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TB-10 Celestial Well

天井 〔天井〕 tiān jǐng

Channel: TB, hand lesser yáng (shào yáng) triple burner channel

Modern location: An acupoint located on the posterior aspect of the upper arm, in the depression just proximal to the superior border of the olecranon.

Classical location: Up one cùn from the back of the tip of the large bone on the outer side of the elbow, in the depression between two sinews and the bone. The point is located with the arm bent over the chest. From The Golden Mirror of Medicine (医宗金鑑 yī zōng jīn jiàn)

Local anatomy: The arterial and venous network of the elbow. The posterior brachial cutaneous nerve and muscular branch of the radial nerve.

Action: Transforms phlegm-damp in the channels and network vessels; courses fire qì in the triple burner.

Modern indications: Hemilateral headache; deafness; scrofula; epilepsy.

Classical indications: malarial disease; numbness and tingling of the flesh at the shoulder; chest impediment (xiōng bì); heart pain; cough and counterflow qì ascent; fright palpitation; tugging and slackening; eye pain; deafness; throat impediment (hóu bì); spitting of pus; sorrow.

Needle stimulus: Needling: 0.3‒0.7 cùn perpendicular insertion. Moxa: 3 cones; pole 5‒10 min.

Needle sensation: Distension and numbness, spreading down to the hand or over the shoulder.

Point groups: Uniting () (earth) point.

Point name meaning:

The fact that the triple burner governs the waterways, combined with the location of this point in a depression, explains why the word well was chosen. Its location in the upper body led to the name Celestial Well. Also, the character combination 天井 (tiān jǐng) describes a small pond surrounded by high cliffs, i.e., a celestial well. TB-10’s location in a depression behind the elbow can be seen to resemble such an area.

Celestial Well is the name of an astrological constellation that resembles a well, and is further the name for the courtyard in certain styles of Chinese houses. It was thus a name quite familiar to the ancient Chinese. See acupoint names: origins, meanings, and translations.

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