Balance Method Point Solver
Dr. Tan's six systems and the mirror and image formats, run as rules over the classical channel points. Name the channel and region of a complaint; the solver returns the channels that balance it and a ranked list of distal points, each with the system that chose it and its cautions.
Worked cases
Liver channel · Hip & groin
The six systems
| System | Treating channel | Look at | Side |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Same Chinese name | Pericardium (PC) |
Shoulder
· Mirror (arm ↔ leg)
Wrist
· Reversed mirror
|
opposite side |
| 2. Branching (Bie Jing / Zang Fu Bie Tong) | Large Intestine (LI) |
Shoulder
· Mirror (arm ↔ leg)
Wrist
· Reversed mirror
|
either side |
| 3. Interior–exterior pair | Gallbladder (GB) |
Hip & groin, Buttock
· Same segment, opposite side
|
opposite side |
| 4. Chinese clock opposite | Small Intestine (SI) |
Shoulder
· Mirror (arm ↔ leg)
Wrist
· Reversed mirror
|
either side |
| 5. Chinese clock neighbour | Lung (LU) |
Shoulder
· Mirror (arm ↔ leg)
Wrist
· Reversed mirror
|
opposite side |
| 6. Same channel | Liver (LV) |
Hip & groin, Buttock
· Same segment, opposite side
|
opposite side |
Ranked points (12)
-
14. Chinese clock opposite Reversed mirror Xi-Cleft point
- Selected by system 4 (Chinese clock opposite)
- Named in a Balance Method combination for this region
-
23. Interior–exterior pair Same segment, opposite side Meeting point of the Gallbladder channel with the Yang Qiao Mai
- Selected by system 3 (Interior–exterior pair)
-
33. Interior–exterior pair Same segment, opposite side Meeting point of the Gallbladder and Bladder channels
- Selected by system 3 (Interior–exterior pair)
⚠ The sciatic nerve lies beneath. A brief radiating sensation to the foot is the classical arrival of qi; do not manipulate repeatedly to reproduce it.
-
42. Branching (Bie Jing / Zang Fu Bie Tong) Reversed mirror Jing-River point Fire point of the Large Intestine channel
- Selected by system 2 (Branching (Bie Jing / Zang Fu Bie Tong))
-
52. Branching (Bie Jing / Zang Fu Bie Tong) Mirror (arm ↔ leg) Meeting point of the Large Intestine channel with the Yang Qiao Mai
- Selected by system 2 (Branching (Bie Jing / Zang Fu Bie Tong))
-
62. Branching (Bie Jing / Zang Fu Bie Tong) Mirror (arm ↔ leg) Meeting point of the Large Intestine channel with the Yang Qiao Mai
- Selected by system 2 (Branching (Bie Jing / Zang Fu Bie Tong))
⚠ Do not needle deeply or medially — risk of pneumothorax.
-
75. Chinese clock neighbour Reversed mirror Jing-River point Metal point of the Lung channel Horary point
- Selected by system 5 (Chinese clock neighbour)
⚠ The radial artery lies immediately medial — locate the pulse and needle lateral to it. Moxibustion is classically avoided here.
-
85. Chinese clock neighbour Reversed mirror Shu-Stream point Yuan-Source point Earth point of the Lung channel Tonification (mother) point Hui-Meeting point of the vessels
- Selected by system 5 (Chinese clock neighbour)
⚠ The radial artery runs at the point — palpate the pulse and insert beside it, not into it.
-
91. Same Chinese name Reversed mirror Shu-Stream point Yuan-Source point Earth point of the Pericardium channel Sedation (son) point
- Selected by system 1 (Same Chinese name)
-
104. Chinese clock opposite Reversed mirror Jing-River point Fire point of the Small Intestine channel Horary point
- Selected by system 4 (Chinese clock opposite)
-
114. Chinese clock opposite Mirror (arm ↔ leg)
- Selected by system 4 (Chinese clock opposite)
⚠ Do not angle medially toward the chest wall.
-
124. Chinese clock opposite Mirror (arm ↔ leg) Meeting point of the Small Intestine channel with the Yang Wei and Yang Qiao Mai
- Selected by system 4 (Chinese clock opposite)
Structural selection only. Needling depth, technique and contraindications remain the practitioner's; every point above shows its corpus cautions. Sources: Tan, Twelve and Twelve in Acupuncture (1991); Tan, Acupuncture 1, 2, 3 (2007).