LU9

Taiyuan

Star

太淵 (Tàiyuān) — Great Abyss

Lung channel · point 9

Shu-Stream pointEarth pointYuan-Source pointEarth point of the Lung channelTonification (mother) pointHui-Meeting point of the vessels

Traditionally used for

Cough & breathing
Heart & circulation

Cautions & contraindications

Avoid blood vessels

Location

On the anterolateral aspect of the wrist, at the radial end of the palmar wrist crease, between the radial styloid process and the scaphoid bone, in the depression on the ulnar side of the abductor pollicis longus tendon, over the radial artery.

How to locate: At the thumb-side end of the palmar wrist crease, in the hollow between the radial artery and the abductor pollicis longus tendon. Where the crease is indistinct, move the hand loosely to feel the joint space between the radius and the carpal bones and use that level.

Regional anatomy: The needle passes between the cephalic vein and the superficial palmar branch of the radial artery, through the antebrachial fascia just lateral to the radial artery and its veins, down to the radius between the tendons of abductor pollicis longus and flexor carpi radialis.

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

Body map, front: LU9 · Wrist — Fig. — LU9 · Wrist After Albinus, 1747

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

Needling

Cited needling

⚠ Major vessel

Perpendicular insertion — avoiding the radial artery

Depth 0.3–0.5 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 (2)

World Health Organization. Guidelines on basic training and safety in acupuncture. Geneva: WHO; 1999. WHO/EDM/TRM/99.1 — Section II §5.2 (Other points), p. 26 Supports: major vessel (names this point)
Deadman P, Al-Khafaji M, Baker K. A Manual of Acupuncture. Hove: Journal of Chinese Medicine Publications; 1998 — p. 87 Supports: techniques (names this point)

Site notes · not cited

Avoid blood vessels

Depth: 0.2–0.3 cun

Angle: Perpendicular, avoiding the artery

⚠ Cautions: The radial artery runs at the point — palpate the pulse and insert beside it, not into it.

Functions

Tonifies Lung qi and yin
Transforms phlegm and descends Lung qi
Regulates and harmonises the vessels and promotes blood circulation
Opens the channel and alleviates pain

Indications

Chronic cough and shortness of breathweak voicecoughing of bloodchest painwrist pain and weaknesscirculatory disorders and weak or irregular pulse

Balance Method partners

Under Dr. Tan's six systems, LU9 at the wrist balances these channels at the regions its segment images.

1. Same Chinese name

Spleen channel

Ankle, Heel · Mirror (arm ↔ leg)
Hip & groin, Buttock · 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 Spleen channel →
2. Branching (Bie Jing / Zang Fu Bie Tong)

Bladder channel

Ankle, Heel · Mirror (arm ↔ leg)
Hip & groin, Buttock · 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 Bladder channel →
3. Interior–exterior pair

Large Intestine channel

Wrist · 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 Large Intestine channel →
4. Chinese clock opposite

Bladder channel

Ankle, Heel · Mirror (arm ↔ leg)
Hip & groin, Buttock · 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 Bladder channel →
5. Chinese clock neighbour

Liver channel

Ankle, Heel · Mirror (arm ↔ leg)
Hip & groin, Buttock · 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 Liver channel →
6. Same channel

Lung channel

Wrist · 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 Lung channel →

Classical calendar method · 子午流注

When the tables open LU9

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

辛亥 21:00–23:00 Na Jia Fa, 丁-day sequence · Shu-Stream (俞)

「辛亥太淵神門穴」

Next: Tue 20 Oct, 21:00
乙未 13:00–15:00 Na Jia Fa, 辛-day sequence · Yuan-Source (原), returning to the source

「乙未太衝原太淵」

Next: Wed 14 Oct, 13:00
卯 05:00–07:00 Na Zi Fa, LU channel · reinforce (補)

「補用卯時，太淵，為俞土，土生金，為母」

Next: Tue 13 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 and tonification point of the Lung, and simultaneously the Hui-Meeting point of the vessels: the first choice for deficiency of Lung qi, and a classical point for pulse and vascular disorders.

Combinations Using This Point

Lieque and Taiyuan

LU7 and LU9, the Luo and Yuan-Source points of the Lung — for cough, wheeze, haemoptysis, headache, sore throat and stiff neck.

Balance Method for Low Back Pain — Lung Channel Image

Low back pain on the Bladder channel treated from the Lung channel of the opposite forearm, with the patient moving the back during retention.

Similar Points

Ranked by shared patterns and conditions

Feishu how are these connected? Zhaohai how are these connected? Taixi how are these connected? Shenshu how are these connected? Qihai how are these connected? Zusanli 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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