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PC3

Quze

Star

曲澤 (Qūzé) — Marsh at the Bend

Pericardium channel · point 3

Not yet clinically reviewed

He-Sea pointWater pointWater point of the Pericardium channel

Traditionally used for

  • Colds & fever
  • Digestion
  • Bowel health
  • Mood & calm
  • Nerves & recovery
  • Heart & circulation

Cautions & contraindications

  • Avoid blood vessels

Location

On the cubital crease, on the ulnar side of the tendon of biceps brachii.

How to locate: With the arm stretched forward, palm up and the elbow slightly flexed, feel the tight biceps tendon at the elbow crease; the point is on the crease just on its ulnar (medial) side.

Regional anatomy: The needle passes through the skin, subcutaneous tissue and cubital fascia between the basilic and median cubital veins, reaching brachialis beside the brachial artery; the median nerve lies just medial to the artery.

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

Body map, front: PC3 · Elbow
Fig. — PC3 · Elbow After Albinus, 1747
Body map, front: PC3 · Elbow

PC3 · Elbow · Albinus, Tabulae sceleti et musculorum, 1747

Bones of the forearm — Gray's Anatomy plate
Bones of the forearm Gray's Anatomy, 1918 Marker hidden while its position on this plate is re-checked.
Bones of the forearm — Gray's Anatomy plate

Bones of the forearm · 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

Techniques — the source gives these as alternatives:

  1. Perpendicular insertion
    Depth 0.5–1 cun
    skindeeper
  2. Prick to bleed

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. 372 Supports: techniques (names this point)

Site notes · not cited

  • Avoid blood vessels
Depth: 0.5–1.0 cun
Angle: Perpendicular; the visible veins may be pricked to bleed
Bleeding technique: Pricking the cubital veins to bleed at PC3 is the classical emergency treatment for heatstroke and for acute summer-heat vomiting and diarrhoea.
⚠ Cautions: The brachial artery lies medial to the biceps tendon — palpate before needling.

Functions

  • Clears heat from the Heart and cools the blood
  • Harmonises the Stomach and Intestines and stops vomiting
  • Calms the spirit
  • Activates the channel and relieves pain

Indications

Cardiac pain and palpitationsacute vomiting and diarrhoea, especially from summer-heatfebrile disease with agitationtremor of the hand and armelbow painheatstroke

Balance Method partners

Under Dr. Tan's six systems, PC3 at the elbow balances these channels at the regions its segment images.

  • 1. Same Chinese name
    Liver channel
    Knee, Back of knee · Mirror (arm ↔ leg)
    Knee, Back of knee · Reversed mirror
    Upper abdomen, Lower back · Image, head at the hand/foot
    Chest, Upper back · Image, head toward the elbow/knee
    Solve for the Liver channel →
  • 2. Branching (Bie Jing / Zang Fu Bie Tong)
    Stomach channel
    Knee, Back of knee · Mirror (arm ↔ leg)
    Knee, Back of knee · Reversed mirror
    Upper abdomen, Lower back · Image, head at the hand/foot
    Chest, Upper back · Image, head toward the elbow/knee
    Solve for the Stomach channel →
  • 3. Interior–exterior pair
    Triple Energiser channel
    Elbow · Same segment, opposite side
    Upper abdomen, Lower back · Image, head at the hand/foot
    Chest, Upper back · Image, head toward the elbow/knee
    Solve for the Triple Energiser channel →
  • 4. Chinese clock opposite
    Stomach channel
    Knee, Back of knee · Mirror (arm ↔ leg)
    Knee, Back of knee · Reversed mirror
    Upper abdomen, Lower back · Image, head at the hand/foot
    Chest, Upper back · Image, head toward the elbow/knee
    Solve for the Stomach channel →
  • 5. Chinese clock neighbour
    Kidney channel
    Knee, Back of knee · Mirror (arm ↔ leg)
    Knee, Back of knee · Reversed mirror
    Upper abdomen, Lower back · Image, head at the hand/foot
    Chest, Upper back · Image, head toward the elbow/knee
    Solve for the Kidney channel →
  • 6. Same channel
    Pericardium channel
    Elbow · Same segment, opposite side
    Upper abdomen, Lower back · Image, head at the hand/foot
    Chest, Upper back · Image, head toward the elbow/knee
    Solve for the Pericardium channel →

Classical calendar method · 子午流注

When the tables open PC3

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

  • 辛丑 01:00–03:00 Na Jia Fa, 辛-day sequence · Na (納) point

    「辛丑曲澤包絡准」

    Next: Thu 15 Oct, 01:00

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 →

Combinations Using This Point

Chize and Quze

LU5 and PC3, the He-Sea points either side of the biceps tendon — for cough, wheeze, sore throat, vomiting and diarrhoea, and elbow spasm.

Weizhong and Quze

BL40 and PC3, the He-Sea points of knee and elbow — for heat and toxin: erysipelas, boils, high fever, acute vomiting and diarrhoea, stroke and seizures.

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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