Guanyuan and Qihai
Star關元、氣海 (Guānyuán, Qìhǎi)
Modern Chinese point-pair (对穴) teaching, as compiled by Guo Changqing and colleagues at the School of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine.
Points
-
Front-Mu point of the Small Intestine; roots original qi, supplements the Kidney and fortifies yang.
Supine; have the patient pass urine first. Needle straight in to 0.5–1.0 cun; the needle traverses skin and subcutaneous tissue, then the internal abdominal fascia and the median umbilical fold. Aim for an aching distension at the point that travels down to the genitals. Moxibustion may be applied here.
- Pregnancy: contraindicated
-
Sea of Qi; tonifies and raises qi and helps rescue collapsed yang.
Supine. Needle straight in to 0.8–1.2 cun, passing skin and subcutaneous tissue into the transverse fascia and the median umbilical fold. An aching distension should form locally and extend towards the genitals.
- Pregnancy: contraindicated
Needling Safety
Cited hazards for these points. Tick what applies to the patient to see the cautions that follow from it.
Treatment Principle
Supplement original qi and the essence, tonify and nourish the Kidney, regulate menstruation and vaginal discharge, and fortify yang to rescue collapse.
Indications
Method
Patient supine with an empty bladder. CV4 is needled perpendicularly 0.5–1.0 cun and CV6 perpendicularly 0.8–1.2 cun, each until an aching distension spreads towards the genitals. CV4 is also suitable for moxibustion.
⚠ Cautions
Both points are contraindicated in pregnancy. The bladder must be emptied before needling CV4, which lies over it.
About
The two principal tonifying points of the lower abdomen, used together to build up original qi, supplement the Kidney and essence and, with moxibustion, fortify yang. The source lists broad categories rather than specific conditions: abdominal, gynaecological and gastrointestinal complaints, and general weakness.
Rationale
CV4 and CV6 both sit on the Ren Mai below the umbilicus in the region of the lower dantian, 3 cun and 1.5 cun below the navel respectively. CV4 is the Front-Mu point of the Small Intestine and a meeting point of the Ren Mai with the Spleen, Liver and Kidney channels; CV6 is the Sea of Qi. One nourishes the root of yin and yang, the other gathers and raises qi, so the pair addresses both the substance and the function of the body's reserves.
Clinical Notes
Moxibustion on CV4 is the natural choice where the picture is one of cold and yang deficiency, and in the collapse states the source's function heading mentions.
Sources
- Guo Changqing (ed.). Acupuncture of Acupoint Combinations: Quick Lookups. Daylesford: Heart Space Publications, 2020 (English edition; © China Science and Technology Press). ISBN 978-0-6489215-5-4. Chapter 3, combination 2.
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