大赫 : Dahe : Great Luminance

Location Guides:

Classifications:

Shokanten Nine Continents Point of the Upper Jiao, Taiyang and sides of the head

Meetings:

Meeting of Kidney with Chong Mai

Location:

On the lower abdomen, 4 cun below the umbilicus, 1 cun above the superior border of the symphysis pubis, 0.5 cun lateral to the midline (Zhongji Ren-3). Note: The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion locates this 1 cun from the midline.

Needling:

Perpendicular insertion 0.5 - 1 cun

Warnings:

Deep insertion will penetrate a full bladder which should therefore be emptied before treatment

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 foot Shaoyin is to be pierced 2 fen deep and remain inserted for three exhalations" (Ling Shu 靈樞 ch. 12).
"It is needled to a depth of one cun and moxaed with five cones" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).

TCM Actions:

Tonifies the Kidneys and astringes essence

TCM Indications:

• Pain of the genitals, pain of the penis, retraction of the penis, impotence, seminal emission, Deficiency Taxation leucorrhoea, red leucorrhoea, uterine prolapse, redness of the eye originating at the inner canthus.

Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: Ilioinguinal nerve (L1)

Dermatome Segment: S4

Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

See Montaigue, Dim Mak Locations, Taijiworld.com for explanation of effects.

Major Combinations:

• Seminal emission and retraction of the penis:
    Dahe Kid-12 and Rangu Kid-2
    (Wang Zhizhong, 王執中, 1220: Zhen Jiu Zi Sheng Jing, 針灸資生經, Classic of Supporting Life with Acupuncture and Moxibustion).

Notes:

Shokanten points are often used in Japanese acupuncture to treat conditions arising from a psycho-emotional background. This point affects the Upper Jiao, Taiyang and the sides of the head.

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