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All lessons   Module 6: Points   Lesson 8

Module 6   Lesson 8   Shou Yangming Da Chang Jing

The Large Intestine channel, LI-1 to LI-20

A channel named after the bowel, yet chosen mainly for the teeth, nose, throat and Heat: why?

After this lesson you can follow the channel from the index finger to beside the nose, you know the name and category of each of the twenty points, you can work out LI-4 and LI-11, and you know why the points for the bowel itself lie on the leg and the abdomen.

LI-1, start LI-4, Yuan LI-11, He-Sea LI-15 Lungs Large Int. to GV-14 LI-20 crosses under the nose to the other side Twenty points, finger to nose LI-1 Shangyang Jing-Well, Metal LI-2 Erjian Ying-Spring, Water LI-3 Sanjian Shu-Stream, Wood LI-4 Hegu Yuan; command, face LI-5 Yangxi Jing-River, Fire LI-6 Pianli Luo LI-7 Wenliu Xi-Cleft LI-8 Xialian minor point LI-9 Shanglian minor point LI-10 Shousanli channel; abdomen LI-11 Quchi He-Sea, Earth LI-12 Zhouliao local LI-13 Shouwuli minor point LI-14 Binao crossing point LI-15 Jianyu crossing, Yang Qiao LI-16 Jugu crossing, Yang Qiao LI-17 Tianding local LI-18 Futu Window of Heaven LI-19 Kouheliao local LI-20 Yingxiang crossing with Stomach key point, module 1, lesson 16 often used on this channel internal or branch
Schematic, not a location guide. Pathway after Ling Shu 10 as the textbooks give it; compare the drawing in ch. 55 from p. 961. Enlarged on the left: the end section around the mouth.

Know by heart

  • Pathway. From the index finger (LI-1) along the thumb side of the forearm to the outer side of the elbow (LI-11) and the shoulder (LI-15), to GV-14; internally down to the Lungs and Large Intestine; externally via the neck and cheek to the lower gums, around the mouth, crossing under the nose and ending on the opposite side beside the wing of the nose (LI-20). mnemonic: from fingertip to nostril, crossing sides under the nose.
  • What the channel points to. Toothache in the lower jaw, throat, nose, face, shoulder and the front of the arm; Heat and fever. For the bowel itself, textbooks mainly choose ST-25, ST-37 and BL-25.
  • The Shu sequence. LI-1 Jing-Well, LI-2 Ying-Spring, LI-3 Shu-Stream, LI-5 Jing-River, LI-11 He-Sea; in between, LI-4 Yuan, LI-6 Luo, LI-7 Xi. mnemonic: one, two, three, four is the source, five, six the bridge, the cleft at seven, and the sea not till eleven.
  • LI-4 Hegu. Yuan; command point for the face. Releases the Exterior, pain, head and face; with LR-3 the Four Gates. Not in pregnancy.
  • LI-11 Quchi. He-Sea; Earth point. Clears Heat, Damp-Heat, skin.
  • Three points above the elbow. LI-15 shoulder, crossing point with the Yang Qiao; LI-18 throat, Window of Heaven; LI-20 nose, crossing point with the Stomach. mnemonic: shoulder, neck, nose: fifteen, eighteen, twenty.
  • Yangming. Abundant Qi and Blood; hand and foot: LI-4 with ST-36. Back-Shu BL-25, Front-Mu ST-25, lower He-Sea ST-37.

The rest of this lesson is reference.

Large Intestine: LI-1 to LI-20: A channel named after the bowel, yet chosen mainly for the teeth, nose, throat and Heat: why?
The chart as an image, to save or share

Three practice questions from this lesson

Which point is the Yuan point of the Large Intestine?
  1. LI-11
  2. LI-3
  3. LI-4

Answer: LI-4. LI-4 Hegu. On a Yang channel the Yuan point is a separate point; LI-3 is Shu-Stream, LI-11 He-Sea.

Which point is the He-Sea point of the Large Intestine?
  1. LI-10 Shousanli
  2. LI-11 Quchi
  3. LI-15 Jianyu

Answer: LI-11 Quchi. LI-11 Quchi, the Earth point. LI-10 has no category, LI-15 is a crossing point.

Which point is the Luo point?
  1. LI-5
  2. LI-6
  3. LI-7

Answer: LI-6. LI-6 Pianli. LI-7 is Xi-Cleft, LI-5 Jing-River.

The rest of this lesson

In the course you get the step-by-step explanation, 16 case-based practice questions, 21 spaced-repetition flashcards, the pitfalls and the bridge to physiology with evidence grades. This lesson belongs to module 6: Points.

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