Du 15 (Ya Men) and Du 28 Points

Du 15 (Ya Men) - Gate of Muteness

  • Crosspoint of Du channel and Yang Wei channel.
  • Needle perpendicularly, avoid upward insertion to prevent penetration of the foramen magnum.
  • Location: Midline of the nape of the neck, in a depression 0.5 cun inferior to Du 16 or 0.5 cun superior to the posterior hairline.
  • Below the first cervical vertebra (too deep to palpate).
  • Functions:
    • Benefits the tongue and treats muteness (inability to speak).
    • Eliminates wind, benefits the neck and spine.
  • Indications:
    • Stiffness and weakness of the tongue with speech difficulty (children or adults).
    • Wind stroke (deafness, muteness, epilepsy, mental dysfunctions).
    • Stiffness of the spine and neck.
  • Needling:
    • Perpendicular insertion, 0.5-0.8 cun depth.
    • Avoid upward or deep needling.
  • One-star point - not highly used.

Du 16 (Feng Fu) - Palace of Wind

  • Crosspoint of Du channel and Yang Wei channel.
  • Location: One cun directly above the posterior hairline, below the external occipital protuberance.
  • Between the trapezius muscles.
  • Functions:
    • Eliminates wind and clears the mind.
    • Benefits the brain (branch of the primary channel connects to the brain).
  • Indications:
    • Exterior wind-cold, wind-heat, interior wind (wind stroke, epilepsy, severe giddiness).
    • Treats hundreds of head diseases: headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, sore throat.
  • Needling:
    • Avoid upward or deep needling.
    • The medulla sits in this area of the brain stem; excessive depth or upward angle can affect breathing.

Du Channel Use for Back and Shoulder Pain

  • Consider Du channel points for back muscle and shoulder pain, especially with wind invasion.
  • Open the Du channel for patients with kyphotic spine or tension in their back.
  • Use in conjunction with local points.

Skull Anatomy and Point Location

  • Measurement from anterior hairline (AHL) to posterior hairline (PHL) is 12 cun.
  • Du 15 and Du 16 are within this measurement.
  • Midway point divides the 12 cun into two 6 cun segments.
  • Each segment divided into three cun sections.
  • Du 15 is 0.5 cun from the posterior hairline; Du 16 is 1 cun from the posterior hairline.
  • From Du 16 to Du 17, Du 17 to Du 18, Du 18 to Du 19, and Du 19 to Du 20, each point is 1.5 cun away from each other.
  • Du 23 is one cun and Du 24 is 0.5 cun from the anterior hairline, mirroring the back of the head in reverse.

Remembering Point Locations

  • Du 15: 0.5 cun from posterior hairline
  • Du 16: 1 cun from posterior hairline
  • Du 16 to Du 17, etc.: 1.5 cun intervals
  • Du 23: 1 cun from anterior hairline
  • Du 24: 0.5 cun from anterior hairline

Reference Points

  • One cun, then 2.5 cun from posterior hairline
  • Add another 1.5 cun, so 4 cun from posterior hairline
  • Then 5.5 cun, then 7 cun from posterior hairline
  • Or, 5 cun from anterior hairline
  • Always specify the hairline (anterior or posterior) as the reference.

Styrofoam Head Tool

  • Use a Styrofoam head to practice point location ($4 at Dollarama or more on Amazon).
  • Draw the hairline, find midpoints, and mark all points on the head and face.
  • Useful for visualizing points, especially if working on non-bald individuals.
  • Mark Du points, LI points, stomach points and San Jiao points on the head.

Acupressure Handout

  • Acupressure sheet handout with points can be helpful for reference.
  • Can be used as a support, especially when starting out.

Du 17

  • Location: On the midline, 1.5 cun from Du 16, or 2.5 cun from the posterior hairline, just above the external occipital protuberance.
  • Functions:
    • Pacifies wind, clears the brain and mind.
    • Benefits the brain.
  • Indications:
    • Interior wind from internal dysfunction affecting the head and brain (headache, stroke, epilepsy, spasms, giddiness).
  • Known as the brain's door.
  • Needling:
    • Du 15 to Du 16: perpendicular.
    • Du 17 to Du 24: subcutaneous (shallow).
  • Two-star point.

Du 18

  • Location: 1.5 cun from Du 17, midway between Du 20 and Du 16.
  • Xiangjian (Unyielding Space)
  • One-star point, no nature.
  • Needling: Subcutaneous, 0.3-0.5 cun.
  • Functions:
    • Pacifies wind, alleviates pain, calms spirits.
  • Indications:
    • Headache, neck rigidity, blurred vision, epilepsy.

Du 19

  • Location: 1.5 cun from Du 18, 5.5 cun from the posterior hairline.
  • Functions:
    • Pacifies wind, alleviates pain, calms the mind.
  • Indications:
    • Headache, vertigo, brain pain, epilepsy.
  • Known as behind the crown (Du 20 is the crown).
  • One-star point.

Du 20

  • Baihui (Hundred meetings)
  • Cross point of Du with UB, GB, San Jiao, and Liver.
  • Location: 5 cun from the anterior hairline or 7 cun from the posterior hairline.
  • Tops of the ears to find the middle, often a soft spot or divot.
  • Functions:
    • Clears the mind, lifts the spirit.
    • Tonifies yang, strengthens ascending function of spleen (treats prolapse).
    • Eliminates interior wind, promotes resuscitation.
  • Indications:
    • Depression, lowered spirit, sadness.
    • Moxibustion to Prevent Hair Ignition
    • Prolapse of internal organs (stomach, uterus, vagina, bladder, kidneys, anus, rectum).
    • Headache, dizziness, tinnitus, hypertension, wind stroke, hemiplegia, epilepsy, loss of consciousness.
  • Four-star point (highly used).
  • Note: Soft spot of baby's head is near here.

Du 21

  • Location: 1.5 cun anterior to Du 20, 3.5 cun from the anterior hairline.
  • Functions:
    • Eliminates wind, treats convulsions, benefits the head.
  • Indications:
    • Epilepsy, dizziness, blurred vision, childhood fright, wind convulsions, headache, rhinorrhea.
  • Xiangding (In front of the crown).
  • Not highly used.

Du 22

  • Location: 2 cun posterior to the midpoint of the anterior hairline, 3 cun from Du 20.
  • Functions:
    • Benefits the nose, benefits the head.
  • Indications:
    • Rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, discharge, pain of the nose, headache, blurred vision, epilepsy.
  • Fontanel needling is here (avoid in babies).

Du 23

  • Location: 1 cun from the anterior hairline, 0.5 cun from Du 24.
  • Shangxing (Upper Star).
  • Functions:
    • Opens the nose, benefits the eyes, eliminates wind, benefits the head and face, dispels swelling, calms the mind.
  • Indications:
    • Chronic nasal disorders (allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, nose bleeding).
    • Dizziness, headaches, pain in the eyes, redness and swelling of the face.
    • Mental disturbances (mania, loss of consciousness, dizziness, etc.).
  • Three-star point.

Du 24

  • Location: 0.5 cun from the anterior hairline.
  • Cross point: Du meets UB and stomach.
  • Functions:
    • Calms the mind, eliminates wind, benefits the head, eyes, and nose.
  • Indications:
    • Nose dysfunction, eye issues, headaches, dizziness, vertigo.
    • Severe anxiety, fears, palpitations, insomnia, epilepsy.
  • Three-star point (highly used).
  • Shenting (Courtyard of the Spirit).

Du 25

  • Location: Tip of the nose.
  • Suliao (White Crevice).
  • Functions:
    • Benefits the nose, promotes resuscitation.
  • Not highly used.
  • Needling: Perpendicular, 0.2-0.3 cun (shallow).

Du 26

  • Renzhong (Man's Middle).
  • LI channel and stomach channel meet here with Du.
  • Location: Junction of the upper lip and the nose.
  • Functions:
    • Promotes resuscitation.
    • Expels wind, benefits the face and nose.
    • Treats the lumbar spine area (opposite end of the pathway).
  • Indications:
    • Sudden loss of consciousness, coma.
    • Major wind scenarios (childhood fright, wind stroke, epilepsy, convulsions, fainting).
    • Deviations of the eyes and mouth, pain in the spine.
  • Three-star (Highly used)

Channel direction patterns

  • Generally end of pathway will treat the opposite end (Foot point will treat head/face)
  • This point is the opposite, treating lumbar spine (uncommon)

Du 27

  • Location: Tip of the mouth (junction of the lip with the philtrum).
  • Functions:
    • Clears heat, generates fluid, benefits the mouth, calms the spirit.
  • Indications:
    • Mental disorders, pain and swelling of the gums, dryness of the mouth, rhinorrhea.
  • Needling: Obliquely slightly upward.
  • Not highly used.

Du 28

  • Location: Junction where gums meet the upper lip at the frenulum (in the mouth).
  • Functions:
    • Clears heat, benefits the gums, nose, and eyes.
  • Indications:
    • Red face, congestion, erosions of the gums, bleeding gums, redness (heat signs).
  • Prick to bleed (don't leave the needle embedded).