“Occasionally, I am asked, "What is your favorite point?"
Just as a parent shouldn't have a favorite child, an acupuncturist certainly shouldn't have a favorite point. However, we do. We are craftsmen, and craftsmen have favorite tools that they use for specific jobs or situations. One of the acupuncture points that immediately comes to mind when I rephrase the above question to "name one of your favorite tools" is Pericardium 5."
Pericardium 5 and the Aetiological Factors
Pericardium 5 is called Jianshi in Chinese, which can be translated as "Emissary" or "Connecting Link." This is a point that I use quite often in my practice, as I find it very relevant for my patient group. This is both because I treat many patients with psycho-emotional problems, and because of the aetiological factors relevant here in Denmark.
“One must be careful not to believe too much in the "hype" that Danes are the happiest people in the world.”
Denmark has a northern, maritime climate. This means that for much of the year, the climate is relatively yin, cool, and humid. At the same time, there is a very high consumption of Damp-producing foods among the population, such as wheat, sugar (both sucrose and fructose), dairy products, and pork. Furthermore, many people are also very fond of chili and garlic, while the consumption of alcohol and tobacco products is also not low for many, and these are all Heat-producing. Moreover, most of my clients carry the usual burden of emotional problems and stress.
One must be careful not to believe too much in the "hype" that Danes are the happiest people in the world. There is a difference between inner happiness and having an innate sense of security because you live in a well-developed welfare state where you do not risk financial ruin if you get sick or lose your job, and where crime rates are low. Denmark has one of the world's highest consumption of antidepressant medication, with over 85 daily doses per 1,000 people.
When all these aetiological factors combine, they create fertile ground for imbalance patterns such as Dampness, Phlegm, and Heat. This means that imbalance patterns such as "Phlegm blocking the Heart orifices" and an "agitated shen" are very common conditions among many of our clients. I find Pericardium 5 to be a fantastic acupuncture point precisely because it can "open" the Heart, enabling communication in and out of the Heart, hence the name "Connecting Link," while also having the ability to transform Phlegm and drain Fire and Heat from the Heart. This is particularly relevant for many of my patients who suffer from stress, restlessness, anxiety, palpitations, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, or those who are a little hectic or even manic. However, as always, the diagnosis must match the treatment.
Pay attention to the patient
We should never just treat based on symptoms, as we see these very symptoms in many other patients, but where the underlying dynamic does not align with the actions that Pericardium 5 possesses. For example, I would never use Pericardium 5 to calm shen in a state of yin xu Heat or xue xu. For Pericardium 5 to be relevant, there must be additional signs of Heart Fire and/or Phlegm. This could be signs such as a slippery pulse and a red, swollen tongue tip. It could be that the patient is over-communicative and talks faster than usual, but at the same time is not necessarily focused and structured in their communication. There might be a slight redness in the facial complexion, but at the same time, the facial skin is a little doughy. The eyes might tend to be a little flickering, or the gaze might seem a little blurred, so one has a feeling of not being in full contact with the person.
Due to the Heat, these patients will also often have increased physical activity in their body – they will move more while sitting opposite you and will use their hands more while talking. They may also sit with a more open posture with spread legs and open arms.
“My yi or intention and my qi are unfortunately not so focused and powerful that I can treat patients just by using a single needle. Therefore, I have more than favorite points, favorite combinations of points that complement each other's actions and dynamics.”
In addition to being an excellent point for treating shen and Heart imbalance, Pericardium 5 also "harmonizes" the middle jiao. This makes Pericardium 5 a relevant point in the treatment of various digestive problems. Furthermore, Pericardium 5 helps regulate Bao Mai and thereby communication between the Heart and the uterus or Bao. This therefore also makes the point useful for treating gynecological conditions.
Pericardium 5 is sometimes listed as an alternative gui or ghost point, and it certainly makes sense when looking at many textbook descriptions of Pericardium 5's indications. Pericardium 5 is a point that I would normally use with a draining needling technique.
Pericardium 5 and other points
My yi or intention and my qi are unfortunately not so focused and powerful that I can treat patients just by using a single needle. Therefore, I have more than favorite points, favorite combinations of points that complement each other's actions and dynamics.
The point I often combine Pericardium 5 with is Stomach 40 (Fenglong). Both points transform Phlegm, drain shi Heat, and regulate qi in the chest. Other points I regularly use in combination with Pericardium 5 are Du 20 (Baihui), Yintang (EX-HN-3), Large Intestine 11 (Quchi), Ren 12 (Zhongwan), Ren 15 (Jiuwei), Ren 17 (Shanzhong), and Stomach 44 (Neiting).
For me, Pericardium 5 is a reliable point that I can trust to do what it's supposed to. Of course, it's difficult to measure how much is due to Pericardium 5's properties alone, or the fact that I have combined the point with other reliable points, as well as given the client dietary and lifestyle advice or herbs, that leads to a result. I believe that most acupuncture points are team players and function best when they support each other's dynamics, and certainly that they function best when used in combination with diet and lifestyle changes.
By Nigel Ching – Ching.dk
