Lu-7 Lie Que 列缺 Broken Sequence
Lu-7 LièQuē 列缺 Broken Sequence
Luo connecting point
Confluent point of Ren Mai
Meeting point of the hand Tai Yin, hand Yang Ming and Ren Mai
Gao Wu command point
Heavenly star point
【Name explanation】1) 列, Liè means row or line, or it can be from another character, 裂, which means crack or split; 缺, Quē, means to lack or here broken utensil or to depart. 列缺, LièQuē means that heaven cracks by lightning, meaning that a flash is ripping and departing from the sky. The Lung is the lid, the uppermost organ like heaven. At Lu-7 Channel Qi departs to join with Yang Ming, like a flash departing from heaven. It treats Lung-defense being attacked by external evils and abnormalities of the dispersing and descending functions of the Lung.
2)Lu-7(列缺), means lightning. 《汉书·扬雄传》says: “列缺, heaven cracks, lightning emerges. ”The point is located in a “seam” behind the radial styloid process, and it is also where the hand Tai Yin Luo channel is departing from the main channel, therefore it is called列缺, LièQuē. 《Grand Simplicity of the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon(黄帝内经太素) 》 says: “from here it departs to the Luo part, from the sequence of the main channel, therefore its called broken. It breaks and departs from the main channel, therefore it is called 列缺, LièQuē. ”
【First appearance】《The Magic Pivot(灵枢) ·Channels》.
【Location】On the radial side of the forearm, proximal to the radial styloid process, 1.5 cun proximal to the transverse crease of the wrist. Between the brachioradial muscle and the tendon of the long thumb abductor.
Localization note: Where the index finger points proximal to the styloid process when crossing the hands by the tiger mouth (region between the index finger and the thumb).
《The Magic Pivot(灵枢) ·Channels》: “1.5 cun from the wrist, separates to join Yang Ming. ”《铜人腧穴针灸图经》: “When the hands cross, index finger points to the crack between the tendons and bones. ”
《针经指南》: “Behind the wrist high bone (radial styloid process) between the stitches”.
《针灸逢源》: “On the side 1.5 cun from the wrist”.
【Anatomy】skin, subcutaneous tissue, long thumb abductor, brachioradial muscle, pronator muscle ; superficially there is the lateral cutaneous nerve of forearm and superficial branch of the radial nerve distribution, deeper there is deep branches of the radial nerve, median nerve muscle branch and radial artery, radial vein distribution.
【Function】
Diffuse the lung dissipate evil
Disinhibit and regulate Ren Mai
Suppress cough calm panting
Free the channels and quicken the network vessels
Disinhibit water free strangury
Disinhibit water regulate the intestines.
【Clinical application】
1. Diffuse the lung scatter wind: Lung channel Qi from here distributes to the outer, and governs skin and [body] hair, controls the surface of the whole body, therefore needling it diffuses the lung disinhibit Qi, scatter wind resolve the exterior. It is use to treat lung-defense attacked by external evil, abnormal dispersing and descendingcausing cough panting, common-cold headache, stiff neck, fascial paralysis and so on.
2. Disinhibit the throat free the Luo vessels: The nose is the external orifice of the Lung, the internal path of the Lung channel passes the throat, the gate of heavenly Qi (air), therefor needling it can diffuse the lung, clear and disinhibit the throat. Lu-7 is used to treat wind evil invading the lung, nose and throat disease due to impaired lung depuration. Lu-7 is also one of the master points of the eight vessels, opening Ren Mai, therefore this point can also disinhibit and regulate Ren Mai to treat reproduction system diseases.
【Indications】cough, panting, sore throat, hemiplegia, facial hemiplegia, migraine, stiff and painful neck, painful and weak wrist, toothache.
Respiratory system: common cold, wheezing and panting;
Nervous system: side and medial headache, facial nerve spasm, facial nerve paralysis, trigeminal neuralgia;
Motion system: cervical spondylosis, cerebrovascular sequelae, wrist joint soft tissue disease;
Other: spermatorrhea, toothache, high blood pressure.
Classical records: cough with copious phlegm, coughing and spitting pus/blood, panting, chest and diaphragm obstruction pain, unable to swallow food, pain in heart and abdomen, abdominal distention, diarrhea, constipation, prolapse of the rectum in children, itching painful and bleeding haemorhoids, fever absence of sweating, phlegm-rheum, water swelling (equivalent to WM edema), concretions and conglomerations, dispersion-thirst, malaria, profuse phlegm, clenched jaw, child fright epilepsy, urine heat pain (or sore), urine descent of blood, urinary stoppage, frequent urine incontinence , migraine on side and middle , deep-source nasal congestion, toothache, sore swollen throat, stiff neck and headache, freezing and shivering of back and chest , wind Bi , wind impediment, mouth askew , hemiplegia, four limb reversal, convulsion of hands and feet, pain in elbow and arm, palm heat, wrist forceless, swollen and painful breasts , retention of dead featus, retention of placenta , postpartum lumbar pain.
Modern reports: diabetes mellitus, bloody urine, proteinuria , rhinitis, laryngitis, nerve induced headache, trigeminal neuralgia, clenched jaw, hoarse voice, hives, stiff neck, carpal tunnel syndrome , wrist soft tissue injury.
【Point combinations】
Combined with SI-3(后溪), SI-1(少泽), SI-2(前谷) treats malarial heat and aversion to cold (《A Thousand Gold Pieces Prescriptions(千金要方)》)
Combined with GB-12(完骨) treats facial hemiplegia (《针灸资生经》)
Combined with Lu-10(鱼际), Lu-11(少商) treats acute sore swollen throat
Combined with K-6(照海) treats Yin vacuity chronic sore throat.
Combined with GB-20(风 池), UB-12(风 门), LI-4(合谷), scatter wind resolve the exterior suppress cough, treats common cold, cough, headache, stiff neck.
Combined with K-6(照海), descend Qi and calm panting disinhibit the throat, treat cough and panting, throat pain.
Cough: Ren-17 (膻中), UB-13(肺俞), Lu-7(列缺), St-36(足三里).
Mouth askew : St-4(地仓), Lu-7(列缺).
Pain in the penis: Lu-7(列缺), Liv-2(行间).
Proteinuria : Lu-7(列缺), K-6(照海).
【Technique】Oblique insertion towards the elbow or the wrist or transverse insertion 0.3-0.5 cun. Direct moxibustion prohibited.
【Classic texts】
《Thousand Gold Pieces Formulary(千金方)》: male Yin (penis) pain bloody urine, seminal loss, moxa Lu-7(列缺) 50 times.
《资生》: sweating, swelling of the four limbs.
【Modern research】Experiments show , needle Lu-7(列缺) combined with UB-23(肾俞) or K-6(照海) can strengthen kidney function, and lower blood pressure. Needle Lu-7(列缺) can also make the urinary bladder contract to increase urination. Also during vascular photoplethysmographyit was discovered that needling Lu-7(列缺) regulated tonus of the blood vessels.
【Note】Lu-7 and Lu-5(尺泽) both can diffuse the lung, but Lu-7(列缺) incline to effuse and dissipate external evil and diffuse the lung disinhibit Qi; Lu-5(尺泽) incline to clear the lung heat and diffuse the lung.