Back to search result Search again Previous Next ↑

Channel: SP, foot greater yīn (tài yīn) spleen channel

Modern location: An acupoint located on the medial aspect of the foot, distal to the base and inferior to the shaft of the first metatarsal bone.

Classical location: One cùn behind the base joint of the great toe. From The Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (针灸甲乙经 zhēn jiǔ jiǎ yǐ jīng)

Local anatomy: The medial tarsal artery and the dorsal venous network of the foot. The saphenous nerve and the branch of the superficial peroneal nerve.

Action: Supplements the spleen and stomach; rectifies qì dynamic; regulates the sea of blood; harmonizes the thoroughfare (chōng) vessel.

Modern indications: Stomach pain; retching and vomiting; abdominal pain; diarrhea; dysentery.

Classical indications: malarial disease with no desire for food and drink; heat effusion with aversion to cold with sweating; retching; rumbling intestines with pain on pressure; heart vexation; manic disease; drum distension; sudden turmoil (cholera); cold spleen; nontransformation of grain and water (undigested food in the stool); heat or pain in the soles of the feet; epilepsy

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

Needle sensation: Localized twinge and pain.

Point groups: Network (luò) point; confluence (bā mài jiāo huì) point of the thoroughfare vessel.

Point name meaning:

• 公 gōng: grandfather; public; a surname
• 孙 sūn: grandson; a surname

The Chinese divide their ancient history into epochs, associating each with one of the five phases. During the earth phase, from 2697 to 2597 B.C.E., China was governed by the Yellow Emperor 黄帝 (huáng dià), yellow being the color associated with earth. The Yellow Emperor’s family name was 公孙 (gōng sūn). SP-4 is the network (luò) point between the two earth organs (spleen and stomach); as such, it is as important to the earth phase in the body as the Yellow Emperor 黄帝 (公孙) was to the earth phase of history.

Additionally, if 公 (gōng) is thought of as the grandfather (home channel), then its offshoot could be thought of as 孙 (sūn), the grandchild (network vessel). The point name is hence a reminder that this is the network (luò) point of the spleen channel. See acupoint names: origins, meanings, and translations.

Back to search result Search again Previous Next