If you are an acupuncture practitioner, a proper understanding of the basics of the acupuncture points chart is essential. Even for an acupuncture patient, understanding ancient traditional Chinese medicine as practiced through acupuncture will help you appreciate acupuncture benefits and how acupuncture treatment will help you solve your health issues.
Acupuncture is more than just acupuncture needles. Acupuncture is considered an effective complementary and alternative medicine practice is known to relieve pain, such as chronic pain, muscle pain, neck pain, and chronic low back pain. Acupuncture treatments are also known to relieve digestive disorders, anxiety, stress, seasonal allergies, menstrual cramps, and even mental disorders. Medical acupuncture is now regulated in the U.S.A. and is also applied in osteopathic medicine and oriental medicine practices.
For traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, each acupuncture point corresponds to a day of the year. That means there are 365 acupuncture points. However, because of the dispersal of acupuncture practice throughout Asia, acupuncturists tend to identify slight differences in locations. In 1989, the World Health Organization Scientific Group established the standards for acupuncture points and terminology for international use, where 361 points were agreed on.
What Are The Most Commonly Used Points and Acupuncture Treatments?
These fifteen charts include the most commonly used points in acupuncture practice:
Spleen Channel (SP6):
This acupuncture point is on the inner side of the leg. This point is just above the ankle. This acupuncture point treats hormonal disorders, such as immune disorders, irregular menstruation, and digestion issues.
Governing Vessel (GV20):
This point is on top of the head. This point treats ear and nasal disorders, vertigo, and various mental disorders.
Stomach Channel (ST36):
This point is on the front of the leg, below the knee. This point treats immune deficiency, digestive disorders, fatigue, and other illnesses. This point is also essential for emotional and physical grounding.
Liver Channel (LV3):
This point is on top of the foot, right between the first and second toes. This point treats headaches. This point is also important for balancing emotional energy, reduce high blood pressure, and regulate menstruation.
Conception Vessel (CV6):
This point is about 1.5 inches below the navel. This point treats weak spleen qi, exhaustion, and the energy flow of the low abdomen and organs.
Conception Vessel (CV12):
This point is located midway between your breast bone and navel. This acupuncture point harmonizes the intestines and treats digestive disorders.
Kidney Channel (KI13):
This point is behind the inner ankle. This point treats lower back pain, insomnia, sore throat, and asthma.
Large Intestine Channel (LI14):
This point is on the back side of the hand. To be exact, this point is between the first finger and the thumb. This point helps with pain, especially in the face. This point also activates the immune system.
Other Important Acupuncture Point Charts
Many points on the bladder channel are related to treating various symptoms. These points are:
- BL13: This point treats lung disorders, including bronchitis, asthma, nasal congestion, and sore throat.
- BL14: This point provides relief related to the pericardium, including anxiety, palpitations, stress, and panic attacks.
- BL15: This point treats all heart-related issues. These include blood flow and circulatory problems. This point is also central to emotional issues related to the heart, such as anxiety, fear, palpitations, stress, and poor memory. This point also helps with sleep problems and night sweats.
- BL18: This point is central to all physical liver conditions. These include jaundice, hepatitis, and cirrhosis. This point is also helpful in relieving emotional issues or to balance emotional energy, such as anger, depression, stress, and irritability.
- BL21: This point is associated with relieving problems with the spleen. Some physical spleen conditions it can address are abdominal pain, distension, bloating, and poor appetite.
- BL23: This point is closely associated with the entire kidney system. This point improves sexual issues for men, such as impotence. In the case of women, this point helps with reproductive and sexual disorders, such as infertility and irregular menstrual cycles. This point is also central to treating pain of the lower back and sprains. Ear-related issues, such as deafness and tinnitus, are also treated through needle insertion on this point.
The back has several points in the back along both sides of the spine that connects to yin (or solid) organs. Several acupuncture points strengthen the liver, lungs, heart, kidney, and pericardium.
There are more traditionally identified points, and pressure points, that accommodate different acupuncture methods perfected over centuries of Chinese medicinal practice.
For Acupuncture Treatment in Mesa, Az, Trust Bingham Fitness
Bingham Fitness is highly committed to the health and wellness of our clients. Our services go far beyond personal training. We also offer holistic wellness programs that cover acupuncture as one of the best solutions to help maintain a healthy lifestyle. Perfected over the centuries, acupuncture works by balancing the body’s energy flow. Acupuncture is now acknowledged in western medicine as an effective alternative for relieving pain and treating different health issues. To know more about acupuncture points and acupuncture treatment, or to book an acupuncture session, call us at (602) 339-6677 or contact us.
