華蓋 : Huagai : Magnificent Canopy

Location Guides:

Classifications:

Master Tung's Metal Five

Location:

On the midline of the sternum, level with the junction of the first intercostal space and the sternum.

Needling:

Transverse insertion directed superiorly or inferiorly along the channel 0.5 - 1 cun

Classical Needling:

"Locate it with the" (patient’s) head bent back. It is needled to a depth of three fen and moxaed with five cones" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).

TCM Actions:

Unbinds the chest
Regulates and descends Qi

TCM Indications:

• Dyspnoea, wheezing, asthma, cough, rebellious qi, dyspnoea with inability to speak, pain and fullness of the chest and lateral costal region.
  
• Difficult ingestion.

Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: Anterior cutaneous thoracic nerves from T2 or T3

Dermatome Segment: T2, T3

Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

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

Major Combinations:

• Shortness of breath and difficulty catching the breath with inability to speak:
    Huagai Ren-20 with Shanzhong Ren-17
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
  
  
• Chronic pain of the lateral costal region:
    Huagai Ren-20 with Qihu St-13
    (Gao Wu, 高武, 1529: Bai Zheng Fu, 百症賦, Ode of a Hundred Symptoms).

Notes:

In Tung's acupuncture this point is called Jin Yang and forms one of the Metal Five (Jin Wu), a series of five points that start at the upper border of the manubrium and descend at 1 cun intervals, approximately overlapping with Ren-18 to Ren-22. They are all indicated for difficultly breathing as well as their traditional indications for each point (McCann, 2014, Pricking the Vessels).

In Tibetan medicine:
Moxa point (AMNH, Tibetan Medical Paintings)

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