A meridian circuit is composed of meridians that are

interconnected according to either their Chinese names,

the internal-external relationships, or the horary cycle.

LU - SP
UB - SI

HT - KI
GB - SJ

LV - PC
LI - ST

System 1: Based on traditional Chinese names

System 2: Zang Fu Bei Tong Theory

 Have

been described by many sources.

We use Dr. Richard Tans 5 Systems.
System
System
System
System
System

1:
2:
3:
4:
5:

Chinese names
Zang Fu Bei Tong Theory
Internal-External relationships
Horary Cycle Opposite the clock
Horary Cycle Next to each other

5 Systems

LU

SP

UB

LI

UB

LV

LI

ST

LV

LU

KI

ST

ST

LI

PC

SP

PC

LI

SP

LU

SI

ST

SJ

HT

HT

KI

GB

SI

GB

SP

SI

UB

SP

HT

LV

UB

UB

SI

LU

KI

LU

SI

KI

HT

SJ

UB

LI

PC

PC

LV

ST

SJ

ST

KI

SJ

GB

KI

PC

SP

GB

GB

SJ

HT

LV

HT

SJ

LV

PC

LI

GB

SI

LU

Essentials of Pattern Identification and the

Patients Top 3 Concerns

How do we identify a pattern?

By determining what signs and
symptoms are present.
To identify a meridian based pattern start by
asking the patient what their
top 3 health concerns are.

 Patients

will tell us what symptoms are most

problematic or chronic for them.

This

prevents us from boxing them into a pattern

based on our intake methods and subjective
tendencies.

They

get relief from other conditions and this

helps with patient retention.

After

we know their top 3 concerns, we can

usually determine what meridian pattern and
zang-fu syndromes are present.

Female, 37
Primary Concern: Frequent bladder infections
Secondary Concern: Bronchitis
Third Concern: Candida and constipation
UB - LU
LI
Fourth Concern: Kidney pain with a family history of
kidney disease.

Primary Concern: Frequent bladder infections

Secondary Concern: Bronchitis
Third Concern: Candida and constipation
Fourth Concern: Kidney pain / Family history
UB - LU
KI - LI

TCM Patterns and Circuit Theory

Excess Patterns
Damp Heat
Damp Cold
Deficiency Patterns
Kidney Yang Deficiency / Vacuity Cold
Less Common Patterns
Deficiency of Lungs or Spleen
Obstruction of Lung Qi

 Painful

Urination
Symptoms include: pain, urinary difficulty,
and altered frequency or amount of urine
Lin

Syndrome Patterns

Hot Lin
Bloody Lin
Stony Lin
Qi Lin
Cloudy Lin
Consumptive Lin

 Damp-heat
Pathogenic

Damp-cold
Qi

heat

stagnation
Qi deficiency (KI, SP, LU)
Yang deficiency (KI, SP)

SI - UB - LU
KI

Metal-Water Circuit
UB - KI
LU - LI
Tai Yang Shao Yin
UB - KI
SI - HT

Tai Yang Tai Yin

UB - SI
LU - SP
Tai Yang LV/LU
UB - SI
LU - LV

The Major Circuits for the Urinary Bladder

UB - KI
LU - LI
Treats: Damp-heat,
damp-cold, kidney
qi/yang deficiency,
lung qi vacuity

Secondary Concerns:
asthma, coughing,
bronchitis, lumbar
pain, skin conditions,
constipation, Candida
Points: LU 5, LU 7, Ling
Ku, LI 10, LI 11, KI 3, KI
7, UB back shu, ashi
points on UB channel
near UB 40 and UB 57

Individual points are needled on only one side of

the body.
Choosing what side to place which needles is
determined by the location of the symptoms and
the meridian systems.
When needling the meridian that is symptomatic,
needle the same side.
In the 5 systems needle on the opposite side for
system 1, 3, 5. System 2 and 4 may be needled
on the opposite side or on the same side.

LU 5

LK

LU 7

LI 10

UB 40

KI 3

UB 57

KI 7

UB - SI
KI - HT
Treats: Pathogenic heat,
damp heat, qi or yang
deficiency

Secondary Concerns:
neck, back, shoulder
pain, heart diseases,
poor memory, eye or
ear conditions, shen
disturbance, impotence
Points: KI 2, KI 3, HT 5,
HT 8, SI 3, SI 5, UB
back shu and ashi
points

UB - SI
LU - SP
Treats: Damp-heat,
damp-cold, lung,
spleen, or kidney
deficiencies

Secondary Concerns:
Neck, back, shoulder,
and spinal conditions,
respiratory and
digestive symptoms.
Points: Ren Huang, Di
Huang, Tian Huang Fu
(Shen Guan), LU 5, LU
7, UB back shu or ashi
points, SI may be
substituted with SJ or
LI

In Master Tungs style of acupuncture many

patterns involving both the SP and KI are
treated with the same combination of the 3
Huangs.
These points are located on the SP meridian
but treat both SP and KI patterns.
This 3 point combination is especially
effective for SP and KI yang vacuity.

LU 5
LU 7

UB Ashi
points

SI

LK
SJ
3
Huangs

UB - SI
LU - LV
Treats: Damp-heat,
damp-cold, qi
stagnation, and
pathogenic heat

Secondary Concerns:
shoulder pain in the SI
meridian, asthma,
tightness in the chest,
jaundice, hepatitis
Points: LU 5, LU 7, LV 3,
LV 7, UB back shu and
ashi, SI 4, Gan Men,
Chang Men, or SJ or LI
points.

Beyond the Major Circuits

 Utilizing

unilateral needling we can select one

hand yin channel, one hand yang channel,
one foot yang channel, and one foot yin
channel.

Foot Yang Channels

UB, ST, GB

Foot Yin Channels

KI, SP, LV

UB Most commonly used

as it directly affects the
meridian and organ.

KI Direct connection to
UB, used when KI signs
and symptoms present.

ST Useful when SP vacuity

or SP damp is present.

SP Very commonly used

as useful as KI points for
many cases. 3 Huangs

GB Rarely used but

helpful for LV/GB dampheat patterns.

LV Typically only used

when LV qi stagnation is
the causative factor.

Hand Yin Channels

LU, HT, PC

Hand Yang Channels

SI, LI, SJ

LU Is the hand yin meridian

that most directly affects
the UB.

SI Useful for yang vacuity (SI

3), or if LV/GB damp heat is
also present.

HT Rarely used, but helpful

for heart fire patterns, HT 5

LI - Good for stopping pain

(LI 4, LK), liver stagnation,
or SP, LU, and KI patterns.

PC May be useful for some

SP ST, and KI patterns, or
for liver qi stagnation.

SJ Clears pathogenic heat

and resolves damp heat.

Other Ways to Build Circuits

UB - LU - SP - SJ
Treats: Damp-heat, qi deficiency, yang
deficiency
Secondary Symptoms: Lung or spleen
conditions, SJ meridian pain, edema,
shoulder pain, upper thoracic pain, temple
headaches

SJ - KI - UB - LU
Treats: Damp-heat, pathogenic heat, kidney qi
and yang deficiency
Secondary Symptoms:
Heat, fever, temple headaches, SJ meridian
pain, neck pain, ear conditions, wind
patterns, heart problems

Male, 54
Primary Concern: Difficult urination
Secondary Concern: Neck and upper back pain, SI and UB
Third Concern: Weak digestion and appetite, bloating
UB - SI
LU - SP
TCM Pattern: Qi and yang deficiency
Points: 3 Huangs, LU 7, LU Ashi proximal to LU 7, SI 3, UB
62, and ashi point near UB 57

Male, 34
Primary Concern: Abnormal urination with
increased frequency and incontinence.
Secondary Concern: Infertility
Third Concern: Shen disturbance including
depression, mental fatigue, insomnia,
restlessness, irritability
UB - KI

UB - KI
Third Concern relates to shen disturbance and
the heart.
UB - KI
HT
Patient also had sore back and knees, excessive
sweating, heat in the chest, thirst, dry stools, and
a thin red tongue.

UB - KI
SI - HT
TCM pattern: KI yin deficiency with heat
What would be the most appropriate hand yang
channel to use for this case?
Remember the LI and SJ both connect to the KI
so we should consider using them as well.

SJ
UB - KI - HT
LI
Points: UB 40, UB 60, KI 3, KI 9, HT 5, LK, SJ 4

Final Conclusions

Heat

SJ - KI - UB - LU, or Tai Yang Shao Yin

Stone

Circuit used depends of overall pattern.

Blood

Metal-Water Circuit, Tai Yang Shao Yin

Tai Yang - Tai Yin (SP good for blood)

Cloudy

Tai Yang Tai Yin

Taxation

KI - UB - LU - LI, Tai Yang Tai Yin

Qi Lin

Tai Yang Tai Yin, UB - LU - LV - LI

Hand Yang Channel of LI

Hand Yin Channel of LU

Ling Ku, LI 11, or LI 10

LU 5 and LU 7

Foot Yin Channel of SP

3 Huangs

Foot Yang Channel of UB

Ashi points near UB 40, or near UB 57

UB - LU - SP
LI

LK
LI 10
LI 11
3
Huangs
for SP
and KI

LU 5
LU 7

UB ashi
Back shu

 The

basis of meridian based approaches

starts with the 5 systems and the 15 major
circuits.
Use the technique of asking about the patient
about their top 3 concerns.
Understand mirroring and imaging.
Compare and contrast Meridian Circuit
Theory with Zang-Fu approaches
Use unilateral needling

Richard Tan, 2004, Lectures on the Balance Method and Master

Tungs Points.
Wei-Chieh Young, 2008, Lectures on Tungs Acupuncture,
American Chinese Medical Cultural Center.
Peter Deadman, Mazin Al-Khafaji, Kevin Baker, 2007, A Manual of
Acupuncture, Journal of Chinese Medicine Publications.
Jeffrey Jacob, 1996, The Acupuncturists Clinical Handbook,
Aesclipius Press.
Giovanni Maciocia, 1989, The Foundations of Chinese Medicine,
Churchill Livingstone.
Zhao Jingyi, Li Xuemei, 1998, Patterns and Practice in Chinese
Medicine, Eastland Press