Points

• Opening: TE-5.
• Closing: GB-41, opens Dai Mai.
• Xi: GB-35.

Areas of influence: lateral face of the legs and body up to the neck, head and ears.

• BL-63.
• GB-35.
• SI-10.
• TE-15.
• GB-21.
• ST-8.
• GB-13.
• GB-14.
• GB-15.
• GB-16.
• GB-17.
• GB-18.
• GB-19.
• GB-20.
• GV-16.

Pathway

It begins at BL-63, ascends along the external face of the leg and crosses with GB-35 (Xi point of Yang Wei Mai). Continues ascending to the hip around GB-29 (which is not its crossing point, it's from Yang Qiao). Goes up to SI-10 (crossing with Yang Qiao Mai), TE-15, GB-21. Ascends along the side of the neck passing behind the ear. Goes toward the forehead. Passes through ST-8, from GB-13, crosses with GB-14, GB-15, GB-16,GB-17, GB-18 ,GB-19 and GB-20. From GB-20 goes to GV-16 (crosses with Yang Qiao Mai and Du Mai).

Functions

Together with Yin Wei Mai they control the balance between interior and exterior. Yang Wei means "to link or bind the Yang" to protect the body. Yang Wei Mai distributes Jing to the surface and is related to the upper part of the body, the muscles, and the Defensive Energy. Yang Wei Mai protects the surface to guard against external climatic attacks while Yin Wei Mai balances our internal emotional state.

Yang Wei Mai, together with its paired Dai Mai, is related to the Shao Yang layer.

References from ancient texts

• Nan Jing: "when Yin Wei and Yang Wei do not perform their functions this results in symptoms of distressed Shen, memory loss, fatigue and impossibility of movement". These symptoms refer more to those of Yin Wei Mai. "When Yang Wei Mai is affected it gives fever and fear of cold". These are symptoms of exterior syndrome (attack of cold wind, heat, dampness).
• Mai Jing: "in case of Yin Wei Mai affected the main symptoms are fever and chills".
• Zin Jao Tai Chan: "pain and swelling of the limbs (four limbs), knots of the limbs (joints), cold of the knees, impossibility of movement of the four limbs, headache, supraciliary pain, pain of the tendons and bones of the hip and back, heat and numbness of hands and feet, night sweats, red and swollen eyes, sweating in case of Shan Han (cold attack) you must look for TE-5 to treat them".

Symptoms

• One of the important symptoms is fever and chills.
• Aversion to cold.
• Pains that appear or worsen with weather changes. They tend to worsen in winter.
• Pain and swelling of joints, typical of inflammation is related to Yang Wei Mai.
• When there's generalized pain, various pains, erratic pains, fibromyalgia, distressed Shen, pre-menopausal joint pain.
• Can have cold and heat at the same time: red and inflamed joints but aversion to cold, the pain improves with heat.
• Hemicranial headache.
• Pain at shoulder level (can be Yang Wei or Yang Qiao...). Need to palpate to understand which extraordinary channel is affected. Question: Does the pain wake you at night? Does it change with the weather?
• Ear pain and tinnitus: Gall Bladder and Triple Burner pass through the ear. The sense of hearing is closely linked to the Jing of the Kidneys.
• Itching, pruritus and skin problems: eczema, urticaria, psoriasis.
• Shao Yang Syndrome.

Formulas

TE-5 + GB-41, adding the crossing points needed for what we want to treat:

• Pain of the hand joints that prevents extension and flexion: TE-5, SI-5, SI-4, LI-4.
• Pain and loss of strength (with muscle aches) of 100 joints, fibromyalgia: GB-41, BL-47, GB-39, GV-4, TE-5. + Give the energetic treatment needed for the cause of the pain.
• Contracted hands and feet, with pain: GB-41, TE-3, LU-5, GB-39, Ba Xie (8 perverse points, curious points of the hand), LI-5, GB-34, TE-5.
• Tinnitus, or ear pain: TE-5, LI-4, GB-2, GB-3, (+ GB-41).
• Headache: TE-5, GB-20, GV-16.

Palpate the Ashi points.