CV12

Zhongwan

Star

中脘 (Zhōngwǎn) — Central Epigastrium

Ren (Conception) channel · point 12

Front-Mu point of the StomachHui-Meeting point of the Fu organsMeeting point of the Ren Mai with the Small Intestine, Triple Energiser and Stomach channels

Traditionally used for

Digestion
Bowel health
Sleep
Energy & fatigue

Location

On the upper abdomen, on the anterior midline, 4 cun above the umbilicus — midway between the umbilicus and the sternocostal angle.

How to locate: With the patient supine, find the sternocostal angle where the costal margins meet and the centre of the umbilicus; the point is on the midline exactly halfway between them, 4 cun above the umbilicus.

Regional anatomy: Skin and subcutaneous tissue, then the linea alba, transversalis fascia and extraperitoneal fascia; the peritoneum and upper abdominal viscera lie beneath.

Distances are in cun, a proportional unit — how to measure.

Body map, front: CV12 · Upper abdomen — Fig. — CV12 · Upper abdomen After Albinus, 1747

The abdominal regions — Gray's Anatomy plate — The abdominal regions Gray's Anatomy, 1918

3D view

3D view not available for this point: its position on the 3D model couldn't be checked against its location text, so it is not shown. The 2D maps above show it.

Needling

Cited needling

⚠ Organ
Pregnancy: caution

Perpendicular insertion

Depth 0.8–1.5 cun

skindeeper

Gestation-specific: classically acceptable up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, avoided thereafter. Case reports: organ injury after needling at this point (1 case in Wu et al. 2015).

Depths describe average adult habitus in the cited population, never a single safe number for the patient in front of you. Palpate and adjust.

Sources (4)

Carr DJ. The safety of obstetric acupuncture: forbidden points revisited. Acupunct Med. 2015;33(5):413-419 — Identifying sources of concern and relevant outcomes Supports: pregnancy (names this point)
World Health Organization. Guidelines on basic training and safety in acupuncture. Geneva: WHO; 1999. WHO/EDM/TRM/99.1 — Section II §2.1 (Pregnancy), p. 20 Supports: pregnancy (names this region)
Wu J, Hu Y, Zhu Y, Yin P, Litscher G, Xu S. Systematic review of adverse effects: a further step towards modernization of acupuncture in China. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015;2015:432467 — Table 4 (Organ injury associated with acupuncture) Supports: organ (case report)
Deadman P, Al-Khafaji M, Baker K. A Manual of Acupuncture. Hove: Journal of Chinese Medicine Publications; 1998 — p. 511 Supports: techniques (names this point)

Site notes · not cited

Depth: 0.8–1.5 cun

Angle: Perpendicular

Moxibustion: Moxibustion at CV12 is standard in cold and deficient patterns of the middle burner.

Functions

Harmonises the Stomach and descends rebellious qi
Strengthens the Spleen, tonifies the middle burner and resolves dampness
Resolves food stagnation
Regulates qi and relieves pain
Benefits all the Fu organs

Indications

Epigastric pain and distension — the primary indicationnausea, vomiting, belching and acid regurgitationpoor appetite and indigestionabdominal distension and borborygmusdiarrhoea and constipationinsomnia from food stagnationfatigue

Clinical Notes

The Front-Mu of the Stomach and the Hui-Meeting of the Fu organs — the single most important abdominal point for digestion, and part of almost every middle-burner prescription.

Similar Points

Ranked by shared patterns and conditions

Zusanli how are these connected? Pishu how are these connected? Taibai how are these connected? Fenglong how are these connected? Sanyinjiao how are these connected? Qihai how are these connected?

Sources

World Health Organization. WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations in the Western Pacific Region. Manila: WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific, 2008. (Location.)
Focks C, ed. Atlas of Acupuncture. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2008. (Locating method and actions.)

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