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ST-33 Yīn Market

阴巿 〔陰巿〕 yīn shì

Alternate names: 阴鼎 yīn dǐng, Yin Tripod

Channel: ST, foot yáng brightness (yáng míng) stomach channel

Modern location: An acupoint located on the anterior aspect of the thigh, 3 cùn proximal to the superolateral corner of the patella, on the line that connects the anterior superior iliac spine (asis) and the lateral border of the patella.

Classical location: Three cùn above the knee, in the depression below the crouching rabbit. The point is found in kneeling posture. From The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (针灸大成 zhēn jiǔ dà chéng)

Local anatomy: The descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery. The anterior and lateral femoral cutaneous nerves.

Action: Courses wind and disperses cold; frees the channels and quickens the network vessels; disinhibits the joints.

Modern indications: Wilting-impediment (wěi bì) of the leg and knee inhibiting bending and stretching; mounting qì (shàn qì, inguinal hernia); abdominal pain; abdominal distension.

Classical indications: Cold mounting (hán shàn) pain; abdominal distension and fullness; cold in the knees; hypertonicity of the lower extremities.

Needle stimulus: Needling: 0.5‒1.0 cùn perpendicular insertion. Moxa: 3‒5 cones; pole 5‒15 min.

Point name meaning:

Although the stomach channel is a yáng channel, it traverses the front of the body, which is considered yin. ST-33 is a point where qì and blood are gathered and dispersed, like goods at a marketplace; hence the meaning, Yīn Market. In addition, the word market may be taken as a reference to the stomach, which receives and distributes the five grains.

The character 市 (shì) is a mistranscription of 巿 (fú). This latter character is an ancient word for a pad used to protect the knee when the wearer was kneeling in prayer. The lower body is yīn; hence, the point name reminds the practitioner of the location of the point in the lower body, just above the knee. See acupoint names: origins, meanings, and translations.

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