LI4合谷 [hé gǔ] union valley

•Source [出處 chū chù]:

Spiritual pivot 【靈樞 líng shū】【本輸 běn shū】

•Channel and collateral【經絡 jīng luò】:

Hand yang ming

Classification【類別 lèi bié】:

yuan-source point [原穴 yuán xué]

Name【名稱 mīng chéng】:

合 [hé] : union, to meet

谷 [gǔ] : valley

Alternative name: 虎口 hǔ kǒu Tiger’s mouth.

The Chinese words for (valley)谷 gǔ and 骨 gǔ (bone) sounds the same and here the name serves as a particularly poetic mnemonic device. The name of this point is also the name of a mountain in China. The flesh that protrudes at LI-4 when the thumb and forefinger are pressed together resembles a mountain.

Location【部位 bù wèi】:

On the dorsum of the hand, in the depression radial and proximal to the second metacarpophalangeal joint.

Needling【針法 zhēn fǎ】:

Perpendicular needling, 0.3-0.5 cum depth.

Action【功效 gōng xiào】:

Coursing and scattering evil wind pathogen [疏散風邪 shū sàn fēng xié]

Open the gates and the orifices [開關通竅 kāi guān tōng qiào]

Clear and discharge lung qi [清泄肺氣 Qīng xiè fèi qì

Harmonize the stomach and opens the intestine [和胃通腸 Hé wèi tōng cháng]

Regulate menstruation and induce labor [調經引產 Tiáo jīng yǐn chǎn]

•Indication【主治 zhǔ zhì】:

Common cold, influenza, facial palsy, facial muscle spasm, trigeminal neuralgia, dental neuralgia, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, poor swallowing, neurasthenia, hysteria, forearm neuralgia, bronchitis, asthma, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, rhinitis , dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, delayed labor, maternal uterine weakness, low postpartum milk, simple goiter, pediatric dyspepsia, acute pancreatitis, conjunctivitis, electro-optic ophthalmia, arthralgia.

•Point pair 【配穴 pèi xué] :

LI4-ST36

LI4-KID7

LI4-LIV3

LI4-ST43