Acupuncture points and meridian lines 


Our body is a gigantic transportation system. Traffic jams are more common in some areas than others. For example, around our elbows and other joints, blood flow may experience more difficulty than elsewhere. Materials and information usually travel along lines. At certain points, their movements could experience more difficulty. These points are acupuncture points, I think. 

In practice, we pressure around our body. If certain point feels sour or pain, we say we locate an acupuncture point. These points are under nourished or overworked. We can massage these points to improve their condition. This is the principle of acupuncture, I think.

We can benefit from massaging any part of our body. But massaging those most vulnerable points, the acupuncture points, could bring faster and more significant effects. 

But how do we treat specific symptoms? How are acupuncture points and specific diseases related? We might consider stroke. Strokes occur in brains. But blood clots mostly are produced in feet, where temperature is low and blood flow is slow. To prevent strokes in brains, it is important to keep our feet warm and healthy. This example shows that prevention or treatment of a disease may be more effective when applied to different locations. In the case of stroke, the connection between brain and feet is the blood vessels, lines that transport blood.

In the Chinese medicine, the theoretical foundation for treatment is meridian lines. We can observe blood vessels. We can observe neuron fibers. We can observe lymph ducts. But no one has observed meridian lines. How can I be sure about the theory of meridian lines? Well, I don’t know. I just try to understand the theory. I don’t necessarily believe the theory. In any case, acupuncture points exist independent of meridian lines, although in a weaker form.

From the Chinese medicine, there are twelve meridian lines, six hand meridians and six foot meridians, six yin meridians and six yang meridians. Why are meridian lines classified as hand meridians and foot meridians?  Look at our fingers. Look at our toes. They are much narrower than other parts of our body. Blood flow could be difficult and slow around feet and hands. They are the weakest parts of our body. That is probably why hands and feet are important parts of meridian lines.

Why are meridian lines classified as yin meridians and yang meridians?  Yin is inside. Yang is outside. Look at our hands. Our palms are yin and our fists are yang. On a hand, there are three yin and three yang meridian lines. On a foot, there are three yin and three yang meridian lines. How are they structured?

Here is my current understanding, based on the teachings of auntie. There are three yin meridian lines, senior yin (太阴)，middle yin( 厥阴)，junior yin (少阴)。This middle yin is my translation. Look at your palm. Senior yin meridian line goes through the thumb. Junior yin meridian line goes through small finger. Middle yin meridian line goes through a finger in the middle. 

There are three yang meridian lines, senior yang (太阳)，junior yang (少阳)，baby yang (阳明)。This baby yang is my translation. You might already sense that three yang and three yin meridian lines are not symmetric in their naming conventions. I don’t know why this happens. This is also what confuses me for a long time, until auntie told me the proper relations. Look at your fist opening up. Senior yang meridian line goes through the small finger. It is senior because it is the outside one. Baby yang meridian line goes through the thumb. Junior yang meridian line goes through a finger in the middle. Remember yang meridian lines are through the fist side, outside. Yin meridian lines are through the palm side, inside . 

Likewise, six foot meridian lines are similarly structured.

Next, we will introduce how each meridian line corresponds to each organ. We will add specifics to each meridian line just discussed.

For hand, there are three yin meridian lines,
Hand senior yin lung meridian (手太阴肺经)，
Hand middle yin pericardium meridian (手厥阴心包经)，
Hand junior yin heart meridian (手少阴心经)。

There are three yang meridian lines, 
Hand senior yang small intestine meridian (手太阳小肠经)，
Hand junior yang triple burner meridian (手少阳三焦经)，
Hand baby yang large intestine meridian (手阳明大肠经)。

For foot, there are three yin meridian lines,
Foot senior yin spleen meridian (足太阴脾经)，
Foot middle yin liver meridian (足厥阴肝经)，
Foot junior yin kidney meridian (足少阴肾经)。

There are three yang meridian lines, 
Foot senior yang bladder meridian (足太阳膀胱经)，
Foot junior yang gallbladder meridian (足少阳胆经)，
Foot baby yang stomach meridian (足阳明胃经)。

We have listed twelve meridians. Now we present their relationships. Each yin meridian is paired with a yang meridian. These two meridians pass through the same finger or toe. 

For example, hand senior yin lung meridian (手太阴肺经) and hand baby yang large intestine meridian (手阳明大肠经) both pass through the thumb. They are paired. Senior yins pair with baby yangs. Similarly, junior yins pair with senior yangs. Middle yins pair with junior yangs. (Junior yangs are really middle yangs.)

Many of such pairs are quite intuitive. Kidney meridian pairs with bladder meridian. Liver meridian pairs with gallbladder meridian. Stomach meridian pairs with spleen meridian.

The above is the basic logic of meridian system. It is not the physiology of meridian system. Does the meridian system really work? For many, it works sometimes. The meridian system helps us to find some useful acupuncture points for certain health issues.

I have some thoughts on the structure of the meridian system. But the note is already too long. I had better stop here.