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Network point

络穴 〔絡穴〕luò xué

The point at which a network vessel separates from its main channel is the network point of that channel. For example, the network vessel of the hand reverting yīn (jué yīn) pericardium channel splits from the main channel at PC-6 (Inner Pass, 内关 nèi guān), thus PC-6 is the network point of the pericardium channel. Each channel that possesses its own points has a network point; thus each of the twelve regular channels and the governing dū and controlling (rèn) vessels have network points. Two network vessels are associated with the spleen: the spleen network vessel, and the great network vessel of the spleen. Each of these has a network point. Hence there are in total fifteen network points. In addition, Plain Questions (素问 sù wèn) also mentions the great network vessel of the stomach, Vacuous Lǐ (xū lǐ) as a network point; hence there is also a doctrine of sixteen network vessels and sixteen network points. See the list below.

Application:

  1. Treatment of internally-externally coupled organs: When a viscus and its related bowel are both affected by disease, it is usual to needle the network point of the channel of the more seriously or chronically affected organ. For example, a patient who presents with signs of lung and large intestine disease can be treated by the network point of either the lung or the large intestine, depending on which organ is more seriously involved. This application includes treatment of diseases that display signs along the course of the channels of two organs that stand in exterior-interior relationship.
  2. Treatment of network vessel signs specifically associated with the network vessels. Note that each network vessel may present with signs of either repletion or vacuity. The therapeutic principle is to drain repletion and supplement vacuity by employing the appropriate needle technique at the network point.

    See also point selection.

Network Points

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