Verscienta
PC6

Neiguan

Star

內關 (Nèiguān) — Inner Pass

Pericardium channel · point 6

Not yet clinically reviewed

Luo-Connecting pointConfluent point of the Yin Wei Mai

Traditionally used for

  • Dizziness
  • Digestion
  • Sleep
  • Mood & calm
  • Nerves & recovery
  • Heart & circulation

Location

On the palmar aspect of the forearm, 2 cun proximal to the wrist crease, between the tendons of palmaris longus and flexor carpi radialis.

How to locate: With the palm up, clench the fist or press the fingertips together to raise the palmaris longus and flexor carpi radialis tendons; the point is between them, 2 cun above the wrist crease and directly opposite TE5. A finger slid up between the tendons from the wrist tends to stop here as the skin bunches in front of it; if palmaris longus is absent, the point is on the ulnar side of flexor carpi radialis.

Regional anatomy: Beneath the skin, subcutaneous tissue and antebrachial fascia the needle passes between the tendons of palmaris longus and flexor carpi radialis into flexor digitorum superficialis, then flexor digitorum profundus and pronator quadratus; the median nerve lies directly beneath the point.

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

Body map, front: PC6 · Forearm
Fig. — PC6 · Forearm After Albinus, 1747
Body map, front: PC6 · Forearm

PC6 · Forearm · Albinus, Tabulae sceleti et musculorum, 1747

Bones of the forearm — Gray's Anatomy plate
Bones of the forearm Gray's Anatomy, 1918
Bones of the forearm — Gray's Anatomy plate

Bones of the forearm · Gray's Anatomy, 1918

3D view

Approximate placement, carried over from our 2D body map onto a single adult male model (BodyParts3D) and checked against the point's location text. Shown on one side of the body. Locate the point on your patient by the location text and palpation, not by this model.

Cun on this part of the body
From the cubital crease to the wrist crease: 12 B-cun (WHO 2008, General Guidelines, Proportional Bone (Skeletal) Measurements, p. 12). On the model, the cubital crease = line between the humeral epicondyles. On the model, the wrist crease = line between the radial and ulnar styloid tips.
Needle angle and depth
  1. Perpendicular (90° to the skin), 0.5–1 cun. Deadman P, Al-Khafaji M, Baker K, p. 376
  2. Through needling, to waiguan te5 — not drawn: no cited depth in cun.
  3. Oblique (45° to the skin), 1–1.5 cun, proximal, for diseases of the chest. Deadman P, Al-Khafaji M, Baker K, p. 376
  4. Oblique (45° to the skin), 1–1.5 cun, distal, for numbness of the fingers. Deadman P, Al-Khafaji M, Baker K, p. 376

3D anatomy: BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science licensed under CC Attribution 4.0 International (licence). Subset, simplified and recoloured by Verscienta — changes and licence details.

Needling

Cited needling

Techniques — the source gives these as alternatives:

  1. Perpendicular insertion
    Depth 0.5–1 cun
    skindeeper
  2. Through-needling — to Waiguan TE5
  3. Oblique insertion — proximal, for diseases of the chest
    Depth 1–1.5 cun
    skindeeper
  4. Oblique insertion — distal, for numbness of the fingers
    Depth 1–1.5 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 (1)
  1. Deadman P, Al-Khafaji M, Baker K. A Manual of Acupuncture. Hove: Journal of Chinese Medicine Publications; 1998 — p. 376 Supports: techniques (names this point)

Site notes · not cited

Depth: 0.5–1.0 cun
Angle: Perpendicular

Functions

  • Regulates the Heart and unbinds the chest
  • Harmonises the Stomach and stops nausea and vomiting
  • Calms the spirit and relieves anxiety
  • Opens and regulates the Yin Wei Mai
  • Regulates qi and relieves pain

Indications

Nausea and vomiting of any cause — motion sickness, pregnancy, chemotherapy, post-operativepalpitations, angina and irregular heartbeatchest oppression and painanxiety, panic and insomniaepigastric painhiccupdizzinesscarpal tunnel syndrome and wrist painepilepsy

Balance Method partners

Under Dr. Tan's six systems, PC6 at the forearm balances these channels at the regions its segment images.

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

Clinical Notes

Alongside LI4 and ST36, one of the three most-used points in the repertoire, and the best-evidenced antiemetic point in the clinical literature. Paired with SP4 to open the Yin Wei and Chong Mai.

Combinations Using This Point

Chong Mai Pair — PC6 and SP4

The opening pair of the Penetrating Vessel and Yin Wei — the standard combination for the epigastrium, the heart and the chest.

Neiguan and Ximen

PC6 and PC4, the Luo and Xi-Cleft points of the Pericardium — for cardiac pain, palpitations, insomnia, stomach pain, vomiting and hiccup.

Neiguan, Shenmen and Daling

PC6, HT7 and PC7 at the inner wrist — for cardiac pain, palpitations, insomnia, irritability and low mood.

Neiguan and Tanzhong

PC6 and CV17, the Luo and Front-Mu points of the Pericardium — for palpitations, chest pain and oppression, restlessness, insomnia and hiccup.

Calming the Spirit — HT7, PC6, Yintang and GV20

The four points most reached for in anxiety and insomnia — two distal, two on the midline of the head.

Zhongwan, Neiguan and Zusanli

CV12, PC6 and ST36 — the Stomach's Mu point with forearm and leg distal points — for vomiting, abdominal pain and distension, and bowel disorders.

Similar Points

Ranked by shared patterns and conditions

Taichong how are these connected? (Taichong) Tanzhong how are these connected? (Tanzhong) Yanglingquan how are these connected? (Yanglingquan) Zusanli how are these connected? (Zusanli) Shenmen how are these connected? (Shenmen) Qihai how are these connected? (Qihai)

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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