Lu-1 Zhong Fu 中府 Central Palace
Lu-1 ZhōngFŭ 中府 Central Palace
Front Mu point of the Lung
Meeting point of the hand- and foot TaiYin channels
【Name explanation】中, Zhōng, middle or inner; 府, Fŭ, palace or repository. The hand Tai Yin channel begins in the center burner where Qi is formed by the essence of grain and water from the stomach and large intestine. Food Qi poures up to the Lungs where it blends with clear Qi from the air to form Zong Qi and Zhen Qi. Lu-1 is the front Mu point of the Lung where the Lung Qi gathers and where Spleen Qi from the foot TaiYin channel meets with hand TaiYin channel, hence the name Central (or middle) Palace. It is often used to treat Lung organ disease, especially disorders of Lung Qi.
【First appearance】《Plain Questions 27, Treatise on the Departure and Union of True and Evil [Qi] 》
【Localization】6 cun lateral to the anterior midline level with Ren-20 and the 1st intercostal space. It is located 1 cun inferior to Lu-2.
【Anatomy】skin, subcutaneous tissue, greater pectoral muscle, the short head of the biceps and coracobrachialis; superficially there is the cephalic vein and supraclavicular nerve intermediate branch and the 1st intercostal nerve lateral cutaneous branches, deeper there is the chest nerve medial and lateral branch, the thoracoacromial artery and the lateral thoracic artery.
【Function】
Disperse and descend lung Qi
Clear and drain lung heat
Suppress cough and calm panting
Disinhibit water
Harmonize the stomach
Fortify the spleen and supplement Qi.
【Clinical application】
1. Regulate Lung Qi: Lu-1(中府) is the front Mu point of the hand Tai Yin lung channel, where Lung Qi gathers, and the pathway where chest Qi distributes to the rest of the body, therefore needling Lu-1 regulates Lung Qi.
2.Open the chest disinhibit Qi: This is where the Qi in the chest Qi comes out from the inner to enter the outer pathways, therefor it disinhibits Qi and assists ascending and descending.
3.Reflect the Lung organ pathology: pain on palpation, hardening or other signs reflect pathology in the Lungs.
【Indications】cough, panting, distention and fullness of the Lung, chest pain, shoulder- and back pain.
breathing system disease: bronchitis, pneumonia, wheezing and panting, pulmonary consumption, bronchi dilatation.
classical records: cough, wheezing and panting, Qi counterflow, coughing plegm, coughing and vomiting blood, distention of the lung, welling-abscess of the lung, tubercolosis, chest pain, chest impediment, fullness in the chest, heat in the chest, inability to swollow food, retching counterflow vomiting of sour matter, abdominal distention, heat and aversion to cold vexation and fullness, sweating, woman breast blowing (mammary welling abscess), swollen face, nasal congestion, throat impediment, goiters and tumors of the neck, shoulder and back pain, skin bone pain.
《 The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion(针灸大成) 》: Lu-1 treats abdominal distention, swelling of the four limbs, inability to get food down, panting, fullness in the chest, shoulder and back pain, retching, cough, Qi ascent, Lung urgency, Lung heat and aversion to cold, gallbladder heat retching counterflow, coughing phlegm, lai great wind (leprosy)). sweating, pain in the skin, swollen face, shortage of Qi inability to lie down, typhoid fever (伤寒) , heat in the chest, flying corpse syndrom, goiters and tumors of the neck.
modern reports: bronchitis, pneumonia, pulmonary consumption, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction.
【Point combinations】
combined with UB-49(意舍) treats fullness in the chest and difficulty to breath (《Ode on a Hundred Pathoconditions(百症赋) 》)
combined with GB-35(阳交) treats throat impediment.
combined with EX-B1 (DingChuan, 定喘), P-6(内关) treats wheezing and panting.
combined with H-9(少冲) treats heart pain, chest pain (《针灸资生经》)
combined with P-5(间使), LI-4(合谷) treats swelling of the face and abdomen (《A Thousand Gold Pieces Prescriptions(千金要方) 》).
combined with UB-13(肺俞), is Back shu – Front Mu point combination and treats great wind (leprosy), resolve the exterior, diffuse the lung suppress cough.
combined with K-7(复溜), has the effect of engender liquid moisten dryness to treat lung dryness heat cough.
combined with UB-49(意舍), descends Qi and opens the chest when there is fullness in the chest.
Lung pain: Lu-1(中府), UB-23(肾俞), LI-4(合谷).
Fullness in the chest difficulty to swallow: Lu-1(中府), UB-49(意舍).
Swelling and pain in the breasts: Ren-17 (膻中), Lu-1(中府), SI-1(少泽), Liv-1(大敦).
Throat impediment, fullness in the chest, heat and aversion to cold: Lu-1(中府), GB-35(阳交).
Evil in the Lungs making the skin painful, heat and aversion to cold, Qi ascent, panting, sweating, pain in the shoulder and back when coughing: Lu-1(中府), UB-13(肺俞).
Cough: Lu-1(中府), UB-13(肺俞), Lu-6(孔最).
Wheezing and panting: Ren-17 (膻中), Lu-1(中府), EX-B1 (DingChuan, 定喘), P-6(内关).
Pneumonia: Lu-1(中府), Du-14(大椎).
Pulmonary consumption: Lu-1(中府), UB-13(肺俞), lung heat.
《Plain Questions 61, Treatise on Points For Water and Heat 》: UB-11(大杼), Lu-1(膺俞), St-12(缺盆), UB-13(肺俞), these eight points clear Lung heat.
《Thousand Gold Pieces Formulary(千金方) 》: Lu-1(中府), GB-35(阳交), treats throat mpediment. Lu-1(中府), P-5(间使), LI-4(合谷), treats swelling of the face and abdomen.
《Ode on a Hundred Pathoconditions(百症赋) 》: fullness in the chest with difficulty to swallow, Lu-1(中府), UB-49(意舍) 所行.
【Technique】Outward oblique or transverse needling 0.5-0.8 cun; can use moxa, cone moxibustion 3-5 times, stick moxibustion 10-15 minutes.
Caution: This point can’t be needled inwards to avoid pnuemothorax.
《Plain Questions 52, Treatise on Needling Contraindications》: needle into the Lung, results in panting counterflow and difficulty to breath.
《The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion(针灸大成)》: needle 0.3 cun, leave it in for five breaths, moxa five times.
【Classic texts】
《The Systematized Canon(甲乙经) 》: meeting point of the hand and foot TaiYin.
《Thousand Gold Pieces Formulary(千金方) 》: Lu-1(中府), GB-35(阳交), treats throat impediment, oppression and fullness of the stomach, heat and aversion to cold.
《Wings of the Thousand Gold Pieces Formulary(千金翼方) 》: Body heat vexation needle Lu-1(中府), and moxa GB-39(绝骨) 50 times.
【Modern research】
modern reports, Lu-1(中府) combined with UB-13(肺俞), an extra point 1 cun lateral to Du-14, UB-43(膏肓) with acupuncture and moxibustion has effect to treat tuberculosis. Clinical research shows needling Lu-1(中府) can relax bronchi smooth muscle spasm, and improve free flow of air, ease wheezing and panting symptom, and also increase liver blood flow.
【Note】Tonify Lu-1 supplements Lung Qi, dispersion descends counterflow. To palpate for pain and other signs at Lu-1 helps to diagnose Lung organ pathology.
Lu-1(中府), Lu-2(云门) and Lu-3(天府) has similar actions, all can disinhibit obstructed Lung Qi, but Lu-1(中府) treats the inner and governs closing, Lu-2(云门) treats the outer and governs opening, Lu-3(天府) treats the middle and governs defense.
Lu-1(中府) is often used with dispersion to open the chest and disinhibit Qi, UB-13(肺俞) is often used with tonification to replenish Lung Qi.