4: How to apply the midnight-noon ebb flow (Zi Wu Liu Zhu) of the Ren and Du meridians to the clinical practice?

Ren and Du meridians connect into a circle. The ebb flow of their qi and blood circulates to a cycle. Like the twelve channels, the qi and blood of the Ren and Du meridians change from day to night. The ebb flow of the meridians also rises and falls from day to night. There are certain opening points corresponding to certain time periods (shi chen). There are two popular sayings about the ebb flow of the Ren and Du meridians.

Time Period	Zi 11-1	Chao 1-3	Yin 3-5	Mao 5-7	Chen 7-9	Si 9-11	Wu 11-1	Wei 1-3	Shen 3-5	You 5-7	Xu 7-9	Hai 9-11
One	RN15	RN17	RN23	Wangguong (Shangen)	DU20	DU16	DU6	BL23	DU1	RN1	RN4	RN8
Two	RN1	DU2	DU4	DU8	DU12	DU16	DU20	DU26	RN24	RN17	RN12	RN8

My personal clinical practice proved that the second saying is more accurate. The opening points of Yin, Mao and Chen time periods are on the back; and Si, Wu, and Wei on the head (refer to the chart). This corresponds to the “During the Yang time periods, the points located on the Yang regions are opened.” The opening points of the Shen, You, and Xu time periods are located on the front chest; and Hai, Zi and Chou are in the lower abdomen or lumbus. This matches “During the Yin time periods, the points located on the Yin regions are opened.”

Selecting opening points according to the time periods to treat diseases gives good results. Combining the ebb flow of the twelve channels to select points give even better results. For example, to treat lumbar sprain, it is common to needle DU26 combining with SI3 at Wei shi (1-3 pm). The result is very good and usually it takes only one treatment to cure completely. It is because the opening point of Wei shi is DU26. DU26 along is also a very effective empirical point for lumbago. At Wei shi, the ebb flow of the twelve channel flows to the small intestine channel. Selecting the Shu-stream point of the small intestine, SI3, along is also a very effective empirical point in treating lumbago. That is why this combination is outstandingly effective. Let me give another example. A patient with several protruded lumbar disks which caused severe sciatica was under so much pain that his body leaned toward to the right side to form a 45 degree ankle while walking. He had seen several doctors during the past three years but none of the treatments helped. I asked the patient come for treatment every other day (three visits a week) at Wei time-period (two o’clock in the afternoon). The points selected were DU26, SI3 (both sides), BL65 (both sides) and were retained for one hour. Blood-letting at BL40 was performed every ten days. The total treatment was twelve visits and total blood-letting treatment was three times. The entire treatment duration to cure the problem was only 28 days. The patient could walk normally like ordinary people. His posture was upright and without slanting to any angle. Needling DU26 and SI3 at Wei period matched the ebb-flow time-period. SI3 is also one of the eight confluent points, which communicates with the Du meridian. The needles were retained for one hour until Shen time period (three o’clock in the afternoon), the time that energy flows to the bladder channel. Bladder channels clasp the spinal column. The muscle-tendon channel of the bladder channel reaches the spinal column. BL65 is the Shu-stream point. Shu-stream points govern heavy body sensation and joint pains. Blood-letting at BL40 at Shen time period (3-5 o’clock in the afternoon) every ten days amplified the effectiveness several folds. Those are the reasons that the three-year-old severe sciatica was cured in 4 weeks.

I also often blood-letting at Taiyang point at Si, Wu, and Wei time periods to treat various major diseases and gained pretty good results. It is because the qi and blood flows to the head region at those time periods (as at Si time period, DU16 is opened; Wu time period, DU20 is opened; Wei time period, DU26 is opened), particularly the Wu time period for the energy is focused at the top of head (DU20).

3: Why do both Gongsun (SP4) and Menjin (66.05) treat frontal headache and eyelid ptosis? What are the common mechanisms?

SP4 is the Lou-connecting point of the spleen channel. The spleen and the stomach are the interior-exterior related organs. Hence SP4 is the major point in treating stomach channel disorders. Personally I most often use SP4 to treat pains located in the supraorbital and nasal bones, and frontal headache as well. The results are superb. It stops the pains promptly. This is because the face and the frontal head belong to Yangming. Needling one collateral point will treat both interior and exterior channels. SP4 is also one of the eight confluent points. It communicates with the Chong meridian. As “Chong meridian is sea of blood”, SP4 is also effective in treating blood vessel headache.

Frontal headache is also called Yangming headache. Menjin is located on the posterior to ST43 and attached to the bone (equals to the ancient location of the ST43). It equals to the Shu-stream (wood) point of the Yangming stomach channel. As “Shu-stream points govern heavy body sensation and joint pains”, they are the primary points in treating various pains of the respective channels. ST43 is the wood point of the earth channel. It is very good at coursing the liver and strengthening the spleen, and hence is quite effective in treating the headache caused by qi stagnation and emotional disturbance due to liver depression. The functions and indications of Menjin is the same as ST43.

The ptosis of the eyelids is related to qi and spleen deficiency. To treat it, the best selections are points related to both earth and metal. The ST43 equals to Menjin (door metal) when it is selected by attaching to the bone. Menjin (door metal) is named so because the “metal” is related to “lung, and large intestine” and qi. Menjin is on the stomach channel which belongs to earth. Hence, it treats both the earth and metal, or spleen and lung. It is also the Shu-stream point. As “Shu-stream points govern body heaviness and joint pains,” it is very good in treating pains or heavy body sensation and lack of strength. In addition, it also treats lateral headache located on the Taiyang points. The point’s location also corresponds to the upper eyelids. From the perspectives of the channel pathways, five-elements, and correspondence, they all conclude that Menjin is very effective in treating eyelid ptosis.

SP4 is the luo-connecting point of the spleen channel. Spleen and stomach are the interior and exterior related organs. Hence it is an essential point in treating various types of spleen and stomach disorders. Spleen and stomach govern “flesh”. Needling SP4 treats both spleen and stomach. SP4 is the superb effective point in treating frontal headache. It also corresponds to the range of the eyelid level. From the perspectives of the channel pathways, five-elements or correspondence, they all support that SP4 is very effective in treating eyelid ptosis ad eyelid unable to lift up.

From the perspective of the Taichi holographic correspondence, SP4 and Menjin are located about the same level and correspond to about the same space too. Both points are also related to spleen and stomach. Hence they both can treat frontal headache and eyelid ptosis. (The above is cited from the content of the One Needle Therapy of Young Wei-Chieh.)

2: Why the effective points in treating the frozen shoulder are mostly located on Tai Yang and Yang Ming channels?

Tai Yang channels comprise hand Tai Yang small intestine channels and foot Tai Yang bladder channel. Small intestine channel is closely related to and dominates the motion muscles of the upper limbs. Hence it is particularly effective in treating pain in this range. Points of the small intestine channel are very often selected for the impediments of the motor and sensory functions of the upper limbs. Foot Tai Yang bladder channel rules the “tendons/sinews”, which are the most important parts in the motor function of the body. Foot Tai Yang channel is often selected to treat various types of pains, tetanus, spasm and numbness due to overstrain. The above mentioned diseases are related to tendons/sinews. That is the meaning of “Tai Yang rules the tendons/sinews.” Hand Yang Ming large intestine channel rules “Jin (body fluid)” related diseases. Besides, the pathway of the hand Yang Ming channel travels up “the lateral aspect of the upper arm and over the shoulder”; and hence treats “pains of the shoulder and upper arm”. As the “channel pathways reflect the channel’s indications”, the large intestine channel treats shoulder pain. And because the hand Yang Ming channel is with abundant qi and blood, it is excellent at regulating qi and blood.

Frozen shoulder is closely related to hand Taiyang small intestine and hand Yangming large intestine channels. Points selected to treat it are mainly located on those two channels. The most often prescribed and effective herbal formulas for treating shoulder and neck/nape pain are Ge Gen Tang or Gui Zhi Jia Ge Gen Tang from the Shang Han Lun. Ge Gen Tang and Gui Zhi Jia Ge Gen Tang are the formulas of Taiyang and Yangming channels. The herbal prescriptions also support the statement of the first sentence of this paragraph. To treat the frozen shoulder, other than the primary points on the hand Taiyang and hand Yangming channels, points on the lung, stomach, and spleen channels are often selected too, because the lung channel is the exterior-interior pair of the large intestine channel; the stomach channel is the hand-foot same name Yangming channel; the spleen channel is the pair channel of the small intestine according to the extraordinary connections of the Zang Fu organs. Other channels or points related to tendons/sinews may be selected too. Because the frozen shoulder is located on the upper part of the body, it is often to select the hand-foot same name channels, foot Yangming and foot Taiyang channels, to treat it.

Based on the extraordinary connections of the spleen and small intestine, needling Shenguan (77.18), a point located on the spleen channel in the lower body to treat frozen shoulder is very effective. Needling Xiajuxu (ST39) (the lower He-sea point of the small intestine channel) to treat the frozen shoulder is very effective too, because it treats both the hand and foot Taiyang and Yangming channels. Shoulder pain is often treated with Houxi (SI3) too. Blood-letting Shuanghe (DT.16) points on the back, especially the point corresponding to the Xiaochangshu (BL27), to treat the upper arm pain is also very effective. ST38 penetrating to BL57 is a common point in treating the frozen shoulder. ST38 is a point of the foot Yangming channel. BL57 is a point of the foot Taiyang channel. Combining both points will regulate both Yangming and Taiyang channels. One needle connecting two channels; it will regulate qi and blood and sooth sinews and invigorate the collaterals. Other points also give good results in treating the frozen shoulder, such as LI3 (Dabai (22.04)), LU5, GB34, ST37, SJ3, Sanchasan (A.04) (SJ2), GB21, LI10, BL2, SJ10, SI10, Zhongping point, SJ4, SI16, LI16, LI15, SI9. (The above is cited from the content of the One Needle Therapy of Young Wei-Chieh.)

1 : Why in One Needle Therapy Acupuncture only either side of body is needled?

The following aspects may explain this question. 1. Resonance Effect: In natural phenomena, the unity of opposites between matters is the main body of any exists. For example, up and down; left and right; anterior and posterior. Channels are divided into Yin and Yang and distributed in the interior and exterior aspects of the Zang Fu organs. When the acupuncture point of one side of body is needled, the other corresponding point located on the opposite side will generate the being-needled sensation as well. Hence, for pain or diseases on both sides of body and interior organ diseases, it is fine to needle only one side of body and there is no need to needle both sides of body. To treat pain, in general, the opposite of the more painful side or the opposite same name channel of the affected channel is selected. For non-pain diseases, select male’s left side and female’s right side. For example, to treat knee pain of both sides, select the left Neiguan (PC6) and right Taichong (LV3) as a combination, or right PC6 and left LV3. This type of point selection can reduce the total number of points at least half. 2. Correspondence Balance: The right and left side of channels are not isolated, but mutually influence each other. They cross and connect as well for retaining the dynamic balance between the upper and lower and left and right sides. It is well known that it is not the same sides of upper and lower extremities are moving while walking, but the opposite upper and lower extremities are coordinating. The coordination is retained mainly through the Du meridian. The connecting vessel of the Du meridian breaks from the main channel at sacrum and coccyx (DU1) and travels upward to the nape and head. It then travels downward to the scapula to connect to the foot Tai Yang channel and also penetrate into the spinal column (backbone). The connecting vessel of the Du meridian is the control center to retain the communication between the left and right and up and down. Needling the opposite point of the affected site will help the body gain the balance back. For example, needling the lower body when the disease is in the upper body. Needling the right side of the body when the disease is in the left part of the body. It is not necessarily to needle both upper and lower or right and left sides.

7. Both Muhuo point and the Daoma of Linggu and Dabai treat the sequela of stroke. What are the common reasons?

Stroke is closely related to wind (wood) and phlegm (fire). There are only two yin channels that travel to the head, which are wood (liver) and fire (heart) channels. Liver wind (wood) and phlegm fire (fire) are two main reasons of wind stroke. Wood fire channels and wood fire points are best selections for treating wind stroke and its sequela.

Muhuo (wood fire) point is named because first it is on the fire (pericardium) channel, and located closely to the Jing-well wood point. Another reason is that the point is located in between the Jing-well (wood) and Ying-spring (fire) points on the pericardium. Muhuo point is located closely to the Zhongchong (PC1) point and has the functions to strengthen the heart and invigorate the blood. It also strengthens and enhances other points that are used to treat the sequela of the stroke. Supplementing wood fire or Muhuo has the effect of warming the yang (for the same reason, supplementing the mental and water (Jingshui) equals nourishing the yin). This is similar to that prescribing the Bu Yang Huan Wu Tang and Zhen Wu Tang to treat the stroke or its sequela.

Dabai and Linggu points are also between wood and fire points. Dabai is closely attached to the Sanjien (LI3) point, and has same attributes or nature as those of Sanjien (LI3) point. Linggu point is between Hegu (LI4) (belongs to wood) and Yangxi (LI5) (belongs to fire) points. It is located in between the wood and fire and bears the natures of the two elements. Another explanation is that Linggu is located closely to the Yangxi (belongs to fire) and has the nature of the fire element. In this case, Dabai belongs to wood while Linggu to fire. Using both of them is as supplementing the wood and fire, and hence creates the effect of warming the yang. Its function is like using the Bu Yang Huan Wu Tang and Zhen Wu Tang to treat the hemiplegia.

Muhuo point and Dabai-Linggu points both have the natures of the wood and fire and hence can treat wood-fire related diseases such as the sequela of the stroke. Muhuo point is located closely to the Jing-well point and hence can open the brain orifice. Linggu and Dabai are needled closely attached to the bone which corresponds to the kidney and communicates with the brain and hence can dredge and invigorate the qi and blood of the brain. However, Muhuo point is located in between the Jing-well and Ying-spring points and hence is more suitable for newly developed diseases and is not suitable for long needle retention. Dabai point is the Shu-stream point while Linggu is in between the Yuan-source point (Hegu LI4) and Jing-river point (Yangxi LI5), and both of them are needled attached to the bone; hence they are suitable for both newly-developed and chronic diseases and also are suitable for long needle retention.