Foot yáng brightness (yáng míng) stomach channel

Abbreviation: ST. One of the twelve channels.

Connections

LI → ST → SP; homes to the stomach; nets the spleen.

Stomach Channel Pathway

Overview

• Side of ala nasi nose (LI-20) → root of nose → below eye socket → inner canthus (Bl-1) → parallel to nose → teeth → skirts mouth → mentolabial groove (CV-24) → mandible (ST-5) → in front of ear → hairline → GV-24.
• Branch from ST-5 → throat → GV-14 below C7 → supraclavicular fossa → diaphragm → homes to stomach and nets spleen.
• Main pathway: Supraclavicular fossa → nipple → 2 cùn from the from umbilicus → ST-30 in the groin.
• Branch from pylorus → ST-30 in groin.
• Main pathway: ST-30 → medial face of thigh → anterior face of tibia → dorsum of foot → between 2nd and 3rd phalanges → tip of second toe (ST-45).
• Branch (1): ST-36 3 cùn below knee → laterally to main branch to lateral side of middle toe.
• Secondary branch (2): ST-42 → medial side of great toe (SP-1) → SP channel.

Description

The foot yáng brightness (yáng míng) stomach channel starts from beside the ala nasi (LI-20, yíng xiāng, Welcome Fragrance), runs up the side of the nose to the root of the nose, where the right and left channels meet. It then veers outward, passes under the eye socket to the inner canthus, where it intersects with the greater yáng (tài yáng) bladder channel at BL-1 (jīng míng, Bright Eyes). From here, it descends parallel to the nose, penetrates the maxilla and teeth, turns laterally, exits the maxilla and skirts around the mouth to the mentolabial groove at CV-24 (chéng jiāng, Sauce Receptacle), where right and left channels intersect. Continuing from here, the pathway turns backward and passes down to the posteroinferior margin of the mandible to ST-5 (dà yíng, Great Reception). It then skirts the angle of the mandible and proceeds upward in front of the ear. It continues along the hairline, from where it crosses the midline of the forehead to intersect with governing vessel at GV-24 (shén tíng, Spirit Court).

From ST-5 (dà yíng, Great Reception), a branch descends the throat, and veers posteriorly to GV-14 (dà zhuī, Great Hammer) just below the spinous process of the seventh cervical vertebra. It then turns forward to enter the supraclavicular fossa. It then proceeds into the abdominothoracic cavity and passes downward through the diaphragm to home to the stomach and net the spleen.

From the supraclavicular fossa, the main pathway surfaces and descends vertically through the nipple and then 2 cùn lateral to the umbilicus, down to ST-30 (qì chōng, Qì Thoroughfare, also called qì jiē, Qì Street) in the inguinal region (groin).

From the pylorus at the lower end of the stomach, a branch separates, passing down through the abdominal cavity to meet with the main channel pathway at ST-30 in the inguinal region.

The main pathway continues from here to ST-31 (髀关 bì guān, Thigh Joint) and then down the medial face of the thigh to the patella. It descends the anterior face of the tibia, runs over the dorsum of the foot, and continues between the second and third phalanges to the lateral tip of the second toe (ST-45, lì duì, Severe Mouth).

In addition, there are two small branches. One separates at ST-36 (zú sān lǐ, Leg Three Lǐ) three cùn below the knee and runs down laterally and parallel to the main branch, terminating on the lateral side of the middle toe. The other small branch separates from the main branch on the dorsum of the foot at ST-42 (chōng yáng, Surging Yáng), terminating on the medial side of the great toe, where it meets the spleen channel at SP-1 (yǐn bái, Hidden White).

Stomach Channel Acupoints

Indications of ST points

Points on the foot yáng brightness (yáng míng) stomach channel treat stomach disease and other disorders anywhere on the pathway. They notably treat conditions of the head and face, eyes, nose, mouth, and teeth.

• Stomach and abdomen: Stomach pain, abdominal distension, rumbling of the intestines, vomiting, swift digestion with rapid hungering.
• Head, face, throat: deviated eyes and mouth, toothache, nosebleed, painful swollen throat.
• Externally contracted febrile disease.
• External pathway: Pain along the course of the channel, e.g., chest and knees.

Major ST Acupoints

ST-8 (头维 tóu wéi, Head Corner): Located on the superior aspect of the head, in a depression 0.5 cùn within the anterior hairline at the corner of the forehead.

• Indications: Headache; dizzy vision; eye pain; tearing; twitching of the eyelids.
• Stimulus: Needling: 0.5–1. 0 cùn upward or downward transverse insertion. Moxa: pole 5–10 min.
• Categories: Intersection point (jiāo huì xué) of the stomach and gallbladder channels.

ST-25 (天枢 tiān shū, Celestial Pivot): Located on the abdomen, level with the center of the umbilicus, 2 cùn lateral to the midline.

• Indications: Abdominal distension; rumbling intestines; pain round the umbilicus; constipation; diarrhea; dysentery; menstrual irregularities; concretions and conglomerations.
• Stimulus: Needling: 0.5–1.2 cùn perpendicular insertion. Moxa: 7–15 cones; pole 10–20 min.
• Categories: Alarm point (mù xué) of the large intestine.

ST-36 (足三里 zú sān lǐ, Leg Three Lǐ): Located on the anterior aspect of the lower leg, 3 cùn inferior to ST-35, about one finger-breadth lateral to the tibia.

• Indications: Stomach pain; retching and vomiting; dysphagia-occlusion (yē gé); abdominal distension; diarrhea; dysentery; constipation; mammary welling-abscess (rǔ yōng); intestinal welling-abscess (cháng yōng); paralysis of the lower limbs; water swelling; mania and withdrawal; leg qì (jiǎo qì); vacuity taxation with marked emaciation.
• Stimulus: Needling: 0.5–1.5 cùn perpendicular insertion. Moxa: 3–7 cones; pole 5–20 min.
• Categories: Uniting (hé) (earth) point; command point (sì zǒng xué) of the abdomen; one of the nine needles for returning yáng; one of Mǎ Dān-Yáng’s twelve heavenly star points.

ST-40 (丰隆 fēng lóng, Bountiful Bulge): Located on the lower leg, 8 cùn inferior to ST-35, about 1 cùn lateral to ST-38.

• Indications: Headache; dizziness; cough with copious phlegm; retching and vomiting; constipation; water swelling; wilting-impediment (wěi bì) of the lower limbs; mania and withdrawal; epilepsy.
• Stimulus: Needling: 0.5–1. 0 cùn perpendicular insertion. Moxa: 7–15 cones; pole 5–20 min.
• Categories: Network point (luò xué).

ST-44 (内庭 nèi tíng, Inner Court): Located on the dorsal aspect of the foot, proximal to the margin of the web between the second and third toes, level with the metatarsophalangeal (mtp) articulation of the second toe.

• Indications: Toothache; painful swollen throat; deviated mouth; nosebleed; stomach pain and acid vomiting; abdominal distension; diarrhea and dysentery; constipation; febrile disease; painful swelling of the dorsum of the foot; febrile disease.
• Stimulus: Needling: 0.3–0.5 cùn perpendicular insertion. Moxa: 3–5 cones; pole 5–7 min.
• Categories: Spring (yíng) (water) point; one of Mǎ Dān-Yáng’s twelve heavenly star points.