Meridian (TCM)

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Meridians, representation from the time of the Ming Dynasty : jueyin pericardium - right hand, Ms Chinese 5341, Bibliothèque Nationale , Paris

Meridians , more appropriately "channels", are channels in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in which life energy ( Qi ) flows. According to these ideas there are twelve main channels. Each meridian is assigned to a functional circle (organ system). The acupoints , which are treated with needles in acupuncture and with finger pressure in acupressure, lie on the meridians . Various meridian therapies are designed to help patients stay or become healthy. The most popular methods are acupuncture and acupressure . According to TCM, health is u. a. associated with a free and sufficient flow of Qi in the meridians. If z. If, for example, too little Qi flows, harmful Qi can penetrate the channel and damage the associated organ (functional circuit).

There is no recognized evidence for the existence of meridians.

History and meaning of words

Meridians ( Chinese  經絡  /  经络 , pinyin jīngluò ) are “channels” in Chinese medicine in which Ying Qi circulates. One is healthy when this Qi flows sufficiently and freely. If z. B. too little Qi flows, harmful Qi (Xie Qi) can penetrate the channel and damage the associated zàngfǔ ("organ"). Demonological ideas are still reflected in these Chinese terms.

Etymologically, there is warp in jīng (the vertical thread in weaving) and in luò weft (the horizontal thread in weaving). Based on the meridians of the earth, jīngluò was translated as meridian in France.

The Jīngluò were first clearly described around the 1st or 2nd century BC. In Huang-ti nei-ching ("The Yellow Emperor's inner classic"), which is usually just called Neijing. In acupuncture, the meridians form an important logical component for determining the Xué (穴 = " acupuncture point ", literally "hole").

The term "meridian", in Chinese 经脉 jīngmài or 经络 jīngluò, is not entirely correct. 经 jīng means "guide", "lead" or "traverse", "pass", 脉 mài stands for "pulsate", 络 luò is a net-like structure. Since these are pathways that guide Qi and Xue, the term "pathway" is more appropriate. The word "meridian" was used for the first time in the 17th century by western visitors to China, who brought the lines drawn in Chinese acupuncture models into connection with the orientation lines they knew from their maps, i.e. meridians.

Concept of meridians

TCM meridians should allow organs ( functional circles ) to be assigned and influenced by localization at certain points on the body surface. Organs in Chinese medicine are functional groups of organ systems, which in turn are connected to muscles, connective tissue, the nervous system, etc. Disturbances in the reciprocal interplay of blood flow, breathing and digestion can easily be determined by diagnosing the skin, tongue, eyes and, in principle, every part of the body. According to Chinese medicine, every meridian is also related to the human psyche and thus also provides clues to the emotional state. In the concept of the meridians there is a clear interplay of physical and mental states. Chinese medicine also describes different constitutional types of people, which in their view can be described by different dispositions of meridian tone and activity.

Different meridian systems

Chinese meridian system

There are a number of different meridian systems, of which only the first two ( Jing Mai and Qi jing mai ) are common in modern practice:

Jing Mai 12 main meridians
Qi jing mai 8 extraordinary vessels
Jing jin 12 channel tendons
Luo Mai 15 connection channels
Jing bie 12 special meridians
Jing shui Water rides

The classic acupuncture points are all on the 14 channels (Shi Si Jing), which consist of the twelve main meridians (Jing Mai) together with the conception vessel (Ren Mai) and the steering vessel (Du Mai). The other meridians cross these 14 channels at certain acupuncture points.

Main meridians (Jing Mai)

If one speaks of meridians without any further addition, one usually means the twelve main meridians (Jing mai), which are named after the "organs" (Zàngfǔ, functional circles ). A direction of flow is assigned to each of the main meridians:

  • Yin meridians run from the toes to the trunk and from the trunk to the fingers.
  • Yang meridians run from the fingers to the face and from the face to the toes.

According to TCM, the main meridians result in a cycle that is run through completely in the course of a day, so that each meridian reaches a maximum for two hours at its own time.

Meridians, special meridians and acupuncture points
Wǔxíng Zàngfǔ Abbr. Time Jīngluò (meridian) Taìjí emotion Sense organ tissue
Metal (金) lung Lu 03-05 Tai Yin Yin Sadness nose skin
Metal (金) Large intestine Tuesday 05-07 Yang Ming Yáng Sadness nose skin
Earth (土) stomach Ma 07-09 Yang Ming Yáng Concern Lips connective tissue
Earth (土) spleen Wed 09-11 Tai Yin Yin Concern Lips connective tissue
Fire (火) heart Hey 11-13 Shao Yin Yin joy tongue blood
Fire (火) Small intestine Dü 13-15 Tai Yang Yáng joy tongue blood
Water (水) bladder Bl 15-17 Tai Yang Yáng fear ear bone
Water (水) kidney Ni 17-19 Shao Yin Yin fear ear bone
Fire (火) Pericardium Pe 19-21 Jue Yin Yin joy tongue blood
Fire (火) 3-way heater 3E 21-23 Shao Yang Yáng joy tongue blood
Wood (木) Gallbladder Gb 23-01 Shao Yang Yáng Anger eye muscle
Wood (木) liver Le 01-03 Jue Yin Yin Anger eye muscle

The main meridians are in pairs on the right and left side of the body and never cross the median plane on the body surface , although in the case of the large intestine meridian a different view is sometimes represented.

Extraordinary vessels (Qi jing mai)

The eight extraordinary vessels are often referred to as “oceans”, which behave similarly to a potential . The Qi jing mai are said to be particularly suitable for treating structural problems ( poor posture , tension, etc.).

Only two of the eight extraordinary vessels are assigned their own acupuncture points: the conception vessel ( Ren mai) and the steering vessel (Du mai) , which run in the median plane of the body.

Cardinal point Jīngluò (meridian) Abbr. Meridian (German) relationship Body level
Wed 4 Chong Mai Penetrating vessel father Median plane and frontal plane
Pe 6 Yin Wei Mai Yin connective vessel mother Frontal plane
Du 3 You may You / LG Handlebar vessel husband Median plane
Bl 62 Yang Qiao Mai Yang heel vessel wife Frontal plane
Gb 41 Dai Mai Belt vessel male Transverse plane
3E 5 Yang Wei Mai Yang connective vessel Female Median plane
Lu 7 Ren Mai Ren / KG Conception vessel master Median plane
Ni 6 Yin Qiao Mai Yin heel vessel guest Frontal plane

Channel tendons (jing jin)

The channel tendons are already described in Neijing (Ling Shu, Chapter 13). Their course is similar to that of the main meridians, i.e. that is, they also run bilaterally, six each on the arms and six on the legs. In contrast to the main meridians, the jing jin are independent of one another and no connection to the internal organs is ascribed to them. According to these ideas, certain muscles correspond to certain conduit tendons, i.e. In other words, if there is a problem in a particular pathway, the associated muscles should develop functional changes in tone. The technique of the "hot" needle Fa Zhen is used as a treatment for the tract tendons .

Connection channels (Luo Mai)

The Luo Mai are 15 horizontal connecting tracks that create links in the organ-channel system.

Special meridians (Jing bie)

The jing bie are twelve diverging pathways that branch out and return to the pathways. The special meridians are intended to promote the relationship between the periphery and organs, between the extremities and the heart, and between the Yin meridians and the head.

Meridian therapies

Illnesses are understood as disturbances of the Qi flow in the meridians. The flow of energy in the meridians is treated with different methods:

Meridians also play an important role in kinesiology and animal kinesiology .

reception

Although the meridians and the exact localization of the acupuncture points were researched in the early 1990s by an international team led by Achim Eckert , the existence of a meridian system according to TCM has not been proven. According to Colin Goldner , the ideas of traditional Chinese medicine about meridians and energy flows have remained without any evidence to this day.

Although the main meridians have been known to their users for a very long time, their essence cannot be precisely named. A small percentage of all people say they can describe the course of the meridian based on their own sensation when a needle is inserted into a certain acupuncture point, which then makes the meridian obvious to these people.

A controversial indication of the existence of meridians outside the imagination of people who believe in them was provided by an experiment carried out several times in which a radioactive substance was injected under the skin and this substance was not spread along nerves, veins or lymph vessels, but along of a meridian. Other studies, however, came to different results, showing that radioactive markers that were injected at acupuncture points in humans were drained through veins and lymph vessels and did not follow the meridians. It was also observed that the corresponding drainage channels could branch out and venous congestion impeded the drainage.

See also

literature

  • Yoshia Manaka (Ed.): Manaka's Quantum Leap: Essence and Practice of Acupuncture October 4, 2004, ISBN 978-3881362177 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Birch, Felt: Understanding Acupuncture . 1999, p. 94
  2. ↑ Birch, Felt: Understanding Acupuncture . 1999. Pages 100 and 111
  3. ↑ Birch, Felt: Understanding Acupuncture . 1999. page 100
  4. ^ Wiseman, Feng: A practical dictionary of Chinese medicine . 1998. Page 180 f.
  5. ^ Matsumoto, Birch: Hara diagnosis . 1988. page 141
  6. ↑ Soulie de Morant: Chinese acupuncture . 1994. page 24
  7. ↑ Paul U. Innocence: Nan-Ching, The Classic of Difficult Issues . 1986. page 3, 13
  8. ↑ a b Birch, Felt: Understanding Acupuncture . 1999. p. 111
  9. ↑ Fan, Hummelsberger, Wislsperger: Tuina - An old Chinese manual therapy rediscovered . 1999. p. 37
  10. ^ Ellis, Wiseman, Boss: Fundamentals of Chinese medicine . 1991. page 32
  11. ↑ Manaka, Itaya, Birch: Manaka's quantum leap . 2004. Page L and Table 4.1
  12. ↑ a b c Manaka, Itaya, Birch: Manaka's quantum leap . 2004. page 63
  13. ↑ Manaka, Itaya, Birch: Manaka's quantum leap . 2004. page 84
  14. ↑ Neijing Suwen, Chapter 4, approx. 1st to 2nd century BC. Chr.
  15. ↑ Birch, Felt: Understanding Acupuncture . 1999. Page 113 ff.
  16. ↑ Stux, Stiller, Pomeranz: acupuncture, textbook and atlas . 1999. Page 98 ff.
  17. ↑ Jürgen Bschaden: Shen acupuncture atlas . 2001. page 90
  18. ^ Matsumoto, Birch: Extraordinary Vessels . 1986. page 26
  19. ^ Matsumoto, Birch: Extraordinary Vessels . 1986. page 13
  20. ↑ Stux, Stiller, Pomeranz: acupuncture, textbook and atlas . 1999. Page 212 ff.
  21. ^ Matsumoto, Birch: Extraordinary Vessels . 1986. page 7
  22. ↑ Manaka, Itaya, Birch: Manaka's quantum leap . 2004. Pages 95-101
  23. ↑ Stux, Stiller, Pomeranz: acupuncture, textbook and atlas . 1999. Page 81 f.
  24. ^ Colin Goldner: The Psycho-Scene . 2000, p. 157
  25. ↑ Manaka, Itaya, Birch: Manaka's quantum leap . 2004. page 75
  26. ↑ Manaka, Itaya, Birch: Manaka's quantum leap . 2004. page 67
  27. ↑ P de Vernejoul, JC Darras, C Beguin, JB Cazalaa, G Daury, J de Vernejoul: Isotopic approach to the visualization of acupuncture meridians . Aggressology. 1984 Nov; 25 (10): 1107-1111. PMID 6097132
  28. ↑ P de Vernejoul, P Albarède, JC Darras: Study of acupuncture meridian using radioactive tracers . Bull Acad Natl Med. 1985 Oct; 169 (7): 1071-5. PMID 3008958
  29. ^ R Tiberiu, G Gheorghe: Do Meridians of Acupuncture Exist? A Radioactive Tracer Study of the Bladder Meridian . At J Acup. Vol. 9, 3: 251-256. 1981
  30. ↑ Francisco M. Kovacs, Victor Gotzens, Alicia García, Félix García, Nicole Mufraggi, David Prandi, Jorge Setoain, and Fidel San Román: Experimental Study on Radioactive Pathways of Hypodermically Injected Technetium-99m . J Nucl Med 33: 403-407. 1992
  31. ↑ JC Darras, P Vernejoul, P Albarede: Nuclear Medicine and Acupuncture: A Study on the Migration of Radioactive Tracers after Injection at Acupoints . At J Acup. Vol. 20, 3: 245-256. 1992
  32. ↑ Birch, Felt: Understanding Acupuncture . 1999, p. 173
  33. ^ H Gao, J Meng, S Wen, B Chang, R Li, J Tian, ​​F Xu, S Zhang: Approach to the characteristics of the movement of qixue in meridians by means of radionuclide imaging . Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 1990; 15 (4): 315-8. PMID 2177384
  34. ^ MF Chen, CC Wu, SB Jong, CC Lin: Differences in acupuncture point SP-10 and non-acupuncture point following subcutaneous injection of Tc-99m pertechnetate . Am J Chin Med. 1993; 21 (3-4): 221-9. PMID 8135165
  35. ↑ Y Lazorthes, JP esquerre, J Simon, G Guiraud, R Guiraud: Acupuncture meridian and radio tracers, Pain . 1990 Jan; 40 (1): 109-12. PMID 2339006
  36. ↑ J Simon: Acupuncture meridians demythified . Contribution of radiotracer methodology, Presse Med. 1988 Jul 2; 17 (26): 1341-4