A meridian circuit is composed of meridians that are

interconnected according to either their Chinese names,

the internal-external relationships, or the horary cycle.
 LU - SP HT - KI LV - PC
- - - - - -
UB - SI GB - SJ LI - ST

System 1: Based on traditional Chinese names

System 2: Zang Fu Bei Tong Theory

 Have been described by many sources.
We use Dr. Richard Tans 5 Systems.

System 1: Chinese names

System 2: Zang Fu Bei Tong Theory
System 3: Internal-External relationships
System 4: Horary Cycle Opposite the clock
System 5: Horary Cycle Next to each other
5 Systems
1 2 3 4 5
LU SP UB LI UB LV

LI ST LV LU KI ST

ST LI PC SP PC LI

SP LU SI ST SJ HT

HT KI GB SI GB SP

SI UB SP HT LV UB

UB SI LU KI LU SI

KI HT SJ UB LI PC

PC LV ST SJ ST KI

SJ GB KI PC SP GB

GB SJ HT LV HT SJ

LV PC LI GB SI LU
Essentials of Pattern Identification and the
Patients Top 3 Concerns
 How do we identify a pattern?

By determining what signs and

symptoms are present.

To identify a meridian based pattern start by

asking the patient what their
top 3 health concerns are.
 Patients
will tell us what symptoms are most
problematic or chronic for them.

This
prevents us from boxing them into a pattern
based on our intake methods and subjective
tendencies.

They
get relief from other conditions and this
helps with patient retention.

After
we know their top 3 concerns, we can
usually determine what meridian pattern and
zang-fu syndromes are present.
Female, 37
Primary Concern: Frequent bladder infections
Secondary Concern: Bronchitis
Third Concern: Candida and constipation

UB - LU
-
LI

Fourth Concern: Kidney pain with a family history of

kidney disease.
Primary Concern: Frequent bladder infections
Secondary Concern: Bronchitis
Third Concern: Candida and constipation
Fourth Concern: Kidney pain / Family history

UB - LU
- -
KI - LI
TCM Patterns and Circuit Theory
Excess Patterns
Damp Heat
Damp Cold

Deficiency Patterns
Kidney Yang Deficiency / Vacuity Cold

Less Common Patterns

Deficiency of Lungs or Spleen
Obstruction of Lung Qi
 Painful Urination
Symptoms include: pain, urinary difficulty,
and altered frequency or amount of urine

Lin Syndrome Patterns

Hot Lin
Bloody Lin
Stony Lin
Qi Lin
Cloudy Lin
Consumptive Lin
 Damp-heat
Pathogenic heat
Damp-cold
Qi stagnation
Qi deficiency (KI, SP, LU)
Yang deficiency (KI, SP)
SI - UB - LU
-
KI
Metal-Water Circuit Tai Yang Tai Yin

UB - KI UB - SI
- - - -
LU - LI LU - SP

Tai Yang Shao Yin Tai Yang LV/LU

UB - KI UB - SI
- - - -
SI - HT LU - LV
The Major Circuits for the Urinary Bladder
 UB - KI Secondary Concerns:
- - asthma, coughing,
bronchitis, lumbar
LU - LI pain, skin conditions,
constipation, Candida
Treats: Damp-heat,
damp-cold, kidney Points: LU 5, LU 7, Ling
qi/yang deficiency, Ku, LI 10, LI 11, KI 3, KI
lung qi vacuity 7, UB back shu, ashi
points on UB channel
near UB 40 and UB 57
 Individual points are needled on only one side of
the body.

Choosing what side to place which needles is

determined by the location of the symptoms and
the meridian systems.

When needling the meridian that is symptomatic,

needle the same side.

In the 5 systems needle on the opposite side for

system 1, 3, 5. System 2 and 4 may be needled
on the opposite side or on the same side.
LU 5 LK
LU 7 LI 10

UB 40 KI 3
UB 57 KI 7
 UB - SI Secondary Concerns:
- - neck, back, shoulder
KI - HT pain, heart diseases,
poor memory, eye or
ear conditions, shen
Treats: Pathogenic heat, disturbance, impotence
damp heat, qi or yang
deficiency
Points: KI 2, KI 3, HT 5,
HT 8, SI 3, SI 5, UB
back shu and ashi
points
 Secondary Concerns:
UB - SI Neck, back, shoulder,
- - and spinal conditions,
LU - SP respiratory and
digestive symptoms.

Points: Ren Huang, Di

Treats: Damp-heat, Huang, Tian Huang Fu
damp-cold, lung, (Shen Guan), LU 5, LU
spleen, or kidney 7, UB back shu or ashi
deficiencies points, SI may be
substituted with SJ or
LI
In Master Tungs style of acupuncture many
patterns involving both the SP and KI are
treated with the same combination of the 3
Huangs.

These points are located on the SP meridian

but treat both SP and KI patterns.

This 3 point combination is especially

effective for SP and KI yang vacuity.
 SI
LU 5
LK
LU 7
SJ

UB Ashi 3
points Huangs
 UB - SI Secondary Concerns:
- - shoulder pain in the SI
LU - LV meridian, asthma,
tightness in the chest,
jaundice, hepatitis
Treats: Damp-heat,
damp-cold, qi
stagnation, and Points: LU 5, LU 7, LV 3,
pathogenic heat LV 7, UB back shu and
ashi, SI 4, Gan Men,
Chang Men, or SJ or LI
points.
Beyond the Major Circuits
 Utilizing
unilateral needling we can select one
hand yin channel, one hand yang channel,
one foot yang channel, and one foot yin
channel.
 Foot Yang Channels Foot Yin Channels
UB, ST, GB KI, SP, LV

UB Most commonly used KI Direct connection to

as it directly affects the UB, used when KI signs
meridian and organ. and symptoms present.

ST Useful when SP vacuity SP Very commonly used

or SP damp is present. as useful as KI points for
many cases. 3 Huangs
GB Rarely used but
helpful for LV/GB damp- LV Typically only used
heat patterns. when LV qi stagnation is
the causative factor.
 Hand Yin Channels
LU, HT, PC
LU Is the hand yin meridian
that most directly affects
the UB.
HT Rarely used, but helpful
for heart fire patterns, HT 5
PC May be useful for some
SP ST, and KI patterns, or
for liver qi stagnation.
Hand Yang Channels
SI, LI, SJ
SI Useful for yang vacuity (SI
3), or if LV/GB damp heat is
also present.
LI - Good for stopping pain
(LI 4, LK), liver stagnation,
or SP, LU, and KI patterns.
SJ Clears pathogenic heat
and resolves damp heat.
Other Ways to Build Circuits
 UB - LU - SP - SJ

Treats: Damp-heat, qi deficiency, yang

deficiency

Secondary Symptoms: Lung or spleen

conditions, SJ meridian pain, edema,
shoulder pain, upper thoracic pain, temple
headaches
 SJ - KI - UB - LU

Treats: Damp-heat, pathogenic heat, kidney qi

and yang deficiency

Secondary Symptoms:
Heat, fever, temple headaches, SJ meridian
pain, neck pain, ear conditions, wind
patterns, heart problems
Male, 54
Primary Concern: Difficult urination
Secondary Concern: Neck and upper back pain, SI and UB
Third Concern: Weak digestion and appetite, bloating

UB - SI
- -
LU - SP

TCM Pattern: Qi and yang deficiency

Points: 3 Huangs, LU 7, LU Ashi proximal to LU 7, SI 3, UB

62, and ashi point near UB 57
Male, 34
Primary Concern: Abnormal urination with
increased frequency and incontinence.
Secondary Concern: Infertility
Third Concern: Shen disturbance including
depression, mental fatigue, insomnia,
restlessness, irritability

UB - KI
 UB - KI

Third Concern relates to shen disturbance and

the heart.

UB - KI
-
HT

Patient also had sore back and knees, excessive

sweating, heat in the chest, thirst, dry stools, and
a thin red tongue.
 UB - KI
- -
SI - HT

TCM pattern: KI yin deficiency with heat

What would be the most appropriate hand yang

channel to use for this case?

Remember the LI and SJ both connect to the KI

so we should consider using them as well.
 SJ
-
UB - KI - HT
-
LI

Points: UB 40, UB 60, KI 3, KI 9, HT 5, LK, SJ 4

Final Conclusions
 Heat SJ - KI - UB - LU, or Tai Yang Shao Yin

Stone Circuit used depends of overall pattern.

Blood Metal-Water Circuit, Tai Yang Shao Yin

Tai Yang - Tai Yin (SP good for blood)

Cloudy Tai Yang Tai Yin

Taxation KI - UB - LU - LI, Tai Yang Tai Yin

Qi Lin Tai Yang Tai Yin, UB - LU - LV - LI

 Hand Yang Channel of LI
Ling Ku, LI 11, or LI 10
Hand Yin Channel of LU
LU 5 and LU 7
Foot Yin Channel of SP
3 Huangs
Foot Yang Channel of UB
Ashi points near UB 40, or near UB 57

UB - LU - SP
-
LI
 LK
LU 5
LI 10
LU 7
LI 11

3
Huangs UB ashi
for SP Back shu
and KI
 The basis of meridian based approaches
starts with the 5 systems and the 15 major
circuits.
Use the technique of asking about the patient
about their top 3 concerns.
Understand mirroring and imaging.
Compare and contrast Meridian Circuit
Theory with Zang-Fu approaches
Use unilateral needling
Richard Tan, 2004, Lectures on the Balance Method and Master
Tungs Points.

Wei-Chieh Young, 2008, Lectures on Tungs Acupuncture,

American Chinese Medical Cultural Center.

Peter Deadman, Mazin Al-Khafaji, Kevin Baker, 2007, A Manual of

Acupuncture, Journal of Chinese Medicine Publications.

Jeffrey Jacob, 1996, The Acupuncturists Clinical Handbook,

Aesclipius Press.

Giovanni Maciocia, 1989, The Foundations of Chinese Medicine,

Churchill Livingstone.

Zhao Jingyi, Li Xuemei, 1998, Patterns and Practice in Chinese

Medicine, Eastland Press