靈道 : Lingdao : Spirit Path

Location Guides:

Classifications:

Jing-River and Metal Point

Location:

On the radial side of the tendon of flexor carpi ulnaris, 1.5 cun proximal to Shenmen He-7

Needling:

Perpendicular insertion 0.3 - 0.5 cun, or oblique proximal or distal insertion 0.5 - 1 cun

Classical Needling:

"The Shaoyin usually has little Blood and much Qi" (Su Wen 素問 ch. 24) implying this channel should normally be needled.
"The hand Yin and Yang receive their Qi via nearby paths so their Qi arrive swiftly. The depth of piercing must not exceed 2 fen and must not remain inserted for longer than one exhalation" (Ling Shu 靈樞 ch. 12).
"It is needled to a depth of three fen and moxaed with three cones" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).

TCM Actions:

Calms the Shen and benefits the voice
Relaxes the muscles and sinews

TCM Indications:

• Heart pain, sadness and fear, Restless Zang Disorder, sudden loss of voice.
  
• Retching, throat abscess, redness and swelling of the eyes.
  
• Cold bones and marrow, clonic spasm, contraction of the elbow and arm, itching of the hand, swelling and pain of the fingers.

I Ching Hexagram:

䷥ Kui 睽 Opposition

Shared with Shaoze SI-1 and balanced by ䷦ (Taixi Kid-3 or Weizhong Bl-40).

Hexagram attributions are my own with an explanation given in the glossary.

Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: Medial cutaneous nerve of the forearm from C8 - T1

Dermatome Segment: C8, T1

Deeper Structures: Ulnar nerve from C8 - T1

Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

Heart 4, 5, 6 & 7 are all so close together they are usually attacked together with a grab causing great Qi loss and immobilisation, just before a more dangerous attack.

Injury here adds Fire to the Heart and causes high blood pressure immediately (Montaigue, Dim Mak Locations, Taijiworld.com).

Major Combinations:

• Sudden loss of voice with lockjaw:
    Lingdao He-4 with Tiantu Ren-22 and Tianchuang SI-16
    (Wang Zhizhong, 王執中, 1220: Zhen Jiu Zi Sheng Jing, 針灸資生經, Classic of Supporting Life with Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Sudden loss of voice:
    Lingdao He-4 with Zhigou SJ-6, Tianchuang SI-16, Futu LI-18 and Qubin GB-7
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
  
  
• Loss of voice:
    Lingdao He-4 with Tiantu Ren-22, Yingu Kid-10, Fuliu Kid-7, Fenglong St-40 and Rangu Kid-2
    (Zhang Jiebin, 張景岳, 1624: Lei Jing Tu Yi, 類經圖翼, Illustrated Supplement to the Classic of Categories).

Notes:

Ling Shu Ch. 6 suggests piercing the Jing points of the Yin channels if a disease is in the Yin of the Yang realm (e.g. the sinews and bones). This would mean using this point to treat disorders of the shoulder, elbow and wrist.

Ch. 7 then suggests using paired needles either side of the tendon to remove a tendon blockage illness, and straight needling to the bone for bone blockage illness. This could be interpreted as using these technique on this point, on either side of the flexor carpi ulnaris in incidences of injury to this tendon or straight in cases of bone injury, or using these as local techniques to remove the blockage while Ch. 6 is a distal point suggestion.

Reference Notes:

Basic information on location, needle depth, TCM actions, indications and combinations is taken from Deadman et al (2001): A Manual of Acupuncture with additional anatomical information researched by reference to Gray's Anatomy (38th Ed., 1995) unless otherwise referenced. Images were found on acupunctureschoolonline.com and can be traced back to Claudia Focks (2008) Atlas of Acupuncture originally. I cannot claim any credit or rights over them. Other sources should be quoted in the text.

For some of the more unusual terms I have created a glossary here