小腸俞 : Xiaochangshu : Small Intestine Shu

Location Guides:

Classifications:

Back Shu point of the Small Intestine
Trigger point (Travell & Simons, 1998, Trigger Point Manual; Melzack, Stillwell & Fox, 1977)

Meetings:

Meeting of Bladder with

Location:

1.5 cun lateral to the midline, at the level of the first posterior sacral foramen.

Needling:

Perpendicular insertion 0.5 - 1 cun

Classical Needling:

"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).

TCM Actions:

Separates the pure from the turbid
Regulates the Intestines and Bladder
Drains turbid Dampness and claers Damp-heat
Regulates Small Intestine Qi

TCM Indications:

• Diarrhoea, Dysenteric Disorder (痢疾, Li Ji), blood and mucus in the stools, haemorrhoids, pain of haemorrhoids, constipation.
  
• Dark yellow urine, enuresis, retention of urine, difficult urination and defecation, blood in the urine, leucorrhoea, seminal emission.
  
• Lower abdominal pain, painful Shan (疝) Disorder, testicular pain that radiates to the lumbar region.
  
• Wasting the thirsting disorder, dry mouth that is hard to endure, agitation of the Heart with shortness of breath, swollen feet.

Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: Dorsal rami of S1 - S3

Dermatome Segment: S3

Deeper Structures: Dorsal rami of S1

Trigger Point Associations:

Muscle:
Multifidus

Pain Referral Pattern:
Around the point and radiating down the buttock to the sacrum with some radiation to the posterior aspect of the upper thigh and to the abdomen directly anterior to the point

Indications:
Myalgia of the long extensors of the back ; Paraumbilicai pain.

Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

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

Major Combinations:

• Difficult urination and defecation, dribbling and retention of urine:
    Xiaochangshu Bl-27 with Changqiang Du-1
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
  
  
• Dark urine:
    Xiaochangshu Bl-27 with Pangguangshu Bl-28, Baihuanshu Bl-30, Yanggang Bl-48 and Wangu SI-4
    (Wang Zhizhong, 王執中, 1220: Zhen Jiu Zi Sheng Jing, 針灸資生經, Classic of Supporting Life with Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Dark urine:
    Xiaochangshu Bl-27 with Baihuanshu Bl-30, Yanggang Bl-48 and Wangu GB-12
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
  
  
• Borborygmus, abdominal distention and water diarrhoea:
    Xiaochangshu Bl-27 with Sanjiaoshu Bl-22, Xialiao Bl-34, Yishe Bl-49 and Zhangmen Liv-13
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
  
  
• Shan Disorder with lumbar pain:
    Xiaochangshu Bl-27 with Zhonglushu Bl-29 and Baihuanshu Bl-30
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).

Zhou Yi Hexagram:

䷌ Tong Ren 同人 Fellowship.

Trigrams: Li (Fire) below, Qian (Heaven) above.

Clarity within, strength without — the bright flame rises toward heaven, and all things are illuminated. This is fellowship: the gathering of people around a shared light.

Nuclear Trigrams: Lines 2-3-4 form Xun (Wind). Lines 3-4-5 form Qian (Heaven). Beneath the fellowship, there is gentle penetration (Xun) and creative strength (Qian). The hidden message: the shared light spreads gently, like wind, and is grounded in something universal.

Judgement:
同人于野，亨。
Fellowship in the open country. Opening.
Fellowship should not be limited to family, clan, or faction. The Small Intestine separates the Pure from the Impure, and on an emotional level is responsible for letting good people in and keeping the bad out, enabling the Heart to connect in healthy ways.

利涉大川，利君子貞。
Beneficial to cross the great river. Beneficial for the gentleman's burning.
Danger can be overcome using this point. Moxa is appropriate, if used correctly.

Overall: Fellowship is good, but only when it is open and universal. The moment it becomes exclusive — "us versus them" — it becomes tribalism. An open Heart can overcome many dangers.

Lines:

Image:
天與火，同人。君子以類族辨物。
Heaven and fire: Tong Ren. Thus the gentleman distinguishes the classes of things and analyzes their natures.

Heaven is above, fire is below. The fire rises toward heaven, and all things are illuminated. The gentleman distinguishes the classes of things and analyzes their natures. Fellowship does not mean blurring all distinctions. It means understanding differences clearly — and then bringing them together in a higher unity.

Acupuncture Point Connections:
Shared with Xinshu Bl-15.
Inverted into ䷍ (Tongli He-5 or Wangu SI-4).
Opposed by ䷆ (Jingmen GB-25 or Zhongji Ren-3).

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).

Notes:

Main function is in regulating water balance with regards to the bladder and intestines.

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