Hand greater yīn (tài yīn) lung channel

Abbreviation: LU. One of the twelve channels.

Connections

LR → LU → LI; homes to the lung; nets the large intestine.

Lung Channel Pathway

Overview

• Center burner → nets large intestine → homes to lung → shoulder/axilla → surfaces at LU-1 → anterior flexor aspect of upper limb → tip of thumb.
• Branch: proximal to wrist → dorsum of hand → tip of index finger → LI channel.

Description

The hand greater yīn (tài yīn) lung channel starts in the region of the stomach in the center burner and descends to net the large intestine. It then returns upward through the pylorus and cardia, passes through the diaphragm, and homes to the lung. Continuing its upward path, it passes through the respiratory tract into the throat and veers downward and outward into the axilla to surface on the superolateral aspect of the chest at LU-1 (zhōng fǔ, Central Treasury).

From here, the external pathway descends the anterior aspect of the upper arm, lateral to the heart and pericardium channels, traverses the cubital fossa, and continues along the anterior aspect of the forearm to the radial styloid process of the wrist. It traverses the radial pulse and the thenar eminence to finally travel along the radial side of the thumb to its tip (L-11, shào shāng, Lesser Shāng).

A branch leaves the main pathway proximal to the wrist, passes round to the dorsum of the hand, and finally runs down the inner face of the index finger to its tip at LI-1 (shāng yáng, Shāng Yáng), where it meets the yáng brightness (yáng míng) large intestine channel.

Lung Channel Acupoints

Indications of LU Acupoints

The 11 points on the hand greater yīn (tài yīn) lung channel treat conditions of the lung, throat, chest, shoulder, backand are as on the pathway of the channel.

• Lung: Cough (with or without expectoration of phlegm or blood); panting, shortness of breath, scantness of breath; coughing of blood.
• Chest: Oppression, distension, fullness, or pain in the chest.
• Throat: Painful swollen throat; dry throat.
• Externally contracted disease: Heat effusion.
• Spirit-mind abnormalities: Mania and withdrawal and clouded spirit (LU-11).
• External pathway: Pain in the supraclavicular fossa; cold and/or pain in the shoulder or back; discomforts anywhere on the external pathway of the channel. Local LU points are used for these conditions.

Major LU Acupoints

LU-1 (中府 zhōng fǔ, Central Treasury): Located on the chest, at the level of the first intercostal space, inferior to the lateral extremity of the clavicle, 6 cùn lateral to the anterior midline (i.e., the controlling vessel).

• Indications: Cough; panting; distension and fullness in the chest; pain in the shoulder and back.
• Stimulus: Needling: 0.3–0.5 cùn perpendicular insertion. Moxa: 3–5 cones; pole 5–15 min.
• Categories: Alarm point (mù xué) of the lung; intersection point (jiāo huì xué) of the hand and foot greater yīn (tài yīn) channels (LU and SP).

LU-5 (尺泽 chǐ zé, Cubit Marsh): Located at the bend of the elbow on the cubital crease in the depression on the radial side of the biceps brachii tendon.

• Indications: Cough; panting; coughing of blood; tidal heat; distention and fullness in the chest; painful swollen throat; fright wind; vomiting and diarrhea; hypertonicity and pain in the elbow and arm.
• Stimulus: Needling: 0.3–0.5 cùn perpendicular insertion. Moxa: 3–5 cones; pole 5–10 min.
• Categories: Uniting (hé) (water) point.

LU-6 (孔最 kǒng zuì, Collection Hole): Located on the palmar aspect of the forearm, 5 cùn distal to the cubital crease, on the line connecting LU-5 (chǐ zé) and LU-9 (tài yuān).

• Indications: Cough; panting; coughing of blood; painful swollen throat; hemorrhoids; pain in the elbow and arm with difficulty in bending and stretching.
• Stimulus: Needling: 0.3–0.5 cùn perpendicular insertion. Moxa: 3–5 cones; pole 5–15 min.
• Categories: Cleft point (xī xué) of the lung channel.

LU-7 (列缺 liè quē, Broken Sequence): Located 1.5 cùn proximal to the wrist in a crevice on the lateral edge of the radius just proximal to the styloid process.

• Indications: Wind damage; headache and stiff nape; cough; panting; painful swollen throat; deviated eyes and mouth; clenched jaw; toothache; lack of strength in the wrist.
• Stimulus: (1) Needling: 0.2–0.4 cùn oblique insertion toward elbow. (2) Moxa: 3–5 cones; pole 5–10 min.
• Categories: Network point (luò xué); confluence point (bā mài jiāo huì xué) of the controlling vessel; command point (sì zǒng xué) of the head and nape; one of Mǎ Dān-Yáng’s twelve heavenly star points.

LU-9 (太渊 tài yuān, Great Abyss): Located on the palmar aspect of the wrist, in the depression at the radial end of the wrist crease, between the radial artery and the abductor pollicis longus tendon.

• Indications: Panting; cough; coughing of blood; painful swollen throat; pain in the chest and medial aspect of the forearm.
• Stimulus: Needling: 0.2–0.3 cùn perpendicular insertion. Moxa: 1–3 cones; pole 3–5 min.
• Categories: Stream (shù) (earth) and source point (yuán xué); meeting point (huì xué) of the vessels.

LU-10 (鱼际 yú jì, Fish Border): Located on the thenar eminence, midway along the radial edge of the first metacarpal bone, at the border of the red and white flesh.

• Indications: Cough; coughing of blood; loss of voice; painful swollen throat; heat effusion.
• Stimulus: Needling: 0.5–0.7 cùn perpendicular insertion. Moxa: 3 cones; pole 1–3 min.
• Categories: Spring (yíng) (fire) point.

LU-11 (少商 shào shāng, Lesser Shāng): Located a little more than 1 fēn below the base of the nail on the radial side of the thumb.

• Indications: Painful swollen throat; cough; panting; nosebleed; heat effusion; pain and hypertonicity of the fingers; clouding reversal; mania and withdrawal.
• Stimulus: Needling: 0.1 cùn upward oblique insertion; bleed with a three-edged needle for wind stroke reversal or severe painful swollen throat.
• Categories: Well (jǐng) (wood) point; one of the thirteen ghost points.