浮郄 : Fuxi : Floating Cleft

Classifications:

Trigger point (Melzack, Stillwell & Fox, 1977)
Luo Harmonizing point

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Location:

On the back of the knee, 1 cun superior to Weiyang Bl-39, on the medial side of the tendon of biceps femoris. Locate with the knee slightly flexed.

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Needling:

Perpendicular insertion 1 - 1.5 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).
"Locate it with the" (patient’s) knee stretched. It is needled to a depth of fivefen and moxaed with three cones" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).

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TCM Actions:

Relaxes the sinews and alleviates pain
Clears Heat and soothes contraction

TCM Indications:

• Numbness of the buttock, contraction of the sinews of the popliteal fossa, contraction and pain of the outer thigh, Sudden Turmoil (霍亂, Huo Luan) Disorder with cramps.
  
• Small Intestine heat, knotting of the Large Intestine, hot urination.

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Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: Posterior cutaneous nerve of the thigh (S1 - S3)

Dermatome Segment: S2

Deeper Structures: Tibial nerve (L5 - S2)

Trigger Point Associations:

Muscle:
Biceps femoris

Myotome Innervation:
Common peroneal nerve (short head), tibial nerve (long head) both from sciatic nerve (L5 - S2)

Pain Referral Pattern:
Mainly at the back of the knee over the popliteal crease with areas radiating around the point and down to the medial aspect of the calf

Indications:
Diseases of the knee joint ; Myalgia of the posterior thigh

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Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

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

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Major Combinations:

• Heat of the lower abdomen and hard stools:
    Fuxi Bl-38 with Zhongzhu Kid-15
    (Yang Jizhou, 杨继洲, 1601: Zhen Jiu Da Cheng, 針灸大成, Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).

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Notes:

At the end of a Bladder Luo treatment this point is needled, deqi grasped and removed immediately to normalize the circulation of blood (Cecil-Sterman, 2012, Advanced Acupuncture).

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Avicenna describes cupping at this point in his treatise On Cupping:

"cupping on the back of the thighs is beneficial in the swellings and abscesses of the buttocks." (Aspects of Treatment According to General Diseases, 22nd section in Abu-Asab, Amri & Micozzi, 2013, Avicenna's Medicine)

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In ayurvedic medicine:
Ani marma point
Size: 1/2 angula (cun)
Structure: Tendon
Effect of Injury: Disability (vaikalyakar marma)
(Harish Johari, 1996, Ayurvedic Massage, Sanatan Society; Anupama Bhattacharya, n.d. Marma Shastra)

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In Tibetan medicine:
Moxa point (AMNH, Tibetan Medical Paintings)

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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

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