Tung's Acupuncture Points 22.06 & 22.07 (Zhong Bai & Xia Bai)
Location: The points 22.06 and 22.07 are located on the triple warmer meridian. The point 22.06 is located in the same position as SJ 3, between the 4th and 5th metacarpals and 0.5 cun proximal to the knuckles.
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22.07 is located one cun proximal to 22.06 / SJ 3.
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Indications: As a pair these points treat conditions of the shao yang meridians. They can be used for temple headaches and GB meridian sciatica. Traditionally, they are used to benefit the functions of the kidneys and are used for nephritis, UTI's, kidney pain and lumbar pain.
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22.06 and 22.07 also treat chest and costal pain.
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As the GB and SJ meridians runs through the head and jaw they may also be used for TMJ, trigeminal neuralgia, and migraines. ​
Zhong Bai (SJ 3) & Xia Bai (Yao Tong Xue 2)
Master Tung's Hand Points for Headaches
In both TCM and Tung style acupuncture it is common to use points on the hands for treating headaches and migraines. Since the hands contain a high concentration of nerve endings, acupuncture points in the hands produce a strong neurolgical reaction. Additionally, the area of the sensory cortex that perceives sensations in the hands is larger than the areas occupied by other regions such as the arms.
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As hand points generate strong neurological reactions they will be some of the strongest points to use for treating headaches and migraines.
As these points are part of the shao yang meridians they are best used for temple headaches. When treating shao yang pattern headaches pair Zhong Bai and Xia Bai with points like GB 41, GB 42, or GB 43. Using just four points, two on the hands and two on the feet, is very effective for headaches in the gallbladder meridian. Needle 22.06 and 22.07 on the opposite side from the pain, and the gallbladder foot points on the same side as the headache.
How to Use 22.06 & 22.07 most effectively
There are several point combinations possible when using 22.06 or 22.07. I rarely use them as a pair as my experience has shown that they work very similar, and greater results can be achieved when either point is paired with another point between different metacarpal bones.
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For instance, for neck pain I prefer to needle 22.06 with 22.03. This is a treatment Dr. Tan taught that corresponds to imaging long bones to the spine, with the distal part of the long bones corresponding to the neck. He also taught that these points could be combined with LI 3 / 22.04 / Da Bai and SI 3 / 22.08.
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This point combination for neck pain including: LI 3, 22.03, 22.06, and SI 3 is very effective for many cases regardless of the underlying pathology. However, for conditions involving the spine, vertebrae, and discs it's usually not strong enough to get long term results.
I've also found that I can exclude LI 3 and SI 3 and get similar results as if I had needled all four points together. For this reason, I typically only needle 22.03 and 22.06 on the hand, but I will often add SJ 5. This is done on the oppostie side from the pain.
22.03 & 22.06 as a pair & Nerve distribution in the hands
When 22.03 and 22.06 are used together it will affect a wider nerve distribution across the hand as opposed to needling 22.06 and 22.07 together. We can see from the image that the triple warmer meridian is innervated by the ulnar nerve. In meridian terminology, when we needle 22.06 and 22.07 together we are primarily influencing the triple warmer meridian. However, by needling 22.03 and 22.06 together it will stimulate both the radial and ulnar nerves and more meridians. For treating general and diffuse neck pain with pathology at the more superficial levels, such as with tension in the trapezius, 22.03 and 22.06 is a winning combination.
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The 22.03 and 22.06 pair work great for the following conditions:
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Acute neck injuries and sprains
Pillow syndrome
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Chronically tight neck and shoulders with tension at GB 21
(add SJ 5 for this)
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Pain at UB 10 that is related to tension at GB 21 and in the trapezius
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We can see from the image that 22.03 and 22.06 will affect the Superfical Back Arm Line (SBAL). In myofascial anatomy the SBAL includes the trapezius, deltoids, forearm extensors, and fascia on the yang side of the hand where these points are located. However, remember that 22.03 and 22.06 as a pair affect a wider distribution of nerves.
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Using SJ 5 with Zhong Bai & Shang Bai
When using 22.06 and 22.03 as a pair I usually combine them with SJ 5, as these three points are a powerful dao ma. This acupuncture point combo can be used for neck pain, headaches, trigeminal neuralgia, tinnitus, and other disorders affecting the head and ears.
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Using SJ 3 and SJ 5 together is a point prescription that many acupuncturists are familar with, you can find this point combo in TCM for various patterns including external wind-heat invasions, liver yang rising, excess fire, etc. It can treat fevers, migraines, eye and ear problems, and shao yang neurological disorders. I use the term shao yang neurological disorders to refer to a number of patterns that involve the nervous system, head and sensory organs. often these patterns are rooted in liver patterns like liver yang rising, liver fire, or liver wind. Diseases that fall into these categories include dizziness, migraines, tinnitus, Meniere's, cerebrovascular accidents (CVA's), and trigemnial neuralgia. For many of these conditions the SJ 3 (22.06) and SJ 5 combination is indicated; however by adding 22.03 is increases the effectiveness and provides stronger stimulation.
As the points on the hands are used for treating the head and face, by extension and according to neurological changes, we can use the hand points for disorders affecting the brain. As we have already discussed the hands are very senstive and the sensory nerves in the cortex associated with the hands occupy a large area in the cortex. This makes the use of hand points for neurological conditions an important protocol.
Use 22.06 (SJ 3) with SJ 5 and 22.03 for Shao Yang Meridian symptoms and Neurolgical Disorders.
Shao Yang Meridian Patterns
The shao yang meridians of the triple warmer and gallbladder combine with two other meridian pairs to form what I call meridian circuits. These were first taught by Dr. Richard Tan and are a part of the Global Balance Method.
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The shao yang meridians connect to the jue yin, shao yin, and heart and spleen meridian pairs. These relationships are shown below in the diagrams.
Shao Yang - Jue yin
Shao Yang - shao Yin
Shao Yang - HT & SP
SJ - GB
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PC - LV
SJ - GB
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KI - HT
SJ - GB
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SP - HT
When symptoms occur in the gallbladder meridian it is usually best to start with san jiao points as the two are related through the shao yang connection. The shao yang relationship also relates to the lateral side of the body, so when conditions affect this region we need to think about using san jiao points.
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In terms of 5-elements SJ 3 is also the wood point so it can help to reduce fire. When paired with SJ 5 it can powerfully influence the gallbladder meridian and reduce pain in many body regions including the head, neck, shoulders, back, hips, legs, and feet.
I also like this point combination of 22.06 (SJ 3) and SJ 5 for its ability to affect the Superficial Back Arm Line (SBAL) in myofascial anatomy.
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From this image we can see that many of the triple warmer points are on the SBAL. This helps to explain many things about the actions of the triple warmer acupuncture points, and also reveals certain qualities about the Shao Yang relationship.
Notice that the trapezius is on this line and that the points GB 20 and GB 21 are a part of the SBAL. When we needle points like SJ 3 and SJ 5 we can see how it can directly influence GB 20 and GB 21 through myofascial mechanisms.
By twirling the needles it stretches the fascia and sends mechanical signals through the SBAL. A gentle stretch, de qi sensation, and neurological reactions all occur along the SBAL when we needle 22.06 and SJ 5 together.
As previously mentioned I also like to add 22.03 to this mix as it is a Master Tung hand point that will produce a strong reaction and increase the synergy among the points.
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