Neiguan, Shenmen and Daling
Star內關、神門、大陵 (Nèiguān, Shénmén, Dàlíng)
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
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Luo-Connecting point of the Pericardium; opens the chest and regulates its qi.
Palm up, wrist slightly flexed: 2 cun above the midpoint of the wrist crease on the PC3–PC7 line, between palmaris longus and flexor carpi radialis. Insert perpendicularly 0.5–1.5 cun through the deep fascia and the superficial and deep finger flexors to pronator quadratus, seeking local aching and numbness with an electric sensation to the fingertips.
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Yuan-Source point of the Heart; calms the spirit and regulates the Heart.
Palm up: on the wrist crease, on the radial side of the flexor carpi ulnaris tendon. Insert perpendicularly 0.3–0.5 cun from the radial border of flexor carpi ulnaris through the deep fascia toward the head of the ulna, medial to the ulnar nerve, artery and vein, seeking a local aching, numb feeling.
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Yuan-Source point of the Pericardium; clears Heart fire and calms the spirit.
Arm stretched forward, palm up, elbow slightly flexed: at the midpoint of the wrist crease, between palmaris longus and flexor carpi radialis. Insert perpendicularly 0.3–0.5 cun through the deep fascia to the capsule of the carpal joints, seeking local aching and numbness with an electric sensation to the fingertips.
Treatment Principle
Open the chest and regulate qi; regulate the Heart and calm the spirit.
Indications
Method
All three points are needled perpendicularly on the supinated forearm and wrist: PC6 0.5–1.5 cun, HT7 and PC7 0.3–0.5 cun each. The book gives no retention time or moxibustion instructions for this set.
⚠ Cautions
PC6 and PC7 overlie the median nerve and HT7 lies beside the ulnar nerve and artery: once an electric sensation appears, stop manipulating, and do not needle deeper than the stated ranges.
About
A three-point set at the inner wrist and forearm for disturbance of the Heart and spirit: chest pain, palpitations, sleeplessness, irritability and low mood.
Rationale
HT7 and PC7 are the Yuan-Source points of the Heart and Pericardium, where the source qi of each channel is accessed; PC6 is the Luo-Connecting point of the Pericardium and the confluent point of the Yin Wei Mai, which governs the chest. The two Yuan points steady the Heart and settle the spirit; PC6 frees constrained qi in the chest, so the set treats both the emotional and the physical expression of Heart disharmony.
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 4, combination 6.
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