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Shen-Atlas of Acupuncture
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Kidney Channel (Foot-Shaoyin)
Course:
The Kidney Channel starts at the little toe and emerges on the sole of the foot at the junction of the anterior and
middle third of the sole. It continues to ascend the foot and travels below the navicular bone to the Achilles tendon. It
ascends posterior to the medial malleolus, forms a circle and enters the heel. From here it ascends along the medial
aspect of the lower leg via KI 08 to SP 06, the crossing-point of the three Yin Channels of the leg. From SP 06 it
continues to ascend along the medial aspect of the leg and traverses the medial edge of the popliteal fossa, ascends
further to reach the torso, traveling in the dorsal septum of the gracilis muscle to the pubis bone.
From the pubis bone, the interior course of the Kidney Channel intersects with GV 01 and proceeds together with the
Governor Vessel to GV 04. From GV 04 the Kidney Channel enters its pertaining organ, the Kidney. From the Kidney a
branch descends to the paired organ, the Bladder. The main Channel re-emerges at the pubis bone 0.5 cun lateral to
the body midline.
Another interior branch from the Kidney continues to ascend to cross the liver and diaphragm and to enter the Lungs.
It continues to ascend the throat and terminates at the root of the tongue.
Another branch exits the Lungs to meet the heart and Pericardium and then disperses in the thorax (CV 17).
From the pubis bone, the Kidney Channel continues to ascend the lower abdomen, parallel to the midline, up to the
costal arch, and then runs 2 cun lateral to the midline along the sternum up to its final point, KI 27, at the lower
border of the clavicle.
Point Qualifications:
KI 01
Yongquan
Jing-Well Point, Wood-Point
KI 02
Rangu
Ying-Spring Point, Fire Point
KI 03
Taixi
Yuan-Source Point; Shu-Stream Point, Earth Point
KI 04
Dazhong
Luo-Connecting Point
KI 05
Shuiquan
Xi-Cleft Point
KI 06
Zhaohai
Confluent Point of the Yin Qiao Mai
KI 07
Fuliu
Jing-River Point, Metal Point
KI 10
Yingu
Sea Point, Water Point
BL 23
Shenshu
Back-Shu Point of the Kidney
GB 25
Jingmen
Front-Mu Alarm Point of the Kidney