Opening the chapter
Loading the text. Please wait.
Huangdi Neijing · The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon
Lingshu 7 · The Proper Uses of Needles
Read in English. Switch to Original for word notes, or select text to ask a question.
“Among the essentials of needling, proper assignment of the needles is most subtle. Each of the nine has its appropriate task; long and short, large and small each have an application. Without the right use, illness cannot be shifted.
“For shallow illness, deep needling injures sound flesh within and produces abscess at the skin. For deep illness, shallow needling fails to drain illness qi and instead produces great pus. For small illness, a large needle drains qi excessively and causes harm. For great illness, a small needle fails to discharge qi and also brings failure. Missing the needle’s suitability means the large drains excessively while the small does not shift the illness. Having stated the faults, let me state the applications.”
“For illness moving about the skin without a fixed place, address the affected site with the chisel needle; do not address white skin.
“For illness between flesh divisions, use the round needle at the site.
“For entrenched obstruction in channels and networks, use the lancet needle.
“For scant qi in the vessels requiring supplementation, use the pressing needle at well, spring and divided transporting sites.
“For great pus, use the sword needle.
“For suddenly erupting obstructive qi, the round-sharp needle.
“For painful obstruction that does not leave, the fine-hair needle.
“For illness in the middle, the long needle.
“For water swelling that cannot pass through the joints, the large needle.
“For illness firmly lodged in the five zang, use the lancet needle, draining at well, spring and divided transporting sites according to the four seasons.”
“There are nine needlings, answering nine changes.
“First, transporting needling: the springs and streams of the channels and the zang transporting points.
“Second, distant-route needling: for illness above, address below, needling fu transporting points.
“Third, channel needling: the bound networks and channel divisions of great channels.
“Fourth, network needling: the blood vessels of small networks.
“Fifth, division needling: between divisions of flesh.
“Sixth, great-draining needling: great pus, using the sword needle.
“Seventh, hair needling: floating obstruction at the skin.
“Eighth, opposite-side needling: for the left address right, for the right address left.
“Ninth, heated needling: a heated needle addresses obstruction.”
“There are twelve needling patterns, answering the twelve channels.
“First, paired needling: use the hand to locate the painful place opposite heart or back, one insertion before and one behind, for Heart obstruction; the needles are placed to the side.
“Second, returning needling: for pain without a constant place, moving above and below. Insert straight without withdrawing; follow and press the painful site with the left hand, then withdraw and needle again.
“Third, spreading needling: insert straight beside it, lift forward and backward to loosen tense sinews, treating sinew obstruction.
“Fourth, aligned needling: one straight insertion and two beside it, for cold qi in a small, deep place. Also called threefold needling, for obstructive qi small and deep.
“Fifth, raised needling: one central insertion and four beside it, kept superficial, for cold qi broad and extensive.
“Sixth, straight-needle needling: draw up skin and then needle, for shallow cold qi.
“Seventh, transporting needling: straight entry and withdrawal, infrequent withdrawal and deep insertion, for abundant qi with heat.
“Eighth, short needling: for bone obstruction, slightly move and deepen to bring the needle to the bone, rubbing above and below along it.
“Ninth, floating needling: enter from the side superficially, for tense and cold flesh.
“Tenth, yin needling: needle both sides in corresponding fashion for cold counterflow; its Shaoyin location is behind the ankle.
“Eleventh, side-needle needling: one straight and one side insertion, for retained obstruction long lodged.
“Twelfth, assisting needling: straight entry and withdrawal, frequent and shallow, bringing out blood, to treat abscess swelling.”
The names and counts describe the source’s historical method list. No new point, depth measurement or modern procedural step is added.
“Where a vessel lies deep and unseen, insert subtly and retain long to bring the qi of its empty vessel. If the vessel is shallow, do not needle it directly: press to interrupt its pulse, then needle, allowing no essence to emerge, only harmful qi.
“The three needlings that bring grain qi begin with a shallow insertion through the skin, releasing yang harmful influence. The second releases yin harmful influence: go slightly deeper, through skin to flesh but not yet between flesh divisions. Once between the divisions, grain qi emerges.
“Thus the needling method says: first needle shallowly to drive out harmful qi and bring blood and qi; afterward deeper to reach yin harmful qi; last, deepest, to bring down grain qi. Anyone using needles without knowing the year’s added influence, qi’s strength and decline, and the origin of emptiness and repletion is not fit to be a practitioner.”
“There are five needlings, answering the five zang.
“First, half needling: shallow insertion and swift withdrawal without injuring flesh, like plucking hair, addressing skin qi. This answers the Lung.
“Second, leopard-pattern needling: needle left, right, before and behind, aiming to reach vessels and address channel and network blood. This answers the Heart.
“Third, gate needling: straight needling left and right along the sinews to address sinew obstruction, carefully avoiding blood. This answers the Liver; it is also called deep-pool needling or qi needling.
“Fourth, joined-valley needling: left and right in a chicken-foot pattern, between flesh divisions, addressing flesh obstruction. This answers the Spleen.
“Fifth, transporting needling: straight entry and withdrawal, entering deeply to bone, addressing bone obstruction. This answers the Kidney.”
The alternative qi name retains the source’s unusual graph without substituting a different label.
Use ← / → or swipe left or right to change chapters