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Module 6   Lesson 15   Zu Shaoyin Shen Jing

Kidneys: KI-1 to KI-27

Why does nearly everything an acupuncturist does for the Kidneys sit in a handful of points around the ankle, and what do the other twenty do?

After this lesson you can follow the channel from the sole of the foot to the collarbone as a line, you know all 27 points by name and category, you can work out KI-3 and KI-6 as key points, and you can choose between KI-1, KI-3, KI-6 and KI-7 on the basis of the pattern.

Leg: from the sole to the knee loop around the heel KI-1 KI-2 KI-3 KI-4 KI-5 KI-6 KI-7 KI-8 KI-9 KI-10 Well Shu, Yuan Xi River Xi Yin Wei Ying Luo opening Yin Qiao Xi Yin Qiao He-Sea sole around the inner ankle lower leg knee internally via the coccyx to the Kidneys and Bladder Trunk: from the pubic bone to the collarbone KI-11 KI-16 KI-21 KI-22 KI-27 abdomen: crossing points with the Chong Mai chest: spirit names below the collarbone internally onwards: Liver, diaphragm, Lungs, throat and tongue root; a branch to the Heart
Schematic, not a location guide: only the order and the rough regions. Circled in green: the key points KI-3 and KI-6. Course of the channel: textbook knowledge, after Ling Shu 10.

Know by heart

  • The course. From under the little toe across the sole (KI-1), a loop around the inner ankle and heel, up the inside of the leg; internally to the Kidneys and Bladder; externally over the abdomen (KI-11 to KI-21) and chest (KI-22 to KI-27) to below the collarbone. mnemonic: from the sole to the collarbone, with a loop around the ankle.
  • The categories. KI-1 Jing-Well, KI-2 Ying-Spring, KI-3 Shu-Stream and Yuan, KI-4 Luo, KI-5 Xi, KI-7 Jing-River, KI-10 He-Sea. Back-Shu BL-23, Front-Mu GB-25. mnemonic: 1, 2, 3 in a row, 4 bridge, 5 cleft, 7 river, 10 sea.
  • KI-3 Taixi, Supreme Stream. Shu-Stream, Yuan; tonify the Kidneys, Yin and Yang. mnemonic: the Supreme Stream is the source of both.
  • KI-6 Zhaohai, Shining Sea. Opening point of the Yin Qiao, partner LU-7 (Ren); nourish Kidney-Yin, sleep, throat. mnemonic: the Shining Sea moistens from below, all the way up to the throat.
  • KI-1 and KI-7. KI-1 Yongquan, Gushing Spring: Jing-Well; draws down what rises to the head, calms, restores consciousness. KI-7 Fuliu, Returning Current: Jing-River; tonify the Kidneys, regulate sweating, oedema. mnemonic: the Spring draws down, the Returning Current holds on.
  • Abdomen and chest. KI-11 to KI-21 are crossing points with the Chong Mai; KI-27 Shufu: open the chest, cough and asthma (textbook knowledge).
  • Red flag. Flank pain with fever, blood in the urine, oedema with breathlessness, or back pain with fever: a doctor first.

The rest of this lesson is reference.

Kidneys: KI-1 to KI-27: Why does nearly everything an acupuncturist does for the Kidneys sit in a handful of points around the ankle, and what do the other twenty do?
The chart as an image, to save or share

Three practice questions from this lesson

Which point is the Luo point of the Kidneys?
  1. KI-4 Dazhong
  2. KI-5 Shuiquan
  3. KI-6 Zhaohai

Answer: KI-4 Dazhong. KI-4, the bridge to the Bladder. KI-5 is the Xi point, KI-6 the opening point of the Yin Qiao.

What is the category of KI-3?
  1. Shu-Stream and Yuan
  2. Jing-River and Metal point
  3. He-Sea

Answer: Shu-Stream and Yuan. On a Yin channel the Yuan point coincides with the Shu-Stream point. KI-7 is Jing-River and Metal point, KI-10 He-Sea.

KI-6 opens which extraordinary vessel, and with which point does it form a pair?
  1. Chong Mai; with PC-6 (Yin Wei)
  2. Yin Qiao; with LU-7 (Ren)
  3. Yang Qiao; with SI-3 (Du)

Answer: Yin Qiao; with LU-7 (Ren). KI-6 opens the Yin Qiao, LU-7 the Ren Mai. SP-4 opens the Chong, with PC-6 (Yin Wei) as its partner; BL-62 opens the Yang Qiao, with SI-3 (Du).

The rest of this lesson

In the course you get the step-by-step explanation, 16 case-based practice questions, 14 spaced-repetition flashcards, the pitfalls and the bridge to physiology with evidence grades. This lesson belongs to module 6: Points.

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