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

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. TCM 24 Hour Clock

16. 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

17. 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

18. Canine LU/LI Meridians

19. 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

20. 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

21. Canine ST/SP Meridians

22. 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

23. 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

24. Canine HT/SI Meridians

25. 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

26. 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

27. Canine BL/KID Meridians

28. 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

29. 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

30. Canine PC/TH Meridians

31. 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

32. 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

33. Canine GB/LIV Meridians

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

35. 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

36. Canine GV/CV Meridians

37. Multiple Meridians

38. Multiple Meridians

39. 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.