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The meridians, or channels (jing-luo, 經絡), are the network through which qi and blood circulate to every part of the body. They connect the interior organs with the exterior surface, the upper body with the lower, and the left with the right, knitting the whole person into a single, communicating system. The acupuncture points lie along these channels – which is why stimulating a point on the hand or foot can influence an organ deep within, or relieve a symptom at the far end of the body.
The twelve primary channels
The twelve primary channels are each associated with an organ and run bilaterally (on the left and right). They are organised by yin/yang and by the limb on which they begin or end, in three pairs on the arm and three on the leg:
- The three arm yin – Lung, Pericardium, Heart (running from chest to hand).
- The three arm yang – Large Intestine, Triple Burner, Small Intestine (hand to head).
- The three leg yang – Stomach, Gall Bladder, Bladder (head to foot).
- The three leg yin – Spleen, Liver, Kidney (foot to chest).
Qi flows through these twelve channels in a continuous, fixed daily circuit, passing from one to the next and completing the circuit roughly every twenty-four hours. Each channel has a two-hour period when its qi is at its peak – the basis of the ‘Chinese clock’, which can inform both diagnosis and the timing of treatment.
The eight extraordinary vessels
Beyond the twelve primary channels lie the eight extraordinary vessels, which act as deep reservoirs, absorbing surplus qi and blood from the primary channels and releasing it when needed. The two most important have their own points: the Du Mai (Governing Vessel), running up the midline of the back and spine and governing all the yang channels; and the Ren Mai (Conception Vessel), running up the midline of the front and governing all the yin channels. The others – the Chong, Dai, Yin and Yang Qiao, and Yin and Yang Wei vessels – are especially important in constitution, development, and gynaecology.
The wider channel network
The primary channels are only the largest rivers in a far finer network. From them branch the luo-connecting channels, which link the paired yin and yang channels and spread qi to the surface; the divergent channels, which dive deep to connect with the organs and reinforce the relationship between channel and interior; the sinew channels, which govern the muscles, tendons and joints; and the cutaneous regions, the zones of the skin through which external pathogens first enter. Together they distribute qi and blood to every tissue.
The acupuncture points
Along the channels lie the acupuncture points – specific places where the qi of the channel gathers near the surface and can be accessed and regulated with needles, moxibustion, pressure or other techniques. Certain categories of point have particular importance, such as the five transport (shu) points near the elbows and knees, the yuan-source and luo-connecting points, the back-shu and front-mu points that relate to the organs, and the xi-cleft points used for acute conditions.
Why the channels matter
For the practitioner, the channel system explains how disease travels through the body, how a disorder of an internal organ shows itself at the surface, and how distant points can treat local problems (and vice versa). It is the map on which the whole practice of acupuncture is built. To browse the points of each channel in detail, see our acupuncture point reference.
This article is for general information and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.