俠白 : Xiabai : Clasping the White

Location Guides:

Classifications:

Trigger point (Travell & Simons, 1998, Trigger Point Manual)
Luo Harmonizing point

Location:

On the antero-lateral aspect of the upper arm, 4 cun inferior to the axillary fold and 5 cun superior to Chize LU-5, in the depression between the lateral border of the biceps brachii muscle and the shaft of the humerus

Needling:

Perpendicular insertion 0.5 - 1 cun

Classical Needling:

"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).
"It is needled to a depth of four fen and (the needle) is retained for a duration of three exhalations. It is moxaed with five cones" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).

TCM Actions:

Descends Lung Qi. Regulates Qi and Blood in the chest

TCM Indications:

• Cough, dyspnoea, asthma, shortness of breath.
  
• Heart pain, palpitations, agitation and fullness, retching.
  
• Pain in the medial aspect of the arm, purple-white wind blotches (pityriasis versicolor).

Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: Upper lateral cutaneous nerve of the arm from C5 - C6

Dermatome Segment: C6

Trigger Point Associations:

Muscle:
Brachialis

Pain Referral Pattern:
To dorsum of base of thumb with some spillover along anterior shoulder and cubital fossa

Indications:
Pain, numbness or tingling at base of thumb, often due to radial nerve entrapment

Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

As with Lu-3, upon striking there is an immediate electrical shock that goes up and down the arm causing momentary or long lasting paralysis of the arm, or causing the brain to shut down the body, not knowing what has happened. This electrical effect is greater than Lu-3, but with less emotional problems later, although they do still occur (Montaigue, Dim Mak Locations, Taijiworld.com).

Major Combinations:

• Pain of the Heart with shortness of breath:
    Xiabai Lu-4 with Qimen Liv-14, Chanqiang Du-1, Tiantu Ren-22 and Zhongchong Pc-9
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
  
  
• Purple-white blotches (pityriasis versicolor):
    Xiabai Lu-4 with Tianfu Lu-3
    (Probably Yan Zhen, 严振. c. 1575: Xun Jing Kao Xue Bian, 循經考穴編, Investigation Into Points Along the Channels).

Notes:

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

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