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Channel (Simplified Chinese: 经络; Traditional Chinese: 經絡; Pinyin: jīngluò), also known as meridian, in traditional Chinese medicine, is the common name of vessel (經脈, also known as channel) and collaterals (絡脈). It is the path of running qi (氣) and blood (血), connection zang-fu viscera (臟腑), communication inside and outside, and run through top and bottom. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Traditional Chinese characters refers to one of two standard sets of printed Chinese characters. ... Pinyin, more formally called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ... Information in this article or section has not been verified against sources and may not be reliable. ... Vessel can refer to any of the following: Objects Vessel (French vaissel, from a rare Latin vascellum, diminuitive of vas, vase, or urn), a word of somewhat wide application for many objects, the meaning common to them being capacity to hold or contain something. ... QI, standing for Quite Interesting, is a comedy panel game television quiz show created and produced by John Lloyd, hosted by Stephen Fry, and featuring regular panellist Alan Davies, who has appeared on every episode. ... Zang-fu viscera (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), in visceral manifestations (Simplified Chinese: ), are organs contained within the human body, is the common name of five zang viscera (Simplified Chinese: ), six fu viscera (Simplified Chinese: ), and extraordinary fu-viscera (Simplified Chinese: ). Zang-Fu theory is a concept within traditional Chinese...

It is from the techniques and doctrines of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), including acupuncture, acupressure, and qigong. According to these practices, the body's vital energy, "qi", circulates through the body along specific interconnected channels called meridians. There is no physically verifiable anatomical or histological proof of their existence, though research has shown how transmission of information experienced as qi could be possible through the subcutaneous fascia.^[1][2] Information in this article or section has not been verified against sources and may not be reliable. ... Acupuncture chart from Hua Shou (fl. ... Acupressure (a portmanteau of acupuncture and pressure) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) technique based on the same ideas as acupuncture. ... A woman performs a Qigong routine outdoors. ... Vitalism is the doctrine that vital forces are active in living organisms, so that life cannot be explained solely by mechanism. ... QI, standing for Quite Interesting, is a comedy panel game television quiz show created and produced by John Lloyd, hosted by Stephen Fry, and featuring regular panellist Alan Davies, who has appeared on every episode. ... Greek anatome, from ana-temnein, to cut up), is the branch of biology that deals with the structure and organization of living things; thus there is animal anatomy (zootomy) and plant anatomy (phytonomy). ... A thin section of lung tissue stained with hematoxylin and eosin. ... QI, standing for Quite Interesting, is a comedy panel game television quiz show created and produced by John Lloyd, hosted by Stephen Fry, and featuring regular panellist Alan Davies, who has appeared on every episode. ... Fascia is specialized connective tissue layer which surrounds muscles, bones, and joints, providing support and protection and giving structure to the body. ...

Background

In TCM, patterns of disharmony (ie, bad health and emotional disorders) in the body are thought to be caused by disruptions of the body's energy flow along a series of acu-tracts. To correct those disruptions, specific points on the meridians called acupoints (Chinese xué/穴 - lit. "hole/cave") are stimulated via needles, burning incense cones (moxa), applying pressure or other means. Emotional redirects here. ... Acupuncture points (also called acupoints or tsubo) are specific anatomical locations on the body that are believed to be therapeutically useful for acupuncture, acupressure, sonopuncture, or laser treatment. ...

The Standard Acupuncture Nomenclature published by the World Health Organization listed about 400 acupuncture points and 20 meridians connecting most of the points, however by the 2nd Century CE, 649 were recognised in China^[3]. Such 20 meridians are usually called the "12 standard meridians" (十二經常脈 or 十二正經), with each meridian corresponding to each organ; nourishing it and extending to an extremity. There are also "8 extraordinary meridians" (奇經八脈), two of which have their own sets of points, and the remaining ones connecting points on other channels.

The twelve standard meridians go along the arms and the legs. They are: Lung, Large Intestine, Stomach, Spleen, Heart, Small Intestine, Urinary Bladder, Kidney, Pericardium, Triple Warmer (aka Triple Heater), Gall Bladder, and Liver. These terms refer to biological functions and not the structural organ, which is why there are some on the list with no corresponding anatomical structure.

Meridians are divided into Yin and Yang groups. The Yin meridians of the arm are: Lung, Heart, and Pericardium. The Yang meridians of the arm are: Large Intestine, Small Intestine, and Triple Warmer. The Yin Meridians of the leg are Spleen, Kidney, and Liver. The Yang meridians of the leg are Stomach, Bladder, and Gall Bladder.^[4]

The table below gives a more systematic list of the meridans:

Authors Hernan Garcia and Sierra Antonio argue that the Chinese meridians have their counterpart in the Mayan acupuncture techniques practiced in the Yucatan. They say that the analogous concept is that of wind channels, and that most of the key points in Mayan acupuncture correspond with key acupuncture points in the Chinese meridian model.^[5] Human respiratory system The lungs flank the heart and great vessels in the chest cavity. ... The pericardium is a double-walled sac that contains the heart and the roots of the great vessels. ... The heart and lungs, from an older edition of Grays Anatomy. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Colon (anatomy). ... The San Jiao (三焦, or 三膲 in ancient writing) is a traditional Chinese medical (TCM) concept of a functional organ that is not found outside of TCM (see Zang Fu theory). ... In biology the small intestine is the part of the gastrointestinal tract (gut) between the stomach and the large intestine and includes the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. ... The kidneys are organs that filter wastes (such as urea) from the blood and excrete them, along with water, as urine. ... The spleen is an organ located in the abdomen, where it functions in the destruction of old red blood cells and holding a reservoir of blood. ... The liver is an organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. ... In anatomy, the stomach is a bean-shaped hollow muscular organ of the gastrointestinal tract involved in the second phase of digestion, following mastication. ... A bladder is a pouch or other flexible enclosure with waterproof or gasproof walls. ... The gallbladder (or cholecyst) is a pear-shaped organ that stores bile (or gall) until the body needs it for digestion. ... this article concerns in particular the contemporary indigenous peoples and cultures who descend from, or remain, speakers of the Mayan languages of southern Mesoamerica. ...

Author Alberto Villoldo indicates that these Chinese meridians coincided exactly with the flux lines or cekes which are known to Inca medicine people as rios de luz, rivers of light that flow within the luminous body. The kawak, the seers, can see the rivers of light or cekes along the surface of the skin. And Shamans throughout the Americas rely on their ability to massage the points where it was blocked so that the light could flow freely again. ^[6] For other meanings of Inca, see Inca (disambiguation). ...

Criticism of TCM meridian theory

In 1694, during the "quarrel of the Ancients and Moderns", after having seen some meridian diagrams from the Lèi Jīng and misinterpreting them as anatomical drawings, British Scholar William Wotton wrote this famous criticism of TCM^[7]: William Wotton (August 13, 1666 - February 13, 1727), was an English scholar, chiefly remembered for his involvement in The Battle of the Books. ...

It would be tedious to dwell any longer upon such Notions as these, which every page of Cleyer's book is full of. The Anatomical Figures annexed to the Tracts, which also were sent out of China, are so very whimsical, that a Man would almost believe the whole to be a Banter, if these Theories were not agreeable to the occasional hints that may be found in the Travels of the Missionaries. This, however, does no prejudice to their [Medicinal Simples], which may, perhaps, be very admirable, and which a long Experience may have taught the Chineses to apply with great success; and it is possible that they may sometimes give not unhappy Guesses in ordinary Cases, by feeling their Patients Pulses: Still, this is little to Physic, as an Art; and however, the Chineses may be allowed to be excellent Empiricks, as many of the West-Indian Salvages [Savages] are, yet it cannot be believed that they can be tolerable Philosophers; which, in an Enquiry into the Learning of any Nation, is the first Question that is to be considered.

Later research seemed to disprove the claim of some authors that the existence of meridians could be proven by injecting radioactive tracers at acupuncture points.^[8]

Skeptics of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) often characterize the system as pseudoscientific. Proponents reply that TCM is a prescientific system that continues to have practical relevance. Information in this article or section has not been verified against sources and may not be reliable. ... Phrenology is regarded today as a classic example of pseudoscience. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

See: Acupuncture: Criticism of TCM theory

Acupuncture chart from Hua Shou (fl. ...

See also

• Terms and concepts in alternative medicine
• Marmam

Terms and concepts in alternative medicine provides a glossary of quick and to the point definitions of important terms and concepts unique to alternative medicine (CAM). ... Marmam (Pressure points) are vulnerable parts of the human body. ...

References

The headquarters of the Cambridge University Press, in Trumpington Street, Cambridge. ... The headquarters of the Cambridge University Press, in Trumpington Street, Cambridge. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 127th day of the year (128th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Bibliography

• Lo S.Y. (2002) Meridians in acupuncture and infrared imaging. Medical Hypotheses 58(1):72-76.

• Nuclear Medicine & Acupuncture: A study on the migration of radioactive isotopes after injection at Acupoints Nuclear Medicine & Acupuncture.

External links

• Meridian Pathways Images showing the pathways of the 12 main meridians plus the Ren and Du Meridians
• The Mechanism of Acupuncture
• A meridian chart
• Meridians, Acupuncture Points and Martial Arts Instructions
• Location Theory and Clinical Applications