陰谷 (Yīngǔ) — Yin Valley
Kidney channel · point 10
Traditionally used for
- Urinary & fluids
- Menstrual & women's health
- Fertility & vitality
- Mood & calm
- Pain & joints
- Skin
Location
On the posteromedial aspect of the knee, in the popliteal crease, just lateral to the semitendinosus tendon, with the knee flexed.
Focks' Atlas of Acupuncture places it between the tendons of semitendinosus and semimembranosus at the level of the knee joint space, rather than just lateral to the semitendinosus tendon.
How to locate: With the knee flexed to less than 90 degrees, ask the patient to press the heel into the couch so the tendons at the inner side of the popliteal crease stand out. The point is in the crease just lateral to the prominent semitendinosus tendon, level with BL40.
Distances are in cun, a proportional unit — how to measure.
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
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Perpendicular insertionDepth 1–1.5 cunskindeeper
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 (1)
- Deadman P, Al-Khafaji M, Baker K. A Manual of Acupuncture. Hove: Journal of Chinese Medicine Publications; 1998 — p. 350 Supports: techniques (names this point)
Site notes · not cited
Functions
- Clears damp-heat from the lower burner
- Benefits the Kidney and regulates urination
- Activates the channel and benefits the knee
Indications
Balance Method partners
Under Dr. Tan's six systems, KI10 at the knee balances these channels at the regions its segment images.
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1. Same Chinese nameHeart channelElbow · Mirror (arm ↔ leg)Elbow · Reversed mirrorUpper abdomen, Lower back · Image, head at the hand/footChest, Upper back · Image, head toward the elbow/kneeSolve for the Heart channel →
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2. Branching (Bie Jing / Zang Fu Bie Tong)Triple Energiser channelElbow · Mirror (arm ↔ leg)Elbow · Reversed mirrorUpper abdomen, Lower back · Image, head at the hand/footChest, Upper back · Image, head toward the elbow/kneeSolve for the Triple Energiser channel →
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3. Interior–exterior pairBladder channelKnee, Back of knee · Same segment, opposite sideUpper abdomen, Lower back · Image, head at the hand/footChest, Upper back · Image, head toward the elbow/kneeSolve for the Bladder channel →
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4. Chinese clock oppositeLarge Intestine channelElbow · Mirror (arm ↔ leg)Elbow · Reversed mirrorUpper abdomen, Lower back · Image, head at the hand/footChest, Upper back · Image, head toward the elbow/kneeSolve for the Large Intestine channel →
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5. Chinese clock neighbourPericardium channelElbow · Mirror (arm ↔ leg)Elbow · Reversed mirrorUpper abdomen, Lower back · Image, head at the hand/footChest, Upper back · Image, head toward the elbow/kneeSolve for the Pericardium channel →
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6. Same channelKidney channelKnee, Back of knee · Same segment, opposite sideUpper abdomen, Lower back · Image, head at the hand/footChest, Upper back · Image, head toward the elbow/kneeSolve for the Kidney channel →
Classical calendar method · 子午流注
When the tables open KI10
The hours Zi Wu Liu Zhu names this point at, by method. Times are the double-hour's start in UTC.
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癸巳 09:00–11:00 Na Jia Fa, 乙-day sequence · He-Sea (合)
「癸巳腎宮陰谷合」
Next: Mon 19 Oct, 09:00
A classical reference, not a recommendation: the tables say when the method opens this point, not that it is the point to needle. Open points by the hour →
Similar Points
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.)
📝 Notes
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