L. Intestine CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS Stomach Bladder Channel Spleen Heart S.

Intestine WEISHU BL-21 Bladder Stomach Shu Kidney Back-Shu point of the Stomach Pericardium Sanjiao
LOCATION

General Index Indications Index Point Names Index Glossary Points Index General General General Index Index Index Indications Indications Indications Index Index Index Point Point Point Names Names Names Index Index Index Glossary Glossary Glossary Points Points Points Index Index Index Index Index Names Index Points Index General Index Indications Indications Index Point Point Names Index Glossary Glossary Points Index General Previous Point Next Point Combinations Index Previous Previous Previous Point Point Point Next Next Next Point Point Point Combinations Combinations Combinations Index Index Index 1 See Notes Previous Point Point Combinations Index Previous Point Next Next Point Combinations Index

Gall Bladder 1.5 cun lateral to the lower border of the spinous process Liver of the twelfth thoracic vertebra (T12). Conception Governing Weishu BL-21 Extra Points

lower border of T12

the abdomen and epigastrium, fullness of the lateral costal region, oedema and drum distention. Thin body despite much eating, hungry but unable to eat, lack of appetite, difficult ingestion, vomiting, vomiting clear fluid, vomiting in the morning what was eaten the evening before, Stomach reflux, sudden turmoil disorder, contracted sinews, childhood nutritional impairment, regurgitation of milk in children. Borborygmus, diarrhoea, undigested food (in the stool). Chest pain, contraction and pain of the back, jaundice, malaria, long-term abdominal (ji) masses, dimness of vision, prolapse of the rectum.
COMMENTARY

1.5 cun

LOCATION NOTE

Locate at the visible highest point of the paraspinal muscles.

NEEDLING

Oblique insertion towards the spine, 0.5 to 1 cun, or transverse-oblique insertion 1 to 1.5 cun. Caution: perpendicular needling or oblique needling away from the spine carries a substantial risk of causing a pneumothorax.
ACTIONS

Regulates the Stomach and descends rebellion Harmonises the middle jiao
INDICATIONS

Epigastric pain, cold and feeble Stomach, distention and cold of the Stomach, distention and fullness of

Weishu BL-21 is the back-shu point of the Stomach fu, where the qi of the Stomach emanates from the interior to the body surface, and is a powerful point to treat all diseases of the Stomach, as well as to regulate the middle jiao as a whole. According to the Spiritual Pivot34 The Stomach is the sea of water and grain. Its function is to receive food and drink, rot and ripen it and descend it to the Small Intestine. Most pathology of the Stomach, therefore, involves impairment of its descending function. This may be due to deficiency of Stomach qi or Stomach yin, excessive cold, heat or dampness whether of internal or external origin, stasis of blood in the Stomach, stagnation of food, or invasion of the Stomach by Liver or Gall Bladder qi. Failure of the Stomach descending function leads to stagnation of qi and hence distention, fullness and pain of the epigastrium and abdomen, whilst upward rebellion of the Stomach qi leads to Stomach reflux, nausea and vomiting. Whatever the pattern, whether deficient, excess, hot or cold, Weishu BL-21 is a primary point to reestablish harmony of the Stomach. It is interesting to compare the actions and indications of Weishu BL-21, the back-shu point of the Stomach, with Zusanli ST-36 the he-sea point of the Stomach channel. Both have an equally strong action on regulating disorders of the Stomach fu, but Weishu BL-21 shares none of the ability of Zusanli ST-36 to tonify and nourish the qi and blood of the body as a whole. The Stomach and Spleen are interiorly-exteriorly related, and the descending of Stomach qi and the ascending of Spleen qi together dominate the whole process of digestion. By virtue of this close relationship, Weishu BL-21 is able to regulate disharmony of both the Stomach and Spleen, giving rise to abnormal ascent of Stomach qi (vomiting), abnormal descent of Spleen qi (diarrhoea) and failure of the Spleen transportation and transformation function (borborygmus and oedema). A healthy appetite is a sign of the harmonious functioning of both the Spleen and Stomach, and Weishu BL-21 is

L. Intestine CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS CONTENTS Stomach 2 Spleen Heart

Index Indications Index Point Names Index Glossary Points Index General General General Index Index Index Indications Indications Indications Index Index Index Point Point Point Names Names Names Index Index Index Glossary Glossary Glossary Points Points Points Index Index IndexGeneral General Index Indications Index Point Names Index Glossary General Index Indications Index Point Names Index Glossary Points Index Points Index General Index Indications Index Point Names Index Glossary Points Index Previous Point Next Point Combinations Index Previous Previous Previous Point Point Point Next Next Next Point Point Point Channel Combinations Combinations Combinations Index Index Index Previous Point Next Point Previous Point Next Point Combinations Index Combinations Index Previous Point Next Point Combinations Index Bladder See Notes

S. Intestine indicated in various disorders affecting the appetite. Poor Bladder appetite may be due either to deficiency of the Stomach Kidney and Spleen which lack the force to rot and ripen and transport and transform what is eaten, or to various forms Pericardium of excess which lead to stagnation of food in the Stomach Sanjiao and hence lack of desire and inability to take in more food. Gall Bladder Hunger with inability to eat is due to insufficiency of Liver yin with consequent deficiency heat, the heat Stomach Conception stimulating desire to eat, the yin deficiency and resultant dryness causing inability to digest what is eaten. ExcesGoverning siveExtra eating without gaining weight is a sign of Stomach Points heat, with or without Spleen deficiency (see commentary on Pishu BL-20). Weishu BL-21 is indicated in all such cases.
COMBINATIONS

Abdominal pain with no pleasure in eating: Weishu BL-21 and Pishu BL-20 (Formulas for the Living). Much eating but remains thin: Weishu BL-21 and Pishu BL-20 (Great Compendium). Vomiting or cold in the Stomach with distention, much eating but remains thin: Weishu BL-21 and Shenshu BL-23 (Thousand Ducat Formulas). Cold in the stomach with undigested food (in the stool): Weishu BL-21 and Hunmen BL-47 (One Hundred Symptoms).