Accurate location of acupoints is prerequisite to the treatment of disease with acupuncture and moxibustion therapy. However, accurate location of acupoints depends on proper selection of acupoints.
The methods commonly used to locate acupoints are bone-length measurement, anatomical landmarks, finger measurement, simple location and searching acupoints.
1.2.4. 1 Bone-length measurement
Bone-length measurement means to use the major bones in the human body as signifiers to measure the length and size of each region and change into proportional
units as the criteria for locating acupoints (seeTable 1-4 and Fig. 1).
| Body parts |
Starting and terminating points |
Bone measurement |
Indications |
Notes |
|
Head |
¡¤Anterior hair¡úposterior
hairline
¡¤Yinta¡úanterior
Hairline
¡¤DAzh¡úposterior
hairline |
12cun
3cun
3cm
|
Vertical cun for the vertex
Vertical tun for the Forehead
Vertical tun for the neck |
Cun measurementFrom
Yintang to Dazhui
can beused if hairline
is not clear |
|
¡¤Between two frontal
angles
along hairline
¡¤Between the two
mastoid processes |
9cm
9cm
|
Transverse cun for front head Transverse cun for back head |
|
|
Chest and
abdomen
|
¡¤Sternocostal angle¡úumbilicus
¡¤Umbilicus center¡úupper
margin of pubic symphysis
|
8cm
5cm |
Vertical cun for the upper abdomen
Vertical tun for the lower abdomen |
Sternocostal symphysis
is usually parallel to
the fifth costal space. |
|
¡¤Between two nipples
¡¤Between two midlines of clavicles |
8cun
8cun
|
Transverse cun for chest and abdomen
Transverse cun for chest and abdomen |
Usually used for women |
|
Back and waist |
First thoracic
verte¡úfourth
sacral vertebra |
21
vertebrae |
|
Vertical cun for the acupoints on the back and waist with the spinal process as the evidence for location |
|
Upper limbs |
Anterior axillary
fold¡úcubital
transverse crease
Cubital transverse
crease¡úwrist transverse crease |
9cun
12cun |
ertical cun for the up-per arm
Vertical tun for the forearm |
|
|
Lower Limbs |
¡¤Upper border of
pubic symphysis¡úmedial
epicondyle of femur
¡¤Lower margin of the medial condyle ¡ú tip of the medial ankle
¡¤Tip of the medial ankle¡úsole |
18cun
13cun
3cun
|
Vertical cun for lateral side of the thigh
Vertical cun for the medial side of the shank
Vertical cun for the medial side of foot |
Bone measurement
of the medial side of the lower limbs is applicable to the location of acupoints on the three yin meridians of foot. |
¡¤Greater trochanter of femur ¡ú middle of knee
¡¤ Buttock crease ¡úpop- liteal crease
¡¤ Middle of knee¡útip of the lateral ankle
¡¤ tip of the lateral ankle ¡úsole |
19cun
14cun
16cun
3cun |
Vertical cun for the lateral side of thigh
Vertical cun for the back of thigh
Vertical cun for the lateral side of shank
Vertical cun for the lateral side of foot |
Applicable to the location of acupoints on the three yang
meridians of foot. The horizontal line in the knee is parallel anterioroly to the lower margin of the patella, posteriorly to the popliteal transverse crease and to the Dubi when the knee is bent. |
Fig. 1 Illstration of commonly-used
bone-length mesurement
Since the acupoints on the chest and side of the chest are mainly located in the costal interstices or parallel to the costal interstices, the costal interstices are used as signifiers to locate these acupoints.
1.2. 4. 2 Anatomical landmarks
Anatnmical landmarks include fixed landmarks and moving landmarks.
1.2. 4. 2. 1 Fixed anatomical landmarks
Fixed anatomical landmarks are those that would not change with body movement and visible or palpable on the body surface. They include the five sensory organs, hair, nails, nipple, umbilicus, and prominence and depression of the bones as well as texture of the muscles. With the aid of these landmarks, acupoints can be located directly. Examples are Suliao (CV 25) on the tip of the nose, Yuyao (EX-HN4) on the central point of the eyebrows and Shenque (CV 8) on the umbilicus.
1.2. 4. 2.2 Moving anatomical landmarks
Moving landmarks refer to those that will appear only when a part of the body keeps in a specific position. Such anatomical landmarks can be used to locate some acupoints. For instance, the prominence on the masseter in chewing is Jiache (ST 6).
1.2. 4. 3 Finger measurement
Finger measurement means to take the length and width of the patient's finger(s) as a standard for locating acupoints because the fingers and the other parts of the
body are in proportion. The following three methods are commonly used in clinical treatment.
1.2. 4. 3. 1 Middle finger measurement
When the patient's middle finger is flexed, the distance between the two medial ends of the creases of the interphalangeal )oints is taken as one cun, this method is used to measure the vertical distance to locate acupoints on the limbs and to measure the horizontal distance to locate the acupoints on the back. { see Fig. 2 }
Fig. 2 Middle finger Fig. 3Tunmb Fig. 4 Four-fonger
measurement measurement measurement
1.2. 4. 3.2 Thumb measurement
The width of the interphalangeal joint of the patient's thumb is taken as one cun. This method is used for measuring the vertical distance to locate the acupoints on the limbs. (see Fig. 3)
1.2. 4. 3.3 Four-finger measurement
The width of the four fingers (index, middle, ring and little fingers) close together at the level of the dorsal skin crease of the proximal interphalangeal joint of the middle finger is taken as three cun. This method is used to locate the acupoints on the lower limbs, lower abdomen and the back. (see Fig. 4)
Each finger measurement method has its own range of application and one cannot replace the others. Finger measurement should be done on the basis of bone-length
measurement. If finger measurement and bone-length measurement cannot agree with each other, the latter should be taken as the standard.
1.2. 4. 4 Simple location
Simple location was developed by the ancient doctors according to their clinical experience. Fox example, the crossing point of the vertical line from the ear tip and the middle line from the front and back of the head is Baihui(GV 20) ; when the thumb webs are crossed, Lieque (LU7) can be located; the point that the middle finger touches when the hand is put down naturally is Fengshi (GB 31).
1.2. 4. 5 Searching acupoints
Searching acupoints means that the doctor presses around the acupoint to decide its exact location. The acupoints are usually located in the bone spaces, muscular interstices and depression, pressing around is helpful for finding such spaces and interstices. Acupoints usually reflect pathological changes. Under pathological conditions, searching such tenderness points for needling is often satisfactorily effective.
Searching acupoints is the method used to find the exact location of acupoints after the application of other methods. For example, Lanwei (EX-LE7) is the tender-
ness point 2 cun below Zusanli (ST 36) and Dannang (EX-LE 6) is the tenderness point 1 - 2 cun directly below Yanglingquan (GB 34).
General introduction to meridians and acupoints