Sinew Channels

Sinew Channels

Tendineo-musculares

The sinew channels are in the superficial third of the body, but a little deeper than the cutaneous territories.

They are called Jing Jin. Jing = channel, Jin = tendon, muscle.

The sinew channels nourish with energy and blood the surface of the body: the muscles, tendons and ligaments.

All start in the extremities and have centripetal circulation (toward the center).

Each sinew channel has its own pathway, starting at the Jing points and following more or less the trajectory of its corresponding main channel, sometimes reaching further to cover areas that it does not reach. The sinew channel opens bordering muscles and tendons in spindle form, forming knots, connection points at the joints.

The proper functioning of tendons and muscles depends primarily on two organs:

  • Liver: when we speak of the physiology of tendons and muscles. Liver provides blood for their mobility and contractibility, through its function of storing the blood and sending it opportunely where it is needed. Additionally the Liver governs the tendons.
  • Spleen: when we speak of muscle-flesh. Spleen governs flesh and musculature, controls the four limbs, provides muscle tone. See Spleen functions.


Pathways and symptoms of each sinew channel

Gathering Points of Sinew Channels

  • The 3 yin hand sinew channels unite at GB-22.
  • The 3 yin foot sinew channels unite in the abdomen at CV-3.
  • The 3 yang hand sinew channels ascend to the head and unite at GB-13. Others say at ST-8. You can palpate both and use the most painful one.
  • The 3 yang foot sinew channels unite at SI-18. Others add or use ST-3.

Pathology of sinew channels

Generally, sinew channel problems are associated with tendons and muscles: contracture, tightness, acute pain.

  • Fullness: generally the condition is acute and recent. In clinical practice we speak of sinew channel fullness: pain, contractures, and often also lack of mobility, hurts when stretching. Pain that resists palpation with pressure is typical of fullness. Example: torticollis.

The treatment in this case can be superficial (with blood percussion to release surface, stagnation, or Qua Sa) or at a distance, or with acupuncture.

  • Empty. Wei Syndrome: atrophy, paresthesia, paralysis, weakness, functional impotence. It would rather be poor nutrition of the main channel, one must treat the main channel. It tends to be of long duration, something poorly healed or unstable terrain with constant, repeated episode. Or it can be these things combined with main channel.

Treatment

According to Van Nghi

The Jing points have many indications, psycho-emotional, action of launching movement, they are very dynamic points, with a very potent movement. Sometimes when we don't know which sinew is affected we needle a Jing point, stimulate a little and see if it still hurts, the result should be immediate, if it's not a Jing point we try another. After the Jing point we needle the tonification point (in LI it would be LI-11). Putting a tonification point is a way to protect the main channel. After we needle Ashi points. We continue needling the sinew gathering point to prevent the problem from contaminating other systems. With Jing and Ashi points it already works.

Procedure

  • We needle the Jing point and stimulate for one minute. We observe if pain decreases (diagnosis).
  • We palpate the channel and needle the painful Ashi points.
  • Tonify the main channel. Some therapists find it works better not to do this, because they consider that if there is acute pain, there is fullness, so it doesn't make sense to tonify. Others consider that if external pathogenic energy has entered the sinew channel it may be because the main channel is weak, so it's advisable to tonify it. See Tonification and dispersion techniques.
  • We can also disperse the Xi point.
  • We needle the sinew channel gathering point corresponding to prevent the problem from affecting other channels and sinews.

List of points for the treatment of sinew channels

Authors:

Page updated on October 14, 2021

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