Category Archives: Shoulder pain

Neck Problems Sorted

Confusion, Ear problems, Neck pain, Psycho-emotional, Shoulder pain, , , , , ,

Tianchuang – Heavenly Window – Small Intestine 16

neck problemI am currently rewriting the manual for my Five Element Acupressure courses. In doing so, I am making a change to one of the points in the palette of 50 points introduced in Level 1. For over 30 years I have been practising and teaching the basic neck release which I learned in the first acupressure class I took in 1985. One of these points, known as the Extra Neck Point, is not a meridian point, and serves as a kind of surrogate for the many other meridian points in the neck. The change I am making is to replace the extra neck point with the meridian point that is anatomically closest to it. This is Small Intestine 16, Tianchuang (Heavenly Window).

The Small Intestine meridian is the go-to meridian for neck and shoulder pain, so it is appropriate to choose the SI point in the middle of the neck. It fits well with two other SI points of the neck and shoulders release, SI 10 and SI 11. It treats neck pain, shoulder pain which radiates to the neck, and stiffness of the neck which causes difficulty in turning the head to the side. Also at the physical level, Tianchuang treats throat pain, loss of voice, lockjaw, deafness, tinnitus and ear pain.

This point is also important as one of the category of points known as the Windows of the Sky, or Windows of Heaven. (The tian part of the name means heaven.) Modern TCM texts tend to prescribe these points to clear congestion in the sense organs, interpreting tian as a reference to the head, rather than anything mystical or spiritual; and disorders where the Qi of the head is in disharmony with the Qi of the body.

Five Element practitioners have come to regard these Windows of Heaven points as also having a deeper psyhoemotional, or even psychospiritual effect. When a person has lost connection to True Nature, that which transcends the body and the small self, then these points are called for. By ‘opening the window’, the client is supported to see beyond the obscurations that have clouded his view. Each Window point is used in the context of the issues of its corresponding official. The primary function of the Small Intestine official, the Sorter, is to sort the pure from the impure. The small intestine organ itself sorts the nutrition from the waste of the food we eat. At a higher level, if we are unable to sort out what is good for us at emotional, psychological and spiritual levels, then Tianchuang can help. Ultimately, the Sorter’s role is to protect the Heart, Emperor of the kingdom. A healthy Sorter knows what is good for us and can therefore be let into the inner sanctum, and what is not good for us and needs to be kept out.

Location of Small Intestine 16

SI 16

 

At the back border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, at the level of the laryngeal prominence (Adam’s apple). If you turn your head to the left against resistance, the muscle on the right side of the neck becomes prominent.

Point of the Shoulder

Arm pain, Confusion, Headache, Hypertension, Neck pain, Shoulder pain, , , , ,

Last weekend I finished teaching a Level 1 Acupressure class which includes a highly effective neck and shoulder treatment. A point not included in that treatment is a point on the corner of the shoulder which students would do well to include when treating the shoulder.

Jianyu ~ Shoulder Bone ~ Large Intestine 15

6.13The scapula or shoulder blade is a bone that is attached to the rest of the skeleton by one small joint at the point of the shoulder. This is the acromioclavicular (AC) joint. Since this is the only place at which the scapula articulates with the skeleton, a great deal of stress can be placed on this joint.

Otherwise the scapula is held in place by the 17 muscles that attach to it, connecting it to the arm, chest, ribs, spine and neck in various ways. Given that we all have unique ways of holding and moving our upper body, the positioning of the scapula shows incredibly wide variations among people.

The acu-point that is very close to the AC joint is Jianyu – Shoulder Bone on the Large Intestine meridian. John Cross (2006) calls this the shoulder chakra, a minor chakra or energy vortex that influences the whole of the shoulder region. It is a powerful point for congestion in the shoulder, since most shoulder problems affect this place where the shoulder meets the arm.

Peter Deadman (2007) hails it as the preeminent point for treating the shoulder, for it treats paralysis of the arm, shoulder and hand, atrophy of the arm and upper body, arthritis and bursitis of the shoulder, and the chronic condition known as frozen shoulder. It benefits when there is an inability to raise the arm to the head, or to turn the head. Overall it promotes the circulation of Qi and blood throughout the upper arm.

What makes this such a potent point is that, like another important shoulder point SI 10, LI 15 is a meeting point with the Extraordinary Vessel Yang Qiao Mai (Yang Motility Vessel) whose trajectory includes the sides of the body from ankle to shoulder, as well as the neck, face and head. Because of this, Jianyu releases energy to the brain, provides mental clarity, and is good for mental exhaustion and headaches. It works well in conjunction with BL 62 which is the master point of the Yang Motility Vessel.

The point also treats windstroke and clears heat, thereby relieving skin rashes including hives (for which it is best combined with LI 4 and LI 11) and for treating toothache and hypertension. It can control sweating, including underarm perspiration. And it is available as a first aid point for concussion, shock and electric shock.

In short, Jianyu helps the shoulder to let go, which reminds us that letting go is one of the functions of the Large Intestine official. Most shoulder tension arises not simply from usage, but from solidified emotional patterns. We hold ourselves in ways that somatically replicate our inner state. Letting go in the shoulder involves letting go of the emotions, ideas and beliefs that dictate our posture and which are no longer of value in our lives.

Location of Large Intestine 15

6.14

 

If you bend your elbow and raise your arm to shoulder height, two hollows appear at the point of the shoulder. LI 15 lies is the anterior (front) hollow. Once located, lower the arm and apply moderate, direct pressure.

 

This is an extract from my first book ‘The Way of the Five Elements’ which focuses on acupoints as a vehicle for healing. My second book ‘The Way of the Five Seasons’ explores many other ways we can heal through the Five Element model. Both books, published by Singing Dragon Press, are available now.

For signed copies at A$40 + postage, contact me directly.

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