Course of the Channels and Point Qualifications


Stomach-Channel (Foot-Yangming)

Course:
The Stomach Channel starts its pathway at the lateral side of the ali nasi at LI 20 and ascends to the inner canthus of the eye and descends to ST 01 below the pupil. From here it further descends to the corner of the mouth, and further to the lower jaw. It ascends, passing the area in front of the ear, up to the ST 08 at the temples. From ST 03 the Stomach Channel enters the upper gums and re-emerges at the lateral corner of the mouth.

From ST 05, the Stomach Channel descends the neck along the throat and continues to the supraclavicular fossa at ST 12. From ST 12 the internal pathway enters the thorax, descends through the diaphragm and reaches the stomach. A side branch also reaches the spleen and the pancreas. The main channel descends to the large intestine and the small intestine and reunites with the surface pathway at ST 30.

The surface pathway of the Stomach Channel descends from ST 12 on the mamillary line, traversing the nipple, down to the 5th intercostal space. From there it descends 2 cun lateral to the midline down to ST 30 at the cranial margin of the symphysis in the inguinal region. From ST 30 it descends along the lateral aspect of the rectus femoris muscle down to the lateral side of the patella. From here, it continues to descend along the lateral margin of the tibia to the dorsum of the foot. It passes between the second and third metacarpal bone to the lateral corner of the nail of the second toe, where the channel terminates at ST 45.

Point Qualifications:

ST 34

Liangqiu

Xi-Cleft Point

ST 36

Zusanli

He-Sea Point, Earth Point

ST 40

Fenglong

Luo-Connecting Point

ST 41

Jiexie

Jing-River Point, Fire Point

ST 42

Chongyang

Yuan-Source Point

ST 43

Xiangu

Shu-Stream Point, Wood Point

ST 44

Neiting

Ying-Spring Point, Water Point

ST 45

Lidui

Jing-Well Point, Metal Point


BL 21

Weishu

Back-Shu Point of the Stomach

CV 12

Zhongwan

Front-Mu Alarm Point of the Stomach