ACUPUNCTURE
Qu Chi: TCM Acupoint Guide
QUCHI
Name
Qu Chi (Quchi)
Location
When the elbow is flexed, the point lies in the depression at the lateral end of the transverse cubital crease, midway between LU-5 Chize and the lateral epicondyle of the humerus.
Needling
- Oblique insertion toward the hand, 1.5 to 2.5 cun. If, after obtaining qi, the needle is twirled rapidly, the sensation can be perceived along the forearm to the shoulder.
- Join to HT-3 Shaohai if desired, 2 to 2.5 cun. Sensation: local distention and soreness, sometimes an electric numb sensation extending to the shoulder or fingers.
- Angled toward the elbow joint, 0.5 to 1 cun, for paralysis of the upper limb. Sensation: numb, electric sensation extending to the fingertips.
- Puncture perpendicularly, 1 to 1.5 cun.
- Moxibustion is applicable.
Command Functions
- He-Sea point of the Large Intestine channel
- Earth point of the Large Intestine channel
- Tonification point
- Reinforcing point of the Large Intestine channel
- Upper Meeting point
- Mental precision point
- Antispasmodic point
- Ma Dan-yang Heavenly Star point
- Ghost point
Actions
- Alleviates Exterior conditions
- Dispels Wind, Wind-Heat and Wind-Dryness
- Alleviates Dampness
- Alleviates itching
- Reduces fever
- Clears Fire
- Clears Heat
- Clears Summerheat
- Cools Blood Heat
- Moistens Dryness
- Stimulates sweating
- Transforms Damp-Heat
- Transforms Damp-Summerheat
- Invigorates the Blood
- Facilitates Qi and Blood flow
- Regulates and moistens the Large Intestines
- Regulates the Lungs, especially Lung Qi
- Drains pathogenic influences from the Lungs
- Softens hard masses
- Benefits the shoulders
- Twelfth of the thirteen Ghost Points for psychosis and epilepsy
- Removes obstruction from the joints
- General tonifying effect
Indications
- Sore throat
- Toothache
- Redness and pain of the eye
- Scrofula
- Goiter
- Boils
- Carbuncles
- Urticaria due to Wind-Heat
- All eye disorders
- Pleurisy
- Intercostal neuralgia
- Bronchitis
- Hay fever
- Stress induced asthma
- Pain in all of the upper joints
- Arthritis of the upper limb
- Windstroke
- Qi-type painful urinary dysfunction
- Heat Bi
- Common cold due to Wind-Heat
- Hypertension due to Yang Excess
- Atrophy, Wei, syndrome of the upper body
- Scabies
- Erysipelas
- Eczema due to Wind-Heat
- All skin disorders due to Blood Heat or Damp-Heat
- Herpes zoster
- Infantile paralysis
- Psoriasis
- Measles
- Mumps
- Swollen, painful pharynx
- Swollen, painful larynx
- Hand and elbow weakness
- Prolonged fever with severe sore throat
- High fever that does not recede
- Neuralgia of the arm and shoulder
- Wind in the arm
- Wind rash
- Hives
- Amenorrhea
- Nodular growths on the neck
- Cerebral hemorrhage
- Rheumatism of the knee
- Insect bites
- Acne
- Cystitis
- Wind-Cold with residual fever that does not recede
- Dry hot skin
- Scaly skin
- Lachrymation
- Poor memory
- Pain and itching of the whole body as if bitten by insects
- Emaciation and weakness of the elbow
- Menstrual disorders
- Pain and swelling of the ankle
- Constipation
- Epilepsy
- Depression
- Insanity
- Torticollis
- Aphonia
- Anemia
- Motor impairment of the upper extremities
- Shoulder pain and stiffness
- Rheumatic pain of the shoulder, elbow and wrist joints
- Abdominal pain
- Diarrhea
- Dysentery
- Acute diarrhea with fever
- Vomiting
- Febrile diseases
- Earache
- Malarial disorders
- Intestinal abscess
- Appendicitis
- Allergies
- Heatstroke
- Convulsions
- Hemiplegia
- Edema of the upper extremities
- Acute lower back pain
- Deficient menstruation
- Menopausal hot flashes
- Lassitude
- Blurred vision
- Throat Bi with swelling
- Throat blockage
- Tonsillitis
- Paralysis
- Pain in the arm with muscular flaccidity
- Cannot extend or flex the arm
- Swelling and pain in the hand and arm
- Swelling, redness and pain in the elbow
- Abscess in the process of formation
- Dry, parched skin
- Little menstrual flow
- Madness with pain and itching
- Runny nose
- Urethritis
- Loose stools
- Thirst with sweating on drinking
- Pain in the front of the ear
- Manic disorders
- Tongue thrusting
- Shingles
- Clove sores on the back
- Clonic spasm
- Atrophy disorder of the lower limbs
Combinations
| Points | Indications |
|---|---|
| HT-9 Shaochong | Fever |
| ST-36 Zusanli | Stimulates digestion and general metabolism, hypertension |
| SP-6 Sanyinjiao | Diseases of the uterus, general inflammation |
| LI-4 Hegu, M-HN-3 Yintang | Measles |
| ST-36 Zusanli, ST-9 Renying | Hypertension |
| DU-14 Dazhui, M-UE-1 Shixuan | High fever |
| LI-4 Hegu, LI-7 Wenliu | Toothache |
| LI-4 Hegu, LI-15 Jianyu | Soreness and pain in the hand and arm, hemiplegia following Windstroke, clonic spasm of the upper limb |
| HT-7 Shenmen, LU-10 Yuji | Hematemesis |
| DU-14 Dazhui, LI-3 Taichong, ST-36 Zusanli, LI-4 Hegu | Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura |
| GB-39 Xuanzhong, ST-36 Zusanli, DU-14 Dazhui, KI-1 Yongquan, LI-4 Hegu | Injury by cold with great Heat that does not recede, reducing method |
| LU-10 Yuji, SI-7 Zhizheng, LI-4 Hegu, HT-3 Shaohai, SI-4 Wangu | Manic raving, fear and fright |
| DU-14 Dazhui, SI-3 Houxi | Malaria with much Cold and little Heat |
| DU-14 Dazhui, SI-3 Houxi, PC-5 Jianshi | Malaria with much Heat and little Cold |
| ST-5 Daying, SI-18 Quanliao, GB-2 Tinghui | Toothache with aversion to cold |
| GB-34 Yanglingquan, GB-30 Huantiao | Hemiplegia |
| GB-34 Yanglingquan | Hemiplegia |
| LI-4 Hegu | Diseases of the head, face, ears, eyes, mouth and nose |
| LI-15 Jianyu, GB-39 Xuanzhong, KI-3 Taixi, ST-36 Zusanli, LI-4 Hegu, UB-60 Kunlun | Windstroke with one-sided withering and incessant pain |
| LU-5 Chize, SJ-4 Yangchi, LI-4 Hegu, SJ-3 Zhongzhu | Contraction of the arm with tightness of the sinews of both hands |
| SJ-1 Guanchong, LI-10 Shousanli, SJ-3 Zhongzhu, SI-5 Yanggu, LU-5 Chize | Pain in the elbow, maybe Cold |
| LI-8 Xialian, GB-21 Jianjing | Pain and Cold of the arm |
| SJ-5 Waiguan, SJ-10 Tianjing | Atrophy disorder, numbness of the arm |
| SJ-15 Tianliao | Pain and heaviness of the shoulder with inability to raise the arm |
| LI-10 Shousanli, SJ-5 Waiguan, SJ-3 Zhongzhu | Hypertension |
| LU-5 Chize | Contraction of the elbow with pain |
| GB-21 Jianjing | Pain of the forearm |
| LI-10 Shousanli, SI-3 Houxi | Pain of the forearm |
| ST-9 Renying, DU-20 Baihui, LIV-3 Taichong | Hypertension |
| ST-37 Shangjuxu, ST-25 Tianshu | Bacillary dysentery |
Notes
The best point for chronic constipation. This point treats internal devils, and is excellent for providing stability in epilepsy, depression and insanity. It brings stability to the Large Intestine and is especially good for alternating diarrhea and constipation. It clears out accumulated mental rubbish that causes a person's thinking to be muddled. This is an antibiotic point, and can be used before surgeries to decrease the likelihood of post-operative infection. Although this point does have actions on the Large Intestine, for disorders of that organ the lower He-Sea point of the Large Intestine, ST-37 Shangjuxu, is preferred. This point is often used in Liver Fire patterns with hypertension.
Sources and further reading
We cite classical materia medica and modern reference works. This article is health education, not medical advice.
- Shennong Bencao Jing (The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica), Han dynasty.
- Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica), Li Shizhen, 1578.
- Chinese Pharmacopoeia, current edition — identity, quality and safety monographs.
- NCCIH and WHO reference material on traditional medicine safety.
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