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Channel: LU, hand greater yīn (tài yīn) lung channel

Modern location: An acupoint located on the palmar aspect of the forearm, level with the styloid process of the radius, 1 cùn proximal to the wrist crease, on the radial side of the radial artery.

Classical location: In the depression at the cùn pulse. From The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (针灸大成 zhēn jiǔ dà chéng)

Local anatomy: Laterally, the radial artery and vein. The lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve and the superficial ramus of the radial nerve.

Action: Diffuses the lung and downbears qì; courses wind and resolves the exterior.

Modern indications: Cough; panting; chest pain; painful swollen throat; wrist pain.

Classical indications: Heat effusion and aversion to cold; pain in the chest and back; absence of sweating in febrile disease; heart pain, retching and vomiting; throat impediment (hóu bì); heat in the palms; pain on the inner face of the arm; pain in the wrist; inflated feeling in the chest; frequent yawning.

Needle stimulus: Needling: 0.1‒0.2 cùn perpendicular insertion. Moxa: pole 5‒10 min.

Point groups: River (jīng) (metal) point.

Point name meaning:

• 经 jīng: channel, river; warp (as in the warp and woof of weaving)
• 渠 qú: gutter, ditch, canal

Sù Wèn states that the qì and blood at river (jīng) points move and do not dwell. As LU-8 is the river (jīng) point of the channel the qì is said to flow unceasingly here. The character 经 (jīng) is used in Chinese medicine to denote not only the channels, but also the river (jīng) points, because the original meaning of the character 经 (jīng) had to do with the flow of water, implying the flow at the point. The character 渠 (qú) made reference to the location of the point in the ditch-like depression between the radius and the flexor carpi radialis tendon.

The point name is therefore a reminder both that LU-8 is the river (jīng) point and that it is located in a ditch-like depression. See acupoint names: origins, meanings, and translations.

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