THE CLINICAL USE OF THE BACK-SHU POINTS
When giving my lectures I am often surprised by the fact that many practitioners do not use the Back-Shu points very much. In this short article I would like to explain how I use the Back-Shu points in practice. The Back-Shu points are mentioned in various chapters of the Nei Jing. Chapter 51 of the "Ling Shu" lists the Back-Shu points of the five Zang.1 Chapter 59 of the "Su Wen" discusses the Back-Shu points of the Fu; in all, the Nei Jing lists 10 Back-Shu points, leaving out BL-22 Sanjiaoshu, first mentioned in the "ABC of Acupuncture" (Jia Yi Jing, AD 282), and BL-14 Jueyinshu, first mentioned in the "1000 Golden Ducats Prescriptions" (Qian Jin Yao Fang, AD 652).2 The Chinese character (Shu 俞 ) denoting these points means “to transport” indicating that they transport Qi to the inner organs. Each point takes its name from the corresponding organ, e.g. BL-15 Xinshu is “Heart-Shu”. The importance of the Back-Shu points in treatment cannot ...