ACUPUNCTURE
Ren Ying: TCM Acupoint Guide
Name
Ren Ying (Renying)
Location
1.5 cun lateral to the laryngeal prominence, in the depression between the anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the lateral border of the thyroid cartilage, at the level of the tip of the laryngeal prominence. The carotid artery lies just beneath and can be readily palpitated at the anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle. In females the laryngeal prominence is not as pronounced as in males; if it is indistinct, palpate the depression formed by the lower border of the hyoid bone and the upper border of the thyroid cartilage at the midline.
Needling
- Straight or slanted insertion, 0.5 to 1 cun. Sensation: local distention and soreness, extending toward the shoulder.
- Caution: avoid penetrating the artery.
- Perpendicular insertion 0.5 to 1 cun.
- Caution: care should be taken to avoid penetrating the artery, which must be palpated and then held laterally during needling by using the index finger and thumb of one hand above and below the point.
- Puncture perpendicularly 0.3 to 0.5 cun. Avoid puncturing the common carotid artery.
Command Functions
- Se of Qi point
- Meeting point of the Gall Bladder channel
- Window of Heaven point
Actions
- Regulates Qi and Blood
- Benefits the throat and neck
- Lowers Rebellion
- Alleviates pain
- Removes masses
- Relieves swelling
Indications
- Asthma
- High Blood pressure
- Low Blood pressure
- Dyspnea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea with vomiting
- Headache
- Distention and soreness of the throat
- Cough
- Swellings on the neck
- Dizziness
- Visual dizziness
- Red face
- Fullness of the chest
- Shortness of breath
- Sudden turmoil disorder
- Pulseless syndrome
- Esophageal constriction with inability to swallow
- Speech impairment
- Sore throat
- Swollen larynx
- Throat Bi
- Goiter
- Scrofula
- Wheezing
- Delirium
- Lumbar pain
- Sprain and acute pain in any region of the body
- Suffocation
- Cervical adenopathy
Combinations
| Points | Indications |
|---|---|
| Joined to SI-17 Tianrong, LI-4 Hegu, ST-36 Zusanli, M-UE-32 Zeqian, KI-3 Taixi, PC-6 Neiguan, SP-6 Sanyinjiao | Goiter |
| LI-11 Quchi, ST-36 Zusanli, or DU-20 Baihui, LI-11 Quchi, LIV-3 Taichong | Hypertension |
| DU-26 Renzhong, LIV-3 Taichong, PC-6 Neiguan, DU-25 Suliao | Low Blood pressure |
| PC-6 Neiguan, SJ-1 Guanchong, SP-6 Sanyinjiao, ST-36 Zusanli | Sudden turmoil disorder, headache, chest pain and dyspneic rales |
| LI-13 Shouwuli | Scrofula (moxa 30 times) |
| SJ-21 Ermen, ST-36 Zusanli | Tinnitus with lumbar pain (first needle ST-9) |
Contraindications
Moxibustion is contraindicated. If you needle too deeply, you can kill the patient.
Notes
For acute lumbar sprain, needle this point bilaterally or on the affected side. It is said that this point should be needled to revive a patient who is about to die. It is used in Excess patterns characterized by Excess Qi at the top part of the body (Excess above and Deficiency below).
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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