KI3

Taixi

Star

太谿 (Tàixī) — Great Ravine

Kidney channel · point 3

Not yet clinically reviewed

Shu-Stream pointEarth pointYuan-Source pointEarth point of the Kidney channel

Traditionally used for

Dizziness
Ears & hearing
Nose & throat
Teeth & mouth
Cough & breathing
Urinary & fluids
Menstrual & women's health
Fertility & vitality
Sleep
Pain & joints

Location

On the posteromedial aspect of the ankle, in the depression between the prominence of the medial malleolus and the Achilles tendon.

How to locate: With the foot relaxed, find the most prominent point of the medial malleolus and slide straight back toward the Achilles tendon; the point is in the hollow midway between the two, where the posterior tibial pulse can often be felt.

Regional anatomy: The needle passes through the skin, subcutaneous tissue and deep crural fascia into the space between the medial malleolus and the calcaneal tendon; the posterior tibial artery and tibial nerve lie close by.

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

Body map, front: KI3 · Ankle — Fig. — KI3 · Ankle After Albinus, 1747

Bones of the foot, dorsal — Gray's Anatomy plate — Bones of the foot, dorsal Gray's Anatomy, 1918

3D view

3D view not available for this point: its position can't be carried onto the 3D model reliably (it failed a placement check). The 2D maps above show it.

Needling

Cited needling

Techniques — the source gives these as alternatives:

Perpendicular insertion

Depth 0.5–1 cun

skindeeper
Through-needling — to Kunlun BL60

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. 340 Supports: techniques (names this point)

Site notes · not cited

Depth: 0.5–0.8 cun

Angle: Perpendicular

Functions

Tonifies Kidney yin and yang
Nourishes the essence and benefits the marrow
Strengthens the lower back and knees
Benefits the ears, throat and teeth
Anchors the qi and aids the reception of breath
Regulates menstruation

Indications

Chronic low back pain and weakness of the kneestinnitus, deafness and dizzinesschronic sore and dry throattoothacheimpotence, seminal emission and infertilityirregular menstruationasthma of the deficiency typeinsomnia and night sweatsfrequent urination and nocturia

Balance Method partners

Under Dr. Tan's six systems, KI3 at the ankle balances these channels at the regions its segment images.

1. Same Chinese name

Heart channel

Wrist · Mirror (arm ↔ leg)
Shoulder · Reversed mirror
Front of neck, Nape of neck · Image, head at the hand/foot
Lower abdomen, Sacrum · Image, head toward the elbow/knee
Solve for the Heart channel →
2. Branching (Bie Jing / Zang Fu Bie Tong)

Triple Energiser channel

Wrist · Mirror (arm ↔ leg)
Shoulder · Reversed mirror
Front of neck, Nape of neck · Image, head at the hand/foot
Lower abdomen, Sacrum · Image, head toward the elbow/knee
Solve for the Triple Energiser channel →
3. Interior–exterior pair

Bladder channel

Ankle, Heel · Same segment, opposite side
Front of neck, Nape of neck · Image, head at the hand/foot
Lower abdomen, Sacrum · Image, head toward the elbow/knee
Solve for the Bladder channel →
4. Chinese clock opposite

Large Intestine channel

Wrist · Mirror (arm ↔ leg)
Shoulder · Reversed mirror
Front of neck, Nape of neck · Image, head at the hand/foot
Lower abdomen, Sacrum · Image, head toward the elbow/knee
Solve for the Large Intestine channel →
5. Chinese clock neighbour

Pericardium channel

Wrist · Mirror (arm ↔ leg)
Shoulder · Reversed mirror
Front of neck, Nape of neck · Image, head at the hand/foot
Lower abdomen, Sacrum · Image, head toward the elbow/knee
Solve for the Pericardium channel →
6. Same channel

Kidney channel

Ankle, Heel · Same segment, opposite side
Front of neck, Nape of neck · Image, head at the hand/foot
Lower abdomen, Sacrum · Image, head toward the elbow/knee
Solve for the Kidney channel →

Classical calendar method · 子午流注

When the tables open KI3

The hours Zi Wu Liu Zhu names this point at, by method. Times are the double-hour's start in UTC.

癸酉 17:00–19:00 Na Jia Fa, 己-day sequence · Shu-Stream (俞)

「癸酉太蹊太白原」

Next: Thu 22 Oct, 17:00
丁卯 05:00–07:00 Na Jia Fa, 癸-day sequence · Yuan-Source (原), returning to the source

「本尋腎水太谿原」

Next: Sat 17 Oct, 05:00

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 →

Clinical Notes

The Yuan-Source of the Kidney and the single most-used distal point for Kidney depletion of either yin or yang. Palpation of the pulse here was classically used to assess whether Kidney qi remained.

Combinations Using This Point

Shenshu and Taixi

BL23 and KI3, the Back-Shu and Yuan-Source points of the Kidney — for weakness, low back and heel pain, tinnitus, enuresis, oedema and impotence.

Similar Points

Ranked by shared patterns and conditions

Sanyinjiao how are these connected? Zhaohai how are these connected? Guanyuan how are these connected? Shenshu how are these connected? Ququan how are these connected? Mingmen 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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