Regional Anatomy:
Skin-subcutaneous tissue-trapezius muscle-rhomboid muscle-superior serratus muscle-suplenius muscle of neck-erector spinal muscle.
In the superficial layer, there are the medial cutaneous branches of the posterior branches of the 2nd and 3rd thoracic nerves and the medial cutaneous branches of the dorsal branches of the posterior intercostal arteries and veins. In the deep layer, there are the muscular branches of the posterior branches of the 2nd and 3rd thoracic nerves and the branches of the dorsal branches of the related posterior intercostal and veins.
Location:
Lie prostrate; at the level of the lower border of spinous process of the 2nd thoracic vertebra, 1.5 cun apart from the posterior median line laterally.
Function:
Supplementing qi and consolidating supperficial resistance, expelling pathogenic wind from the body surface, and purging away the heat in the chest.
Indications:
Common cold, bronchitis, pneumonitis, pleuritis, asthma, whooping cough, urticaria, lymphoid tuberculosis, tetanus, soft tissue diseases of the shoulder and back, carbuncle and phlegmon.
Prescription:
Combined use with LiequeLU7 (Lieque (LU7)Luo-Connecting Point the Eight Confluent Point) for treatment of bronchial asthma; with FengchiGB20 (Fengchi (GB20)) for treatment of common cold; with QuchiLI11 (Quchi (LI11) He-Sea Point), ZusanliST36 (Zusanli (ST36) He-Sea Point) for treatment of urticaria; with JianjingGB21 (Jianjing (GB21)), ZhongzhuTE3 (Zhongzhu (TE3) Shu-Stream Point), ZhigouTE6 (Zhigou (TE6)), HouxiSI3 (Houxi (SI3) Shu-Stream Point, The Eight Confluent Point), WanguSI4 (Wangu (SI4) Yuan-Primary Point), WeizhongBL40 (Weizhong (BL40) He-Sea Point, Lower Confluent Point) for the treatment of aching pain of the shoulder and back; with HeguLI4 (Hegu (LI4) Yuan-Source Point), XingjianLR2(Xingjian (LR2) Ying-Spring Point), XuanzhongGB39 (Xuanzhong (GB39) Influential Point of the Marrow) for treatment of lingering fever due to exogenous febrilediseases.
Methods:
Insert the needle horizontally, 0.5-1 cun deep; needling response: local numbness and distension; moxibustion: using 3-5 moxa-cones, or mild moxibustion for 15 min.
Note:
Don`t puncture deeply, or else the needle would penetrate the transversospinal muscle-the external intercostal muscle-the internal intercostal muscle-the parietal pleura-the pleural cavity-the visceral pleura and the lung by its tip, and cause an injury to lung tissue, leading to pneumatothorax.
Comments: