完骨 : Wangu : Completion Bone

Location Guides:

Classifications:

Master point of the Pericardium and San Jiao Divergent Meridians (Chace, The Merging of Ways)
Binding point of the foot Taiyang and hand Taiyang Sinews

Trigger point (Travell & Simons, 1998, Trigger Point Manual

Meetings:

Meeting of Gall Bladder with Bladder and Pericardium Divergent

Location:

In the depression just posterior and inferior to the mastoid process.

Needling:

Oblique inferior insertion 0.5 - 1 cun

Classical Needling:

"The Shaoyang usually has little Blood and much Qi" (Su Wen 素問 ch. 24) implying this channel should normally be needled.
"The foot Shaoyang is to be pierced 4 fen deep and remain inserted for five exhalations" (Ling Shu 靈樞 ch. 12).
"It is needled to a depth of two fen, (the needle) is retained for a duration of seven exhalations, and it is moxaed with seven cones" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).

TCM Actions:

Eliminates Wind, benefits the head and alleviates pain
Calms the Shen

TCM Indications:

• Headache, head wind with pain behind the ear, shaking of the head, stiffness and pain of the neck with inability to turn the head.
  
• Toothache, swelling of the cheek radiating to the ear, Throat Painful Obstruction (喉痹, Hou Bi).
  
• Hemiplegia, deviation of the mouth and eye, clenched jaw, withering and contraction of the muscles around the mouth, weakness and flaccidity of the legs, atrophy disorder of the arms and legs, Malarial (瘧, Nue) Disorders, sweating with no aversion to cold.
  
• Epilepsy, mania, agitation of the Heart, insomnia, dark urine.

Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: Dorsal rami of C3 - C5

Dermatome Segment: C3

Trigger Point Associations:

Muscle:
Sternomastoid

Location Notes:
The trigger point location should be on the belly of the sternomastoid

Pain Referral Pattern:
To back of head and from top of cheek to temple, to the forehead above the eyebrow and into the inner canthus of the eye. Some spillover onto cheek, top of head and front of throat

Indications:
Torticollis ; Myalgia of neck muscles ; Head and facial pains

Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

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

Major Combinations:

• Head Wind and pain behind the ear:
    Wangu GB-12 with Qimai SJ-18
    (Wang Zhizhong, 王執中, 1220: Zhen Jiu Zi Sheng Jing, 針灸資生經, Classic of Supporting Life with Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Pain of the nape of the neck:
    Wangu GB-12 with Yuzhen Bl-9
    (Wang Zhizhong, 王執中, 1220: Zhen Jiu Zi Sheng Jing, 針灸資生經, Classic of Supporting Life with Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Tired throat, swelling of the neck with inability to turn the head, swelling of the cheek that radiates into the ear:
    Wangu GB-12 with Tianyou SJ-16 and Qiangu SI-2
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
  
  
• Toothache and tooth decay:
    Wangu GB-12 with Fubai GB-10
    (Haungfu Mi, 皇甫謐, 282: Zhen Jiu Jia Yi Jing, 針灸甲乙經, Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Deviation of the mouth and face:
    Wangu GB-12 with Lieque Lu-7
    (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:
    Wangu GB-12 with Xiaochangshu Bl-27, Baihuanshu GB-30 and Yanggang Bl-48
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).

Notes:

骨 can also be translated as "moral character" suggesting another translation of 完骨 as "Completing one's moral character" which would explain some of its Spirit settling qualities.

Among the Gall Bladder points of the head, there appear to be some that indicate they are special points for influencing the five Zang, similar to the Front-Shu of the chest on the Kidney channel. The inclusion of the word "Bone" in this point's name, its proximity to the ear and indications for teeth and atrophy of the legs would make this point the head-Shu for the Kidneys.

When used as part of a Divergent Meridian treatment is paired with the He Sea point, or less commonly with the Yuan Source or Luo Connecting point of the channels (Chace, The Merging of Ways).

Avicenna describes venesection at this point in his treatise On Venesection:

"Venesection of the veins below the mastoid process of the temporal bone is beneficial in cases of dizziness causes by light blood and advanced pains of the head." (Aspects of Treatment According to General Diseases, 21st section in Abu-Asab, Amri & Micozzi, 2013, Avicenna's Medicine)

In the 22nd section, On CUpping, he suggests that "Cupping on the mastoid process is second in benefit to the venesection of the median cubital vein. It is beneficial in heaviness of the horehead, lightening in the eyelids, trachoma, malodor of the mouth, and hardening of the eye... However, cupping on the mastoid process actually causes loss of memory, as has been said, since the back of the brain is the site of memory and is weakened by cupping... Therefore, to avoid side effects, cupping on the mastoid process should be be done slightly lower" (ibid.)

Lad and Durve (2008) in Marma Points of Ayurveda locate the Karnamula point here or at SJ-17 and associate it with the doshas: Prana Vayu, Apana Vayu, Sadhaka Pitta and Tarpaka Kapha.

They give the following functions:
- Benefits facial nerves, especially in cases of Bell's palsy
- Relieves pain and headaches
- Enhances kidney function

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

In Thai massage:
Acupressure point indicated for ear ailments, facial pain/numbness/paralysis and headache (Salguero & Roylance, 2011, Encyclopedia of Thai Massage)

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