Lu-2 Yun Men 云门 Cloud gate
Lu-2 YúnMén 云门 Cloud gate
【Name explanation】1) 云, Yún means cloud; 门, Mén means gate. Earth Qi vapourizes up to form clouds, hand TaiYin channel Qi is formed by the earth Qi (food and grains) from the center burner that vapourizes up and gathers at Lu-1(中府) and exits at Lu-2 to spread in the twelve channels. Like clouds gathers in the sky to spread rain under the heavens, therefor it is called “cloud gate”.
2) Clouds are formed by heavenly Qi, heavenly Qi passes through the lungs（see 《Plain Questions 5, Great Treatise on the Correspondences and Manifestations of Yin and Yang》）. Lu-2(云门), the gate where clouds passes, means that Lung Qi passes here. 《锦囊秘录》: “Mans Qi and blood, circulates without ceasing, starts in the hand Tai Yin, exits at Lu-2(云门), returns to the foot Jue Yin liver channel, enters at Liv-14(期门). ”
3) 云, Yún here means mist; 门, Mén means gate. Clouds are formed by heavenly Qi, heavenly Qi passes through the lungs. The upper burner is like a mist, when clouds get cold they fall as rain, when they get warm they rise and spread. Lu-2 is where hand Tai Yin Lung channel Qi exits, in the anterior chest region. From the upper burner Lung Qi interior, it is the gate where Lung Qi exits to the exterior, therefor it is called the Cloud Gate.
【First appearance】《Plain Questions 61, Treatise on Points For Water and Heat》.
【Location】6 cun lateral to the anterior midline, under the edge of the clavicle, between the greater pectoral muscle and the deltoid muscle.
Localization note: when the arm is extended there forms a depression at the lower border of the clavicle. Lu-2 is located in the middle of that depression.
《The Systematized Canon of Acupuncture and Moxibustion(针灸甲乙经) 》: “Below the great bone (clavicle), in the depression 2 cun lateral to St-13(气户), where the pulse is felt. ”
《针方六集》: “Below the Great Bone between two bones, 6 cun lateral on both sides of Ren-21(璇玑)”.
《The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion(针灸大成)》: “Below the Great Bone, 2 cun lateral to St-13(气户), where the pulse is felt, Lift the arm to localize, 6 cun from the midline”
【Anatomy】skin, subcutaneous tissue, deltoid muscle, coracoclavicular ligament; superficially there is the supraclavicular nerve intermediate branch and intercostal nerve lateral cutaneous branches distribution. Deeper there is axillary nerve muscular branches and thoracoacromial artery distribution.
【Function】
Descend and disperse Lung Qi
Clear the lung rectify Qi
Clear heat in the four limbs.
【Clinical application】
1. Regulate Lung Qi: Lu-2(云门) is where the hand Tai Yin Lung channel Qi emits, so needling Lu-2 can disperse Lung Qi and descend counterflow.
2. Open the chest disinhibit Qi: Lu-2 is the gate where Lung channel Qi distributes to the 12 channels, and therefor treats all syndroms due to Qi depression.
【Indications】cough, panting, chest pain, pain on the inside of the shoulder joint.
Respiratory system: tracheitis, chest pain, wheezing and panting;
Other: inflammation in the shoulder joint.
When there is a pathology in the Lungs or bronchi Lu-2 often gets tender.
Classical records: cough, panting, retching counterflow, vexation and fullness in the chest, Qi surging up into the heart, chest pain that radiates to the back, acute heart pain, throat impediment, goiter, shoulder pain that radiates to the supraclavicular fossa, pain in and inability to lift the shoulder, four limbs heat, upper limb numbness (and tingling), regularly interrupted.
《The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion(针灸大成)》: “treats cold disease with heat in the four limbs, cough and panting with inability to catch one’s breath, chest and rib-side shortness of breath, Qi surging up into the heart, vexation and fullness in the chest, severe back pain , throat impediment, shoulder pain with inability to raise the arm, goiter ”
《资生》: “Lu-2(云门), treats retching counterflow ”
《Thousand Gold Pieces Formulary(千金方)》: “Qi ascent fullness in the chest, moxa Lu-2(云门) 50 times ”
Modern reports: bronchitis, rheumatic chest pain, inflammation in the shoulder joint.
【Point combinations】
combined with UB-13(肺俞), clears and spreads Lung Qi, treating cough, panting.
combined with Lu-1(中府), Sp-1(隐白), Liv-14(期门), UB-13(肺俞), frees the channels, quicken the network vessels and ensures a smooth flow of Liver Qi, to treat chest pain and rib-side pain.
Shoulder pain with inability to raise the arm: Lu-2(云门), SI-12(秉风 ).
《Plain Questions 61, Treatise on Points For Water and Heat》: “Lu-2(云门), An extra point on the shoulder (髃骨), UB-40(委中), Du-2(髓空), these eight points clears heat in the four limbs”
《Thousand Gold Pieces Formulary(千金方)》: “Lu-2(云门), Lu-1(中府), Sp-1(隐白), Liv-14(期门), UB-13(肺俞), UB-47(魂门), P-7(大陵), treats pain in the chest”
Open heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass acuanesthesia: Lu-2(云门), P-6(内关), Lu-7(列缺).
【Technique】Outward oblique insertion 0.5-1 cun, inward needling prohibited to avoid injuring the lungs.
《The Systematized Canon of Acupuncture and Moxibustion(针灸甲乙经) 》: “Too deep needling induces counterflow of Qi and inability to eat. ”cone moxibustion 3-7times, stick moxibustion 5-15 minutes.
《The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion(针灸大成)》: “《素注》Needle 0.7 cun, 《铜人》Needle 0.3 cun, moxa 5 times”
《铜人》: “Needling too deep makes Qi counterflow, therefor it is not good”
【Classic texts】
《The Systematized Canon(甲乙经)》: acute heart pain, Shan Qi surging up to the heart, Lu-2(云门) treats it.
《铜人》: “Needling too deep makes Qi counterflow, therefor it is not good”
《Thousand Gold Pieces Formulary(千金方)》: Goiter and Qi ascent fullness in the chest, moxa Lu-2(云门) 50 times .
【Note】 Lu-2(云门) is where the Lung channel Qi exits from the inner to the outer to circulate in the channels and network vessels, to distribute to the whole body. It has a good effect to free the channels, move Qi and remove Qi stagnation.