San Zhong — The Three Weights
Star三重 (Sān Zhòng)
Master Tung Ching Chang, Tung's Extraordinary Points.
Points
-
Lowest
-
Middle
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Uppermost
Treatment Principle
Invigorate blood, expel wind and dissipate accumulation — applied on the side opposite a facial paralysis.
Indications
Method
Needle all three, perpendicular, 1.0 to 2.0 cun, on the leg opposite the affected side of the face. Retain 30 to 45 minutes. In acute Bell's palsy, treat every other day for the first two weeks.
⚠ Cautions
Breast lumps and thyroid nodules require diagnostic assessment before being treated as benign. Acute facial paralysis of sudden onset with other neurological signs must be assessed for stroke urgently.
About
The Three Weights sit on the lateral lower leg in Gallbladder territory. Their reputation rests on facial paralysis, where they are used contralaterally, and on the dispersal of lumps and nodules.
Rationale
Tung grouped the actions of moving blood, expelling wind and dissolving accumulation together in this trio. The contralateral application in facial paralysis follows the general Tung principle of treating the opposite side in a one-sided disorder of the head and face.
Clinical Notes
In Bell's palsy the group is usually combined with local facial points on the affected side once the acute phase has passed — the standard sequence is distal-only for the first few days, adding local points from about day five.
Sources
- Young, Wei-Chieh. Lectures on Tung's Acupuncture: Points Study. Blue Poppy Press.
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