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SP-9 Yīn Mound Spring

阴陵泉 〔陰陵泉〕 yīn líng quán

Alternate names: 阴之陵泉 yīn zhī líng quán, Yin's Mound Spring; 足太阴所入 zú tài yīn suǒ rù,

Channel: SP, foot greater yīn (tài yīn) spleen channel

Modern location: An acupoint located on the medial aspect of the lower leg, at the inferior border of the medial condyle of the tibia, between the posterior edge of the tibia and the anterior edge of the gastrocnemius muscle.

Classical location: Below the knee and above Earth’s Crux (SP-8), at the depression at the end of the crease when the knee is flexed. From The Golden Mirror of Medicine (医宗金鑑 yī zōng jīn jiàn)

Local anatomy: Anteriorly, the great saphenous vein, the genu suprema artery; deeper, the posterior tibial artery and vein. Superficially, the medial crural cutaneous nerve; deeper, the tibial nerve.

Action: Warms and moves the central burner; regulates the spleen; transforms dampness; regulates the waterways; dispels wind-cold.

Modern indications: Abdominal distension; diarrhea; water swelling; jaundice; inhibited urination or urinary incontinence; knee pain.

Classical indications: Cold in the abdomen; qì distension in the abdomen; throughflux diarrhea (dòng xiè) with undigested food in the stool; no desire for food and drink; inhibited urination or urinary incontinence; genital pain; seminal emission; impediment () pain; pain in the lumbus, thigh and knee; leg qì (jiǎo qì, beriberi) with water swelling; mounting-conglomeration (shàn jiǎ).

Needle stimulus: Needling: 0.5‒1.0 cùn perpendicular insertion. Moxa: 3 cones; pole 3‒5 min.

Needle sensation: Localized twinge and distension, sometimes spreading downward and outward.

Point groups: Uniting () (water) point.

Point name meaning:

In the landscape of the body, the knee can be said to resemble a hill or mound. Since SP-9 is located near the knee and is the water point of the spleen channel, it can be thought of as a spring beside a mound. The mound spring on the yīn aspect of the leg is called Yīn Mound Spring. (See also GB-34, Yáng Mound Spring. ) See acupoint names: origins, meanings, and translations.

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