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KI-22 Corridor Walk

步廊 〔步廊〕 bù láng

Alternate names: 步郎 bù láng, Walking Gentleman

Channel: KI, foot lesser yīn (shào yīn) kidney channel

Modern location: An acupoint located on the chest, in the fifth intercostal space, 2 cùn lateral to the midline.

Classical location: In the depression one cùn and six fēn above Dark Gate (KI-21), two cùn either side of the midline. The point is found in supine posture. From The Golden Mirror of Medicine (医宗金鑑 yī zōng jīn jiàn)

Local anatomy: The 5th intercostal artery and vein. The anterior cutaneous branch of the 5th intercostal nerve; deeper, the 5th intercostal nerve.

Action: Diffuses the lung and suppresses cough; downbears counterflow and checks vomiting.

Modern indications: Cough; panting; distension and fullness in the chest and rib-side; retching and vomiting.

Classical indications: Propping fullness in the chest and rib-side; nasal congestion; scantness of breath; inability to move the arm.

Needle stimulus: Needling: 0.3‒0.5 cùn oblique or perpendicular insertion. Moxa: 5 cones; pole 5‒10 min.

Point name meaning:

This point marks the advance of the kidney channel up to the rib cage. The character (), meaning to step, can be seen as a reference to the channel stepping up into the chest, or could be a reference to the nature of the channel in the region of the chest. The points proceed stepwise up the rib cage, one rib at a time. The ideograph (láng) can mean either a path upward (toward a summit) or a corridor. The former interpretation simply describes the path of the kidney channel. As regards the latter interpretation, the left and right kidney channels, when charted on the chest, resemble a corridor.

Two translations of this name become possible in this light. Corridor Walk encompasses the idea of a corridor and the rib-by-rib, step-by-step nature of the channel, while Step Upward would include the idea of the channel advancing into the region of the chest and the notion of an upward path. See acupoint names: origins, meanings, and translations.

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