溫溜 : Wenliu : Warm Flow

Classifications:

Xi-Cleft point

Location:

5 cun proximal to Yangxi L.I.-5 on the line connecting Yangxi L.I.-5 with Quchi L.I.-11

Needling:

Transverse-oblique insertion 0.5 - 1 cun

Classical Needling:

"The Yangming usually has much Qi and much Blood" (Su Wen 素問 ch. 24) implying this channel can normally be needled or bled.
"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).
"It is needled to a depth of three fen and moxaed with three cones" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).

TCM Actions:

Clears Heat and detoxifies poison
Moderates acute conditions
Regulates and harmonises the Intestines and Stomach
Clears Yangming Fire and calms the Shen

TCM Indications:

• Headache, deviation of the face and mouth, redness, swelling and pain of the face, clove sores, carbuncle and furuncle, pain of the teeth and mouth, tongue thrusting, Throat Painful Obstruction (喉痹, Hou Bi) with loss of voice.
  
• Borborygmus with abdominal pain, abdominal distension, vomiting of watery saliva and foam, sudden swelling of the four limbs.
  
• Frequent laughter, raving, seeing ghosts.
  
• Pain and difficulty in raising the shoulder and arm.

I Ching Hexagram:

䷛ Da Guo 大過 Great Undertaking

Shared with Kongzui Lu-6. Balanced by ䷚ (Xiangu St-43 or Yinbai Sp-1).

Hexagram attributions are my own with an explanation given in the glossary.

Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: Lateral cutaneous nerve of the forearm from C5 - C6

Dermatome Segment: C6

Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

As a Xi-Cleft point where Qi accumulates, striking this point causes Qi drainage and great pain along the whole channel, even knock out if struck hard enough. Often used as a set up point to facilitate an easier knock out strike with another neurological shut down point, especially across the jaw. Also good as a set up for a strike at Quchi LI-11 (Montaigue, Dim Mak Locations, Taijiworld.com).

Major Combinations:

• Throat Painful Obstruction with loss of voice:
    Wenliu LI-7 with Quchi LI-11
    (Haungfu Mi, 皇甫謐, 282: Zhen Jiu Jia Yi Jing, 針灸甲乙經, Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Stiff tongue, tongue thrusting:
    Wenliu LI-7 with Huaroumen St-24 and Shaohai He-3
    (Wang Zhizhong, 王執中, 1220: Zhen Jiu Zi Sheng Jing, 針灸資生經, Classic of Supporting Life with Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Manic raving, seeing Ghosts:
    Wenliu LI-7 with Yangxi LI-5 and Pucan Bl-61
    (Wang Zhizhong, 王執中, 1220: Zhen Jiu Zi Sheng Jing, 針灸資生經, Classic of Supporting Life with Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Stiffness of the nape of the neck due to injury by Cold:
    Wenliu LI-7 with Qimen Liv-14
    (Gao Wu, 高武, 1529: Bai Zheng Fu, 百症賦, Ode of a Hundred Symptoms).

Notes:

In Tung acupuncture the Qi Jiao, Cycle Horn, point is located 1 cun distal to this point, or 4 cun proximal to Yangxi LI-5, and the Qi Zheng, Cycle Correct, point is located 1 cun proximal to this point (6 cun proximal to Yangxi LI-5) on the Large Intestine line. Both of their indications include many problems of the lower abdomen (bowel, gynae and urinary) as well as the throat and neck. They are often combined with each other and Qi Men, 2 cun proximal to Yangxi LI-5 (Chu, 2015).

Avicenna describes venesection along the accessory cephalic vein that runs approximately along the course of the arm Yangming Large Intestine channel in his treatise On Venesection:

"The cephalic vein drains more blood from the neck and above, and little from below the neck, but it does not exceed the epigastrium, and it does not significantly cleanse the lower parts... The accessory cephalic vein is similar to the cephalic." (Aspects of Treatment According to General Diseases, 21st section in Abu-Asab, Amri & Micozzi, 2013, Avicenna's Medicine).

The median cubital or basilic veins are used for the lower body.

In Thai massage:
Acupressure point (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