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Front Mu of the Lung
Entry point from Qimen Liv-14
Front Shu of the Breast
Opening point of the Lung Divergent channel (Cecil-Sterman, 2012, Advanced Acupuncture)
One of the "59 piercings" for clearing Heat in Su Wen Ch. 61
Trigger point (Travell & Simons, 1998, Trigger Point Therapy)
Meeting of Lung with Spleen, Large Intestine Divergent and Lung Divergent
On the lateral aspect of the chest, in the first intercostal space, 6 cun lateral to the midline, 1 cun inferior to Yunmen LU-2
Transverse-oblique insertion 0.5 - 1 cun medially along the the intercostal space
Deep perpendicular needling or oblique insertion carries a substantial risk of causing a pneumothorax
"The Taiyin usually has much Qi and little Blood" (Su Wen 素問 ch. 24) implying this channel should normally be needled.
"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).
"Locate it with (the patient) lying supine. It is needled to a depth of three fen, (the needle) is retained for a duration of five exhalations, and it is moxaed with five cones" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).
Disseminates and descends Lung Qi and alleviates cough and wheezing
Transforms Phlegm, clears Heat and regulates the water passages
Descends Stomach Qi
Superficial Innervation: Lateral cutaneous branch of C3 - C4
Dermatome Segment: C4, T2
Muscle:
Coracobrachialis and clavicular section of perctoralis major
Location Notes:
Travell & Simons' (1998) diagram shows this point slightly lateral at the base of delto-pectoral triangle, directing the needle lateral into the shoulder
Pain Referral Pattern:
To anterior shoulder and if coracobrachialis, down posterior and dorsal aspects of the arm and hand
Indications:
Upper limb pain, especially in the front of the shoulder and the posterior of the arm for coracobrachialis
; Intrascaupular and sternocleidomastoid pain and limited horizontal abduction of the arm
Listed in the Wu Bei Zhi 武備志 (Treatise on Armament Technology) by Mao Yuanyi 茅元儀 (1621), Article 9: Twelve-Hour (Shichen 時辰) Vital Points Revealed as the vital point associated with the Yin 寅 Tiger (3 - 5 am) and the Lung meridian (McCarthy, 2016, Bubishi: The Classic Manual of Combat).
Struck with a smaller weapon such as a one-knuckle punch, this point causes great Qi drainage and thus great local pain which will slowly spread over the whole chest area due to this point's connection to SP 21. A strike here will hinder the progress of Gu Qi causing a long term effect hindering nourishment to the body causing health and lifestyle to become slowly diminished (Montaigue, Dim Mak Locations, Taijiworld.com).
Trigrams: Dui (Lake) below, Kun (Earth) above.
Openness within, receptivity without — the lake rests upon the earth. The joyful and open is supported by the receptive and yielding. This is approach: something new is drawing near, and the ground is ready to receive it.
Nuclear Trigrams: Lines 2-3-4 form Zhen (Thunder). Lines 3-4-5 form Kun (Earth). Beneath the approach, there is movement (Zhen) and receptivity (Kun). The hidden message: the approach is alive with movement, and it is grounded in the receptive earth.
Judgement:
臨：元亨利貞。至于八月有凶。
Approach. Sublime success. Furthering through perseverance. When the eighth month comes, there will be misfortune.
Something new is approaching. The yang is rising. This is a time of growth and opportunity. But the cycle will turn. The eighth month will come. Do not become attached to the approach as if it will last forever.
Lines:
| Line | Yin/Yang | Image | Literal Translation | Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yang | 咸臨，貞吉 | Approaching with influence. Perseverance brings Gain. | Yang at the bottom. The beginning of the approach. The yang is moving upward, influencing the yin. Gain because the movement is correct and the time is right. |
| 2 | Yang | 咸臨，吉無不利 | Approaching with influence. Gain. Nothing is unfavourable. | The ruler line. Yang at 2, central and correct. The approach is now strong and correct. Nothing is unfavourable because the yang is in its proper place and the timing is perfect. |
| 3 | Yin | 甘臨，無悠利。既憂之，無咎 | Sweet approach. Nothing is favourable. If one is anxious about it, no trouble. | The threshold. The approach has become sweet — too comfortable, too easy. Nothing is favourable because the yang is no longer rising. But if one recognises the danger and becomes anxious, there is no trouble. The anxiety itself is the correction. |
| 4 | Yin | 至臨，無咎 | Arriving approach. No trouble. | Yin at 4. The first yin line above the threshold. The approach has arrived. The yang is now at the threshold of the upper trigram. No trouble because the approach is complete and correct. |
| 5 | Yin | 知臨，大君之宜，吉 | Knowing approach. The appropriateness of the great prince. Gain. | Yin at 5, the place of honour. The great prince knows how to approach. He does not force; he understands. Gain because the leadership is wise and appropriate. |
| 6 | Yin | 敦臨，吉無咎 | Generous approach. Gain. No trouble. | Yin at the top. The approach is now generous and complete. The yang has fully arrived, and the yin receives it with generosity. Gain and no trouble because the reception is wholehearted. |
Image:
澤上有地，臨。君子以教思無窮，容保民無疆。
The earth above the lake: Lin. Thus the gentleman teaches with inexhaustible thought and protects the people without boundary.
The earth is above the lake — the receptive is above the open. The gentleman teaches with inexhaustible thought (教思無窮) and protects the people without boundary (容保民無疆). Approach is not just receiving what comes. It is actively preparing the ground — teaching, protecting, making ready. The yang is approaching, but the yin must be ready to receive it.
Acupuncture Point Connections:
Shared with Tianshu St-25.
Inverted into ䷓ (Daling Pc-7 or Waiguan SJ-5).
Balanced by ䷠ (Pishu Bl-20 or Weishu Bl-21).
Hexagram attributions are my own with an explanation given in the glossary.
The "59 piercings" are named in the Su Wen Ch. 61 and mentioned in Su Wen Ch. 32 and Ling Shu Ch. 23 for treating Heat diseases.
One of the twelve Shu points of the breast mentioned in the Su Wen Ch. 58 and identified by Wang Bing.
If the Shu points of the Breast have elemental organ associations like the Shu points of the Chest, then this imagery of a mansion or administrative centre, as contrasted against the villagers of Xiongxiang Sp-19, would suggest this is the point of the Heart. If the theory is correct that these relate to the formation of bodily Qi from food and drink, then this point is where the Kong Qi from the air and the Gu Qi from food merge to become Zong Qi, one of whose functions is to provide warmth, a function of the Fire element. In the formation of Blood, this connection to the Heart would allow the Blood that has gathered for circulation at Zhourong Sp-20 to become infused with Shen.
The imagery of an administrative centre or official residence, as opposed to a genuine imperial palace (宮 Gong), suggests Ministerial Fire rather than Sovereign Fire due to the relatively humble survival function of the Breast Shu points.
The outer line of Tung's 12 Monkeys (Shi Er Hou) would be located slightly medial (5 fen) to this point.
The Front Mu points make likely locations for application of leeches to reduce fevers according to François Broussais' (1772-1838) philosophy who believed in placing them over the diseased organs to reduce inflammation (Greenstone, 2010, The history of bloodletting, BCMJ, Vol. 52, No. 1, Pp 12-14).
In the case of the lung however any number of chest points could suffice.
Lad and Durve (2008) in Marma Points of Ayurveda call this point Kakshadhara or Skandadhara and associate it with the doshas: Prana Vayu, Vyana Vayu, Udana Vayu, Sadhaka Pitta, Ranjaka Pitta and Avalambaka Kapha.
They give the following functions:
- Enhances lung capacity and flow of prana
- Relieves tightness in chest and bronchospasm
- Relieves pulmonary congestion
- Relieves shoulder and arm pain
- Pacifies aches and soreness in breasts
In Thai massage:
Acupressure point (Salguero & Roylance, 2011, Encyclopedia of Thai Massage)
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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