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Location Guides: |
Back Shu point of the Bladder
Meeting of Bladder with Bladder Divergent and Kidney Divergent
1.5 cun from the midline, at the level of the second posterior sacral foramen.
Perpendicular insertion 0.5 - 1 cun
"The Taiyang usually has much Blood and little Qi" (Su Wen 素問 ch. 24) implying this channel should normally be bled.
"The foot Taiyang is to be pierced 5 fen deep and remain inserted for seven exhalations" (Ling Shu 靈樞 ch. 12).
"It is needled to a depth of three fen, (the needle) is retained for a duration of six exhalations, and it is moxaed with three cones" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).
Regulates the Bladder
Clears Damp-heat from the Lower Jiao
Dispels stagnation and resolves masses
Benefits the lumbar region and legs
Superficial Innervation: Dorsal rami of S1 - S3
Dermatome Segment: S3
Deeper Structures: Dorsal rami of S2
See Montaigue, Dim Mak Locations, Taijiworld.com for explanation of effects.
Trigrams: Kan (Water) below, Qian (Heaven) above.
Danger within, strength without — the inner situation is perilous, and the outer environment is forceful. Conflict arises when the inner danger meets outer pressure.
Nuclear Trigrams: Lines 2-3-4 form Li (Fire). Lines 3-4-5 form Xun (Wind). Beneath the conflict, there is clarity (Li) and gentle penetration (Xun). The hidden message: conflict can be resolved through understanding and patient influence, not through force.
Judgement:
有孚窒惕，
Possessing captives, in stifling dread.
Xie Qi contained at this point has reached the Kidneys, the source of life. The situation is dire.
中吉，終凶。
The middle is auspicious, but it ends in failure.
Treat cautiously, but be aware that it might still end in failure.
利見大人，不利涉大川。
It is favourable to see the great man. It is not favourable to cross the great river.
Professional help should be sought as great danger is present, although even this may not help.
Overall: Conflict has arisen in the Kidney and Bladder, the source of Yin and Yang and the location of the Ming Men. The situation is dire and help should be sought before it is too late. Treatment needs to be cautious to avoid harm, but it must be done.
Lines:
| Line | Yin/Yang | Image | Literal Translation | Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yin | 不永所事，小有言，終吉 | Do not prolong the affair. There is some criticism. In the end it is auspicious. | Ending the conflict at it is just beginning is the wisest strategy. If it is not allowed to escalate, treatment can be successful. |
| 2 | Yang | 不克詠，歸而逃，其邑人三百戶，無盩 | Cannot win the conflict. Return and flee. His city of three hundred households escapes disaster. | The Xie Qi has taken hold and is winning. There are not enough resources to fight back, so the only strategy left is to retreat and spare what resources are left. |
| 3 | Yin | 食舊德，貞厲，終吉。或從王事，無成 | Feeding on old virtues. Augury of danger, but eventually auspicious. One may engage in the king's service, yet achieve no success. | The body consumes Jing stored from birth, to maintain itself. Moxa may help, but there is danger in overuse because the Yang is too weak to be aroused, but if it can be managed correctly, it will result in success. Enlisting other channels is possible too, but may not be successful. |
| 4 | Yang | 不克詠，復即命，渝安貸，吉 | Cannot win the conflict. Return to your destiny. Change and find peace in correctness for an auspicious result. | The Xie Qi has penetrated the Kidney Zang from the Back-Shu point resulting in chronic and incurable disease. The only option is to make peace with your fate, which can be profitable on a spiritual level. |
| 5 | Yang | 詠，元吉 | Conflict. Supremely auspicious. | There is a final opportunity to restore health at the Yuan level, although the oracle is silent on a method. This may mean a spontaneous remission after the acceptance of line 4 is accomplished. |
| 6 | Yang | 或錫之鞶帶，終朝三褫之 | A ceremonial belt is awarded. By the end of the morning, it is stripped away three times. | The victory will not last. As long as the conflict remains inside, at such a deep level, there will always be a cycle of relapse and remission. |
Image:
天與水違行，訟。君子以作事謀始。
Heaven and water move in opposite directions: Song. Thus the gentleman, in doing things, considers the beginning.
Heaven (Qian) rises, water (Kan) flows down. They move apart — this is the structure of conflict. The gentleman prevents conflict by considering the beginning carefully. If you plan well at the start, you avoid disputes later. The image is preventive, not reactive.
Acupuncture Point Connections:
Shared with Shenshu Bl-23.
Inverted into ䷅ (Dazhong Kid-4 or Jinggu Bl-64).
Opposed by ䷣ (Juque Ren-14 or Guanyuan Ren-4).
Hexagram attributions are my own with an explanation given in the glossary.
Translations are my own, assisted by DSeek and compared to Richard Rutt's interpretion (2002).
As back-shu of the bladder this is the main point on the back for treatment of urinary disorders, the external genitals and regulating water balance. It is also an important point for lumbar, sacral and lower limb disorders.
In Tibetan medicine:
Moxa point (AMNH, Tibetan Medical Paintings)
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
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