TWELVE MERIDIANS

Guangyi Xiong MD PhD Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese MedicineEmail:drxionggycn@yahoo.com.cn

Overview

• This theory studies the physiological and pathological relationship between the meridians and viscera.

• Combing the basic theories such as the visceral manifestation theory, qi-blood-fluid theory, and theory of etiology.

Overview

• “不诵十二经络，开口动手便错”• ---- 《医学入门》

• “If one does not read the twelve meridians, one will make mistakes while inquiring and treating”

Outlines

• The Nomenclature

• The Distributions

• The exterior-interior relations

• The Courses

• The connections

• The flowing order

Section I The Concept and Composition of the Meridians

• Meridian are pathways in which the qi and blood circulate and through which the viscera and limbs are connected, allowing the upper-lower and interior-exterior portions of the body to communicate.

I The Concept of the Meridians

• The meridians form the main truck, while the collaterals represent the branches.

• Meridians run in straight fixed courses, while collaterals crisscross in the body, forming a network and linking-up the viscera, organs, orifices, skins, muscles, tendons and bones into an organic whole.

II The compositions of the meridian system

• meridians and collaterals

• Meridian: twelve regular meridians; eight extra meridians; the twelve divergent meridians

• Collateral: the fifteen major collaterals; the small collaterals; the superficial collaterals

• Subsidiary part: the twelve meridian tendon regions; the twelve skin areas

Twelve Regular Meridians

• Include:

• Three Yin Meridians of Hand (Lung ， Pericardium and Heart);

• Three Yang Meridians of Hand (Large Intestine ， Triple-Jiao and

Small Intestine) ，• Three Yang Meridians of Foot (Stomach,Gallbladder and Bladder) ，• Three Yin Meridians of Foot (Spleen ， Liver and Kidney) ．

• They are the major trunks of the system of the meridians ， so they

are called the Twelve Regular Meridians.

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1. The Nomenclature of the Twelve Regular Meridians

The nomenclature of the Twelve Regular

Meridians is based on the three factors:

a) Hand or Foot,

b) Yin or Yang,

c) Zang or Fu viscera.

• The Twelve Regular Meridians pertain to the twelve Zang and Fu organs correspondingly, each regular meridian is named after the organ to which it pertains.

• In consideration of the factors, such as hand

or foot, interior or exterior, anterior, middle or

posterior aspect of the meridian travels

through, and also in accordance with the

theory of Yin and Yang

1. The Nomenclature of the Twelve Regular Meridians

• The meridians that pertain to the Fu-organs

are Yang meridians which mainly travel along

the lateral aspect of the limbs.

• The meridians that pertain to the Zang-

organs are called Yin meridians which are

mainly distributed on the medial aspect of

the four limbs.

The Nomenclature of the Twelve Regular Meridians

• Based on the development of Yin and

Yang theory, the meridians are divided

into three Yin meridians and three Yang

meridians.

The Nomenclature of the Twelve Regular Meridians

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The Nomenclature & Classification of the Twelve Meridians

Yin Meridians

(Pertain to Zang organs)

Yang Meridians

(Pertain to Fu organs)

Hand The Lung Meridian of Taiyin The Large Intestine Meridian of Yangming

The Pericardium Meridian of Jueyin

The Tri-Jiao Meridian of Shaoyang

The Heart Meridian of Shaoyin

The Small Intestine Meridian of Taiyang

Foot The Spleen Meridian of Jueyin

The Stomach Meridian of Yangming

The Liver Meridian of Jueyin The Gallbladder Meridian of Shaoyang

The Kidney Meridian of Shaoyin

The Urinary Bladder Meridian of Taiyang

2. The Distributions of the Twelve Meridians

• The twelve regular meridians are

distributed symmetrically at the left and

right sides of the head, trunk and four

limbs and go through the whole body.

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任脉

肾经

胃经

脾经

第 5 肋间 脐上 6 寸

脐上 3 寸

督脉1.5寸

3寸

躯干部：前面 4条经脉， 7条线；后面 2条经脉， 5条线In the body trunk

膀胱经In the front of the trunk

(The thoracico-abdomina aspect)On the back of the trunk

(The Dorsal aspect)

4

46

0.5

2

2

四肢部：On the four limbs

外侧外侧The lateral aspectThe lateral aspect阳明（前缘）阳明（前缘）

YangmingYangming(the anterior border)(the anterior border)

少阳（中线）少阳（中线）ShaoyangShaoyang

(the midline)(the midline)

太阳（后缘）太阳（后缘）TaiyangTaiyang

(the posterior border)(the posterior border)

内侧内侧The medial aspectThe medial aspect

太阴（前缘）太阴（前缘）Taiyin

(the anterior border)

厥阴（中线）厥阴（中线）Jueyin

(the midlinie)

少阴（后缘）少阴（后缘）ShaoyinShaoyin

(the posterior border)(the posterior border)

－－－－－－－－

－－－－－－－－

－－－－－－－－

注：下肢在内踝上 8 寸以下，足厥阴在足太阴之前，在内踝上 8 寸以上，遵循规律。 注：下肢在内踝上 8 寸以下，足厥阴在足太阴之前，在内踝上 8 寸以上，遵循规律。

• The six Yin meridians are distributed on the medial aspects of the four limbs, the thoracic and abdominal regions. The three Yin meridians of the hands are distributed on the medial aspects of the upper limbs, while the three Yin meridians of the foot on the medial aspects of the lower limbs.

The Distributions of the Twelve Meridians⑵

• The six Yang meridians are mostly

distributed on the lateral aspects of four

limbs, head and trunk. The three Yang

meridians of hand are distributed on the

lateral aspects of the upper limbs, while the

three Yang meridians of foot on the lateral

aspects of the lower limbs

The Distributions of the Twelve Meridians ⑶

• The three Yang meridians of hand and foot are arranged in an order, in which "Large Intestine and Stomach Meridians" are the anterior ones, "Triple-Jiao and Gallbladder Meridians" the medium ones, and "Small Intestine and Bladder Meridians" the post-erior ones.

The Distributions of the Twelve Meridians ⑷

• The three Yin meridians of hand are arranged

as follows: "Lung Meridians" are the anterior

ones, "Pericardium Meridians" the medium

ones, and Heart Meridians" the posterior ones,

The three Yin meridians of foot are to the

aspects of the lower limbs and instep.

The Distributions of the Twelve Meridians ⑸

• They are arranged in an order in which

– Liver Meridians are the anterior ones,

– Spleen Meridians are the medium ones,

– Kidney Meridians are the posterior ones

The Distributions of the Twelve Meridians ⑹

• under the lever 8 cun above the medial malleolus, Liver Meridians and Spleen Meridians are crossed, then, Spleen Meridian is in the anterior aspect, Liver meridian in the mediun aspect, Kidney Meridian in the posterior aspect.

The Exterior-Interior and Pertaining & Communicating Relations of the Twelve Regular Meridians

• The Exterior-Interior and Pertaining Relations of the

Twelve Regular Meridians:

• The Twelve Regular Meridians pertain to Zang-Fu

organs interiorly , there is an exterior-interior and

corresponding relation between Zang and Fu organs,

an exterior-interior and pertaining relation between

Yin meridians and Yang meridians.

• That is, the Lung Meridian has an exterior and interior relations with the Large Intestine Meridian, the Stomach Meridian with the Spleen Meridian, the Heart Meridian with the Small Intestine Meridian, the Bladder Meridian with the Kidney Meridian, the Pericardium Meridian with the Triple Jiao Meridian, and the Gallbladder Meridian with

the Liver Meridian.

The Exterior-Interior and Pertaining & Communicating

Relations of the Twelve Regular Meridians ⑵

• There is a pertaining and communicating relation

between the Yin meridians and Yang meridians

connected interiorly-exteriorly in the body. The

Yin meridians pertain to the Zang-organs, and

communicate with the Fu-organs, while the Yang

meridians pertain to the Fu-organs, and

communicate with the Zang-organs.

The Exterior-Interior and Pertaining & Communicating

Relations of the Twelve Regular Meridians ⑶

• For example, the Lung Meridian pertains to the lung and

communicates with the large intestine, the Large Intestine Meridian

pertains to the large intestine and communicates with the lung. The

relation of interior and exterior meridians is reinforced by linking the

collaterals in the four limbs.

The Exterior-Interior and Pertaining & Communicating

Relations of the Twelve Regular Meridians ⑷

• Thus six pairs of the interior-exterior, pertaining and communicative relations are formed among Zang and Fu, Yin and Yang and meridians. There is a close relation physiologically among the interior- exterior meridians. They are inter-affected during the pathological changes and inter-action during treatment.

4. The Courses of the Twelve Meridians

• The Courses of The Twelve Meridians:– Three Yin meridians of hand start from the chest to the hands.

– Three Yang meridians of hand run from hands to the head.

– Three Yang meridians of foot run from the head to the feet.

– Three Yin meridians of foot run from the feet to abdomen and

chest.

The Courses of the Twelve Regular Meridians (2)

HeadHead

HandHand

FootFoot

ChestChest

Three Yin Meridians

Three Yang Meridian

s

Th

ree Yan

g M

eridian

s

Three Yin Meridians

AbdomenAbdomen

The Connections of the Twelve Regular Meridians (1)• The Yin Meridians link with the Yang meridians mainly in

the limbs.

– For instance, the Lung Meridian links with the Large

Intestine Meridian on the tip of the index finger. The

Stomach Meridian connects with the Spleen Meridian

on the tip of the great toe,the Bladder Meridian reaches

the lateral side of the tip of the little toe where it links

with the Kidney Meridian. The Gallbladder Meridian runs

to the distal portion of the great toe and terminates at its

hairy region where it links with the Liver Meridian.

• The Yang meridians and Yang meridians (with

the same nomenclature) are met on the head.

– For instance, both the Large Intestine meridian and

the Stomach Meridian go to both sides of the nose.

Both the Small Intestine Meridian and the Bladder

Meridian reach the inner canthus; Both the Triple Jiao

Meridian and the Gallbladder Meridian reach the

outer canthus.

The Connections of the Twelve Regular Meridians （ 2）

• The Yin meridians are met in the chest

region.

– For instance, the Spleen Meridian links with the

Heart Meridian in the heart, the Kidney

Meridian links with the Pericardium Meridian in

the chest, and the Liver Meridian links with the

Lung Meridian in the lung.

The Connections of the Twelve Regular Meridians （ 3）

十二经脉的循行走向与衔接规律

头

胸手 足

腹

足三阳

手三阳

手三阴

手三阴

1 、阳经与阳经在头面部衔接 2 、阴经与阴经在胸部衔接 3 、阴经与阳经在手足部衔接

足三阴

衔接规律

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The Flowing Order of the Twelve Regular Meridians

• The circulation of qi and blood inside the Twelve meridians in like

the circular movement endlessly. Their circulation starts from the

lung meridian of Hand-Taiyin, runs to the liver meridian, and

restarts like a ring without end.

The Flowing Order of the Twelve Regular Meridians

LU

LI

ST

SP

HT

SIBLKI

PC

SJ

GB

LR

MiddleJiao

Summary

• The Nomenclature• The Distributions• The exterior-interior relations• The Courses• The connections• The flowing order

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Question

• What is the Twelve Regular Meridian?

• Could you describe the principles of the Twelve Regular Meridian?