The collaterals are the transverse branches which bifurcate from the channels.
There are fifteen collaterals in all, that is , each of the twelve regular channels has a collateral,plus the Ren and Du channels,and the great collateral of the spleen.
These collaterals are distributed in certain areas of the body.On the four limbs, the collaterals of the yin channels run towards the yang channels which are exteriorly-interiorly related;while the collaterals of the yang channels run to their exteriorly-interiorly related yin channels.On the trunk, the collateral of the Ren channel spreads over the abdomen.The collateral of the Du channel disperses throughout the head and branches off to join the Taiyang channel of the foot. The great collateral of the spleen is distributed over the chest and hypochondriac regions.
The collaterals strengthen the function of the twelve regular channels and closely connect the exterior-interior related channels.They also assist the transportation and distribution of qi and blood in order to moisten and nourish the whole body.
Table Distribution of the Fifteen collaterals
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Collateral Point Connection
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hand Taiyin Lieque (LU7)Luo-Connecting Point the Eight Confluent Point(Lieque (LU7)Luo-Connecting Point the Eight Confluent Point) Hand Yangming
Hand Shaoyin Tongli (HT5) Luo-Connecting Point(Tongli (HT5) Luo-Connecting Point) Hand Taiyang
Hand Jueyin Neiguan (PC6) Luo-Connecting Point the Eight Confluent Point(PC) Hand Shaoyang
Hand Yangming Painli(Pianli (LI6) Luo-Connecting Point) Hand Taiyin
Hand Taiyang Zhizheng (SI7) Luo-Connecting Point(Zhizheng (SI7) Luo-Connecting Point) Hand Shaoyin
Hand Shaoyang Waiguan (TE5) Luo-Connecting Point the Eight Confluent Point(SJ5) Hand Jueyin
Foot Yangming Fenglong (ST40) Luo-Connecting Point(Fenglong (ST40) Luo-Connecting Point) Foot Taiyin
Foot Taiyang Feiyang (BL58)(Feiyang (BL58)) Foot Shaoyin
Foot Shaoyang Guangming (GB37) Luo-Connecting Point(Guangming (GB37) Luo-Connecting Point) Foot Jueyin
Foot Taiyin Gongsun (SP4) Luo-Connecting Point, The Eight Confluent Point(Gongsun (SP4) Luo-Connecting Point, The Eight Confluent Point) Foot Yang ming
Foot Shaoyin Taichong (LR3) Shu-Stream, Yuan-Source Point(Taichong (LR3) Shu-Stream, Yuan-Source Point) Foot Taiyang
Foot Jueyin Ligou (LR5) Luo-Connecting Point(Ligou (LR5) Luo-Connecting Point) Foot Shaoyang
Ren Channel Wuyi (ST15)(Wuyi (ST15)) Over abdomen
Du Channel Changqiang (GV1) Luo-Connecting Point(DU1) Over the head
Great Collateral Dabao (SP21) Major Luo-Connecting Point of the Spleen(Dabao (SP21) Major Luo-Connecting Point of the Spleen) Over chest and hypochondrum of Spleen
Comments: