Acupuncture Meridians RM Clemmons, DVM, PhD, CVA, CVFT University of Florida

Acupuncture and Meridians “Meridians not only feed vital energies to their related organs, they also reflect any pathological disturbance in those organs, thus providing a convenient and highly accurate tool for diagnosis as well as therapy.” No notes included here.

Concepts of Meridians & Acupoints No one knows how meridians were originally identified. Some believe that acupoints originated by practitioners treating tender spots, also called trigger points, using acupressure or acupuncture. The radicular pattern of pain during stimulation of the tender spot may have been interpreted as a meridian. Early practitioners may have believed pain represented blockage of Qi through a meridian. Needling or pressure to reduce pain was then thought to restore the normal flow of Qi through the meridian.

An Ancient View of Pain Qi travels through our meridian system Qi provides nourishment for every cell, tissue, muscle, gland and organ When Qi becomes blocked and imbalanced, pain and disease result As water flows through river networks nourishing our planet, Qi flows through our meridian networks nourishing our body

Acupuncture Background Meridian channels (n=12) – run length of body Form the basis for theory and clinical application of acupuncture Part of traditional Chinese medicine Used for >3,000 yrs Empirical basis Rare in U.S. until Nixon visited China in 1972

Acupuncture and Back Pain Flow of Qi Acupuncture and Back Pain Stagnation = Pain Water flows in rivers, Qi flows in meridians Meridians are the river network inside “Qi flows through the body in a specific and defined ways. (trace the flow of Qi) From one meridian and organ network to the next, just like this.” “If there is a blockage, or a “dam”, in one meridian, it will affect everything else downstream.” “When there is a blockage, the cells, tissues, muscles, organs and glands will receive improper nourishment and therefore express ill health and ultimately disease and pain in the body. Various symptoms and signs will develop. This is what an acupuncturist calls an imbalance, and as an acupuncturist, I am trained to detect and correct where these various meridian imbalances are.” Tip: Explain the concept of excess on one side of the blockage and depletion on the other side, and improper nourishment. This leads to imbalance and symptoms and signs in the body

Meridians: Myth or Reality? Close correlation between AP Meridian Peripheral Nerve Pathways Meridians appear to possess bioelectric function similar to PN Meridians follow PN Lung (LU) = Musculocutaneous N Pericardium (PC) = Median N

Meridian Research Stimulation of AP points on meridian lower resistance at other meridian points Injection of radio-isotopes into one point gradually accumulates at other points Radio signals places over one AP point can be picked up at other AP points along the meridian

Nuclear Medicine to Identify Meridians Technetium 99-m injected into acupoints Migration studied with scintillation camera Injection at non-acupoint No migration 307 sec after injection Injection at acupoint Migration 6 cm/minute

Local Effects: De Qi PRABM response in horses (pilomotor reaction along bladder meridian)

12 Regular Channels Chanel Location Fang Fu Organ Abbreviation Tai Yin of the thoracic limb Lung LU Tai Yin of the pelvic limb Spleen SP Shao Yin of the thoracic limb Heart HT Shao Yin of the pelvic limb Kidney KID Jue Yin of the thoracic limb Pericardium PC Jue Yin of the pelvic limb Liver LIV Yang Ming of the thoracic limb Large Intestine LI Yang Ming of the pelvic limb Stomach ST Tai Yang of the thoracic limb Small Intestine SI Tai Yang of the pelvic limb Urinary Bladder BL Shao Yang of the thoracic limb Triple Heater TH Shao Yang of the pelvic limb Gall Bladder GB

Energy Levels of 12 Channels Limbs Three Yang Fu Organs Zang Yin 1st LEVEL Thoracic Pelvic Yangming LI ST LU SP Taiyin 2nd LEVEL Taiyang SI BL HT KID Shaoyin 3rd LEVEL Shaoyang TH GB PC LIV Jueyin

8 Extraordinary Channels Channel Name Location Meridian Connection Point Connections Du Governing Vessel Dorsal Midline CV, ST GV1 to GV28 Ren Conception Vessel Ventral Midline GV, ST CV1 to CV24 Chong Penetrating Parallel to KID Meridian KID Internal sex organs to lips via ST30 & KID Channel Dai Girdle Encircling Lumbar Area GB Hypochondriac region to GV3 via GB26-28 Yang-Qiao Yang Mobility Lateral Hindlimb, Shoulder & Head SI, BL, LI, ST, GB BL62 to GB20 via BL1 Yin-Qiao Yin Mobility Medial Hindlimb to Eye KID, SI KID6 to BL1 Yang-Wei Yang Linking Lateral Stifle to Shoulder GV, SI, BL, TH, GB, ST GB63 to GV15 Yin-Wei Yin Linking Medial Hindlimb to Neck CV, GB, SP, LIV KiID9 to CV23 via LIV14

TCM 24 Hour Clock

Lung Meridian Contains 11 points Tai Yin Begins in front of shoulder Runs on medial side of leading edge of front leg Ends at medial nail bed of first (functional) digit Man/Cats P3 of digit 1 Dogs P3 of digit 2 Tai Yin

Large Intestine Meridian Contains 20 points Begins at medial nail bed of 2nd functional digit of foreleg Man/Cats P3 of digit 2 Dogs P3 of digit 3 Travels on the lateral aspect of the leading edge of the leg Crosses at GV26 to end 1 fen from widest portion of the nares Yang Ming

Canine LU/LI Meridians

Stomach Meridian Contains 45 points Yang Ming Begins in center of the orbit Forms big smile & then travels in front of body (ventral surface of animals) & lateral side of the front of rear leg Ends on the lateral nail bed of 2nd function toe Man/Cats P3 of digit 2 Dogs P3 of digit 3 Yang Ming

Spleen Meridian Contains 21 points Tai Yin Begins on the medial surface of 1st functional toe Man P3 of digit 1 Dogs/Cats P3 of digit 2 Travels up medial side of the front of the rear leg and ventrolateral trunk to axial Ends in the 7th intercostal space level with shoulder Tai Yin

Canine ST/SP Meridians

Heart Meridian Contains 9 points Shao Yin Begins in center of axilla Travels on medial aspect of the caudal part of the foreleg Ends at the nail bed on the medial side of digit 5 Shao Yin

Small Intestine Meridian Contains 19 points Begins at the nail bed of the lateral side of the 5th digit Travels up the lateral aspect of the caudal foreleg & neck Ends at the end of the tragus of the ear Tai Yang

Canine HT/SI Meridians

Bladder Meridian Contains 67 points Tai Yang Begins 1 fen lateromedial to the medial canthus of eye Travels down the back (dorsal surface of animals) 1.5 to 3 cun off midline Inner meridian 1.5 cun Outer meridian 3.0 cun Ends at lateral nail bed of 5th digit of rear leg Tai Yang

Kidney Meridian Contains 27 points Shao Yin Begins at the functional center of rear foot between metatarsal/phalangeal joint Man between digit 2 & 3 Dogs/Cats between digit 3 & 4 Travels up caudolateral aspect of rear leg & near midline of ventral truck Ends in pectoral muscles Shao Yin

Canine BL/KID Meridians

Pericardial Meridian Contains 9 points Jue Yin Begins just lateral to the cranial nipple Travels down the center of the medial fore leg Ends at center of middle finger Man/Cats tip of 3rd digit Dogs medial nail bed of 4th digit. Jue Yin

Triple Heater Meridian Contains 23 points Begins on the lateral nail bed of the 4th digit Travels up the middle of the lateral aspect of the fore leg & neck Loops around ear and ends at the orbit where the eyebrow ends (if the eyebrow is extended like in man) Shao Yang

Canine PC/TH Meridians

Gall Bladder Meridian Contains 44 points Shao Yang Start 2 fen ventrolateral to lateral canthus Travels down the medial part of the lateral trunk & leg Ends at lateral nail bed of the 4th digit Shao Yang

Liver Meridian Contains 14 points Jue Yin Begins on lateral nail bed of the 1st functional toe Man at 1st digit Dog/Cats at 2nd digit Travels up the middle of the medial leg and trunk Ends at 6th costrochondral junction Jue Yin

Canine GB/LIV Meridians

Governing Vessel Meridian Contains 28 points Begins between anus and tail Travels up the dorsal midline Ends under lip at gum line Yang

Conception Vessel Meridian Contains 24 points Begins between the anus and the external genitailia Travels up the ventral midline Ends in center of metolabial groove Yin

Canine GV/CV Meridians

Multiple Meridians

Multiple Meridians

Conclusion Meridians make up the highways for organized energy circulation throughout the body. Acupuncture points are the major cities along the highway which control traffic. Knowing the location and timing of the energy flow in the body helps develop appropriate treatment strategies. Remember, that the surface meridian also connects with the central one.