The small intestine meridian

This meridian comes to the surface on the little finger, moves over the edge of the hand to the wrist, over the rear forearm to the elbow and further over the rear upper arm in a zigzag pattern over the shoulder blade. Then it runs over the shoulder along the lateral neck and ends in front of the ear. The small intestine meridian is a yang meridian and consists of 19 points. Indications in TCM: all complaints in the course of the meridian (arm, cheek tooth, ears), chest, nipples, mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and eye, antispasmodic, psyche, fever and for complaints in the digestive system (nausea, constipation, diarrhoea).

The bladder meridian (Bl)

The bladder meridian starts at the inner corner of the eye and moves up to the forehead, over the back of the head to the neck. From the meridian point Bl 11 it divides into a middle and a lateral branch, which both run downwards parallel to the spine. The middle branch descends through the gluteal region and finally joins the lateral bladder branch, which runs through the hollow of the knee along the lateral lower leg and the lateral edge of the foot to the outer nail fold of the little toe. The bladder meridian is a yang meridian and contains 67 points. Uses in TCM: excretion of toxins and pain in the course of the meridian; especially for back pain.

The kidney meridian (Ni)

This meridian begins its superficial course at the transition from the front to the middle third of the sole of the foot and runs around the middle ankle along the back inner leg. Above the pubic bone, it lies 0.5 cun (approx. 1.25 cm) to the side of the midline and ends at the lower edge of the collarbone.

The kidney meridian is a yin meridian and consists of 27 points. Indications in TCM: complaints in the course of the meridian (lower abdomen, small pelvis, thorax – the kidney is assigned the function of “inhalation“), disorders of the organs kidney and bladder, of the water balance (edema, diarrhoea, constipation, regulation of perspiration, urge to urinate), kidney is regarded as the basis of vitality, genetically determined vitality, sexuality, physical and mental activity; the kidney “governs” the bones and marrow. The pericardial meridian begins its superficial course in the 4th intercostal space on the side of the nipple and moves over the armpit and inner upper arm to the crook of the arm.

Between two tendons of the forearm it runs across the forearm and ends in the center of the middle finger tip. The pericardial meridian is a yin-meridian and consists of 9 points. Uses in TCM: “external protection of the heart“, i.e. protection for heart and circulation, it supplies the heart as an organ (the heart meridian is responsible for the function of the heart in the figurative sense – soul and cortex), furthermore complaints in the course of the meridian, complaints which are felt to be ascending at the front (nausea, vomiting), CNS-symptoms (cramps), psychiatry (irritability), heat symptoms (feverish states, inflammations, malaria).