Search in acupoints
LI-13 (Arm) Five Lǐ
手五里 〔手五里〕 shǒu wǔ lǐ
Alternate names: 尺之五里 chǐ zhī wǔ lǐ, Five Li of the Cubit; 大禁 dà jìn, Great Prohibition; 手之五里 shǒu zhī wǔ lǐ, Five Li of the Arm; 五里（手） wǔ lǐ shǒu, Five Li (arm)
Channel: LI, hand yáng brightness (yáng míng) large intestine channel
Modern location: An acupoint located on the lateral aspect of the upper arm, 3 cùn superior to the lateral epicondyle of the humerus on the line connecting LI-11 (qū chí) and LI-15 (jiān yú).
Classical location: At the pulsating vessel, three cùn above the elbow and slightly inward. From
Local anatomy: The radial collateral artery and vein. The posterior antebrachial cutaneous nerve; deeper, the radial nerve.
Action: Courses the channels and quickens the network vessels; disinhibits the joints.
Modern indications: Hypertonicity and pain in the elbow and arm; scrofula.
Classical indications: Distension, fullness and pain below the heart; qì ascent; wind taxation; fright and fear;
Needle stimulus: Needling: 0.3‒0.7 cùn perpendicular insertion. Moxa: 7‒15 cones; pole 5‒20 min.
Warning: Needling of this point was contraindicated in ancient times, probably because thick needles used at the time caused damage to the artery or radial nerve. The finer needles now available enable the point to be used to great effect, provided adequate care is taken to avoid the nerve.
Point name meaning:
- 手 shǒu: arm, hand
- 五 wǔ: five
- 里 wǔ: ward or district (as in a city), a measure of distance equal to approximately one third of an English mile
The character 里 (lǐ) by extension of its original meaning of a city ward
or district,
has come to have the additional meaning to reside.
This point resides at a pulse about five cùn above the elbow and five cùn below the Celestial Treasury (to reside
and at the same time represents a unit of distance.
Classical Chinese texts often make reference to the five positions
, i.e., east, west, south, north, and center. The number five is associated with the center. The old writing of 五 consisted of an X
placed between two lines 二. It had the meaning of center,
or as we say in English,
X marks the spot.
Each of the four lines in the X represents a position, and the intersection represents the fifth position, the center. The depiction of the five positions (pictured between heaven and earth, which are delineated by the two lines 二) gives the character the meaning of five.
The Líng Shū states that needling Five Lǐ (