Five transport points

Any of a series of five points below the elbows or knees on each of the twelve channels. The five points are:

• well points (井穴 jǐng xué)
• brook points (aka spring points, 荥穴 yíng xué)
• stream points (俞穴 shù xué)
• channel (aka river points, 经穴 jīng xué)
• uniting points (aka sea points,合穴 hé xué)

They each have five-phase correspondences that differ from the yáng to the yīn channels. On the lung channel, for example, LU-11 (Lesser Shang, 少商 shào shāng) is the well point corresponding to wood; LU-10 (Fish Border, 鱼际 yú jì) is the brook point corresponding to fire; LU-9 (Great Abyss, 太渊 tài yuān) is the stream point corresponding to earth; LU-8 (Channel Ditch, 经渠 jīng qú) is the channel point corresponding to metal.

Naming and conception: The Chinese names of the five transport points partially reflect the nature of the flow of qì at each of these points. The ancient Chinese likened the flow of qì in the channels to the flow of water from its source in the mountains to its home in the sea. At the well points, which are located at the ends of the digits, the qì is shallow and meek. At the brook points, on the hands and feet, the qì has a gushing quality. At the channel points in the area of the wrist and ankle, the qì is described as being like water pouring downward from a shallow place to a deeper one. At the river points on the forearm and lower leg, the qì has developed into a powerful flow. At the uniting points at the knees and elbows, the qì goes deep into the body to unite with its home organ, just as a river flows into the sea.

This conception only reflects the nature of the qì at each of the five points; it does not indicate the direction of the flow of qì. On the yáng channels of the foot and the yīn channels of the arm, the image of the five transport points suggests that qì is moving counter to its actual direction.

Note also that the Chinese names only partially water analogies, 俞shù (alternatively 輸) and 经穴 jīng have no direct association with water. The English names stream point and sea point are chosen to more fully reflect the presumed conception.

Application: The transport points are used in different ways clinically. They can be used in the treatment of certain conditions or at certain times of the year. They can also be used in a way that applies to five-phase relationships.

1. Application according to type of condition: Clinical experience recorded in modern literature shows that the well points are most effective for conditions characterized by clouded spirit, the spring points are best for externally contracted febrile diseases, the stream points treat pain in the joints, the channel (river) points treat cough and panting, whereas the uniting points treat bowel patterns. These indications partly agree with what the classics say.
2. Application according to the seasons: The text and commentaries of The Classic of Difficult Issues (难经 nàn jīng) (中藏经 zhōng zàng jīng, bì lùn) suggest the following: In the spring and summer months yáng qì rises and the qì in the body flows on the exterior. Superficial needling is appropriate during this period, so well and spring points are often employed. In the autumn and winter months yáng qì sinks downward and the qì of the body is relatively deep. During this time, it is appropriate to needle deeply, so river and uniting points are often applied. Accordingly, the texts prescribes the well points in spring, the spring points in summer, the river points in autumn, and the uniting points in winter. This conflicts with The Inner Classic (内经 nèi jīng), which prescribes the spring points in spring, the river points in summer, the uniting points in fall, and the well points in winter.
3. Application according to five-phase correspondences: The transport points can be used in a way that applies the five-phase correspondences of the transport points in relation to the five-phase correspondences of the channel, in accordance with the principles that vacuity is treated by supplementing the mother and repletion is treated by draining the child. In this context, the mother and child may be the mother or child transport points either on the affected channel or on the mother or child channels. Thus, shortness of breath and copious sweat forming part of a vacuity pattern of the lung (metal) channel can be treated by supplementing either the earth point of the lung channel (earth engenders, i.e., is mother of metal) or the earth point of the spleen (earth) channel. Thus, lung vacuity can be treated either by supplementing LU-9 or SP-3. Acute cough and panting, which forms a lung repletion pattern, can be treated by draining the water point (LU-5) of the lung channel (water is engendered by, i.e., is the child of metal) or by draining the water point of the water channel (KI-10).

See also point selection.

Etymology

Chin 五 wǔ, five; 俞 shù, transport, shunt; 穴 xué, cave, hole. More at transport point.