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Hand lesser yīn (shào yīn) heart channel

手少阴心经〔手少陰心經〕shǒu shào yīn xīn jīng

Abbreviation: HT. One of the twelve channels.

Connections

SP → HT → SI; homes to the heart; nets the small intestine.

Heart Channel Pathway

Overview

Heart → small intestine.
Branch: Heart connectors → esophagus → eye connectors.
Main pathway: Heart connectors → lung → axilla → medial biceps and medial forearm → little finger → SI.

Description

The hand lesser yīn (shào yīn) heart channel starts in the heart and emerges from it through the heart connectors (the blood vessels attached to the heart). Traveling downward, it passes through the diaphragm to net the small intestine.

A branch separates from the heart connectors, traveling upward along the side of the esophagus to link with the eye connectors (the structures connecting the eye to the brain, including the optical nerve).

From the heart connectors, the main pathway proceeds directly up into the lung and then veers downward to emerge below the axilla at HT-1 (jí quán, Highest Spring).

From here, it begins its external course, traveling down the medial aspect of the upper arm, medial to the hand greater yīn (tài yīn) lung and hand reverting yīn (jué yīn) pericardium channels, and passing over the antecubital fossa. It descends the anteromedial margin of the forearm to the capitate bone on the wrist, traveling along the radial side of the fifth metacarpal bone to terminate at the tip of the little finger at HT-9 (shào chōng, Lesser Surge), where it meets the hand greater yáng (tài yáng) small intestine channel.

HandLesserYin-HT

Heart Channel Acupoints

Indications of HT Acupoints

The 9 points on the hand lesser yīn (shào yīn) heart channel treat diseases of the heart, spirit, and chest, as well as discomforts along the pathway of the channel.

Heart, spirit, and chest: Heart pain, heart palpitation, heart vexation, insomnia, clouded spirit, chest pain, and spirit-mind diseases such as mania and withdrawal.
Channel pathway: Pain on the inner aspect of the upper arm; stiffness of the tongue; thirst; yellowing of the eyes; heat in the palms.

Major HT Acupoints

HT-5 (通里 tōng lǐ, Connecting Lǐ): Located on the palmar aspect of the forearm, 1 cùn proximal to the wrist crease, on the radial side of the flexor carpi ulnaris tendon.

Indications: Heart palpitation; fearful throbbing; fulminant loss of voice; stiff tongue preventing speech; pain in the wrist and arm.
Stimulus: Needling: 0.3–0.5 cùn perpendicular insertion. Moxa: 1–3 cones; pole 10–20 min.
Categories: Network point (luò xué); one of Mǎ Dān-Yáng’s twelve heavenly star points.

HT-6 (阴郄 yīn xī, Yīn Cleft): Located on the palmar aspect of the forearm, 0.5 cùn proximal to the wrist crease, on the radial side of the flexor carpi ulnaris tendon.

Indications: Heart pain; fright palpitation; steaming bone tidal heat, vomiting of blood, nosebleed, fulminant loss of voice; night sweating.
Stimulus: Needling: 0.3–0.5 cùn perpendicular insertion. Moxa: 3 cones; pole 10–20 min.
Categories: Cleft point (xī xué) of the heart channel.

Indications for HT Points
Heart palpitation: HT 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Heart vexation, insomnia, forgetfulness: HT 7 Mania and withdrawal: HT 7 Stiff tongue preventing speech: HT 5 Heart pain: HT 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9 Vomiting of blood, nosebleed: HT 6, 7 Steaming bone tidal heat: HT-6 Fulminant loss of voice: HT 4, 5, 6 Headache: HT 2, 3 Tugging and slackening (convulsions): HT 4 Scrofula: HT 1, 3 Inhibited urination; enuresis, genital itch: HT-8

Indications for HT Points

Heart palpitation: HT 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Heart vexation, insomnia, forgetfulness: HT 7
Mania and withdrawal: HT 7
Stiff tongue preventing speech: HT 5
Heart pain: HT 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9
Vomiting of blood, nosebleed: HT 6, 7
Steaming bone tidal heat: HT-6
Fulminant loss of voice: HT 4, 5, 6
Headache: HT 2, 3
Tugging and slackening (convulsions): HT 4
Scrofula: HT 1, 3
Inhibited urination; enuresis, genital itch: HT-8

HT-7 (神门 shén mén, Spirit Gate): Located on the palmar aspect of the forearm, toward the ulnar end of the wrist crease, in the depression on the radial side of the flexor carpi ulnaris tendon.

Indications: Heart pain; heart vexation; forgetfulness; fright palpitation; fearful throbbing; insomnia; yellowing of the eyes; mania and withdrawal; rib-side pain.
Stimulus: Needling: 0.3–0.5 cùn perpendicular insertion. Moxa: 1–3 cones; pole 10–20 min.
Categories: Stream (shù) (earth) and source point (yuán xué).

HT-8 (少府 shào fǔ, Lesser Mansion): Located on the palm, between the fourth and fifth metacarpal bones, proximal to the metacarpophalangeal (mcp) joints.

Indications: Heart palpitation; chest pain; heat in the palms; genital itch; genital pain; inhibited urination; enuresis; hypertonicity of the fingers.
Stimulus: Needling: 0.3–0.5 cùn perpendicular insertion. Moxa: 3 cones; pole 5–10 min.
Categories: Spring (yíng) (fire) point.

HT-9 (少冲 shào chōng, Lesser Surge): Located a little more than 1 fēn below the base of the nail on the radial side of the little finger.

Indications: Heart palpitation; heart pain; chest and rib-side pain; mania and withdrawal; febrile disease; clouding reversal (loss of consciousness).
Stimulus: Needling: 0.1 cùn upward oblique insertion. Moxa: 1 cone; pole 10 min.
Categories: Well (jǐng) (wood) point.