Verscienta
KI21

Youmen

Star

幽門 (Yōumén) — Dark Gate

Kidney channel · point 21

Not yet clinically reviewed

Meeting point of the Kidney channel with the Chong Mai

Traditionally used for

  • Digestion
  • Bowel health

Cautions & contraindications

  • Liver conditions
  • No deep needling

Location

On the upper abdomen, 6 cun above the umbilicus, 0.5 cun lateral to the anterior midline.

How to locate: The sternocostal angle to the centre of the umbilicus is 8 proportional cun; measure with proportional cun, not finger widths. Measure 2 cun down from the sternocostal angle (6 cun above the umbilicus); the point is 0.5 cun lateral to the midline, level with CV14.

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

Body map, front: KI21 · Upper abdomen
Fig. — KI21 · Upper abdomen After Albinus, 1747
Body map, front: KI21 · Upper abdomen

KI21 · Upper 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

  1. Perpendicular insertion
    Depth 0.5–1 cun
    skindeeper

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)
  1. Deadman P, Al-Khafaji M, Baker K. A Manual of Acupuncture. Hove: Journal of Chinese Medicine Publications; 1998 — p. 358 Supports: techniques (names this point)

Site notes · not cited

  • Liver conditions
  • No deep needling
Depth: 0.5–0.8 cun
Angle: Perpendicular
⚠ Cautions: Do not needle deeply — the liver on the right and the stomach beneath.

Functions

  • Harmonises the Stomach and descends rebellious qi
  • Relieves morning sickness

Indications

Epigastric pain and vomitingnausea of pregnancydiarrhoeapoor appetitebreast pain

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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