Verscienta
CV6

Qihai

Star

氣海 (Qìhǎi) — Sea of Qi

Ren (Conception) channel · point 6

Not yet clinically reviewed

Sea of Qi

Traditionally used for

  • Cough & breathing
  • Digestion
  • Bowel health
  • Urinary & fluids
  • Menstrual & women's health
  • Fertility & vitality
  • Energy & fatigue

Cautions & contraindications

  • Pregnancy

Location

On the lower abdomen, on the anterior midline, 1.5 cun below the umbilicus.

How to locate: With the patient supine, divide the midline from the centre of the umbilicus to the upper border of the pubic symphysis into 5 proportional cun rather than using finger widths; the point is 1.5 cun below the umbilicus, halfway between it and CV4.

Regional anatomy: Skin and subcutaneous tissue, then the linea alba, transversalis fascia and the median umbilical fold, above the peritoneum and small intestine.

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

Body map, front: CV6 · Lower abdomen
Fig. — CV6 · Lower abdomen After Albinus, 1747
Body map, front: CV6 · Lower abdomen

CV6 · Lower abdomen · Albinus, Tabulae sceleti et musculorum, 1747

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

  • Pregnancy: contraindicated
  1. Perpendicular insertion
    Depth 0.8–1.5 cun
    skindeeper

Traditionally forbidden in pregnancy (at least before 37 weeks). Carr (2015) reviewed the trials and found no objective evidence of harm from needling these points; the prohibition is traditional, not evidence-based.

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 (3)
  1. 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)
  2. 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)
  3. Deadman P, Al-Khafaji M, Baker K. A Manual of Acupuncture. Hove: Journal of Chinese Medicine Publications; 1998 — p. 504 Supports: techniques (names this point)

Site notes · not cited

  • Pregnancy
Depth: 0.8–1.5 cun
Angle: Perpendicular
Moxibustion: A principal point for tonifying moxibustion in qi deficiency and yang collapse.
⚠ Cautions: Contraindicated in pregnancy.

Functions

  • Tonifies original qi and raises qi, especially of the Kidney and Spleen
  • Fortifies Kidney yang and rescues collapse
  • Regulates qi and harmonises blood in the lower burner
  • Resolves dampness
  • Raises prolapse

Indications

Chronic fatigue and shortness of breathabdominal pain and distensionirregular menstruation and uterine bleedingprolapse of the uterus or rectumenuresis and frequent urinationimpotence and seminal emissionconstipation and diarrhoeacollapse with cold limbs

Clinical Notes

Where CV4 tonifies the Kidney and the essence, CV6 raises and moves qi — the choice in prolapse and in sinking qi with fatigue.

Combinations Using This Point

Tonifying Moxibustion — CV4, CV6, ST36 and GV4

The four points that carry the classical reputation for building qi and yang — moxaed rather than needled.

Zhongwan, Qihai and Tanzhong

CV12, CV6 and CV17 on the Ren Mai — a three-level set that opens the chest and sends rebellious Lung and Stomach qi back down.

Guanyuan and Qihai

CV4 and CV6 on the lower abdomen — a core tonifying pair for original qi, Kidney and essence, used in depletion, gynaecological and bowel disorders.

Similar Points

Ranked by shared patterns and conditions

Zusanli how are these connected? (Zusanli) Sanyinjiao how are these connected? (Sanyinjiao) Guanyuan how are these connected? (Guanyuan) Pishu how are these connected? (Pishu) Baihui how are these connected? (Baihui) Taixi how are these connected? (Taixi)

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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