AcuPen Use Guide
ExtraHealthy's acupuncture pen has been designed to be safe for use all over the body so you can safely experiment what works for your own body when it comes to reducing bodily pains.
This pen operates without needles and delivers small electrical stimulation to the muscle fibers deep below the skin.
We recommend users start on a low setting and use the below guide to target the acupuncture points related to their pains.
By reviewing past literature and research in the field our team has come up with a easy to use guide on where to get start on your acupuncture journey
Lung Channel
The Lung Channel is a yin channel that consists of 11 points. It originates on the lateral chest, inferior to the acromial end of the clavicle and runs down the medial aspect of the upper arm where it crosses the cubital crease. It continues until it passes above the radial artery at the wrist, and emerges at the tip of the thumb.
Due to the location of this channel it is considered to be useful in the treatment of localised upper limb conditions. In the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions the most commonly utilised points are generally LU5 at the elbow and LU7 and LU9 at the wrist.
Large Intestine Channel
The Large Intestine Channel is a yang channel that consists of 20 points. It starts from the tip of the 2nd digit and runs between the 1st and 2nd digit and along the radial aspect of the forearm. It then proceeds along the lateral side of the forearm adjacent to the lateral epicondyle and along the anterolateral side of the upper arm, until it reaches the anterior eye of the shoulder. It then travels medially across the shoulder and neck and across the face and cheek where it then curves around the upper lip and crosses the midline to the opposite side of the face. Due to the Large Intestine channel’s location it is also considered to be beneficial in the treatment of localised upper limb conditions concerning the hand, elbow and shoulder. In the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions the most commonly utilised points are generally LI 4 in the hand, LI 11 at the elbow and LI 15 at the shoulder.
Stomach Channel
The Stomach Channel is a yang channel that consists of 45 points. It starts in the region of the end of the Large Intestine Meridian at the side of the nose below the eye and runs downwards to the lower jaw. There it then turns upwards, passing in front of the ear, until it reaches the corner of the forehead. It then runs back on itself to the lower jaw again and down the anterior aspect of the neck to the clavicle and subsequently the chest. It runs down the chest in line with the nipple then moves medially towards the midline where in runs parallel with the Conception Vessel to the groin. From there it moves laterally again to run down the anterior aspect on the thigh and lower leg and across the dorsum of the foot until it terminates at the lateral side of the tip of 2nd toe. Although the Stomach channel is an extensive one which runs the entire length of the body its main usage in a musculoskeletal setting tends to employs the points of the lower limb, mainly ST 35, ST 36 and ST 44.
Spleen Channel
The Spleen Channel is a yin channel that consists of 21 points. It begins at the 1st toe and runs along the medial aspect of the foot and travels upwards along the lower leg and thigh medially. Once reaching the abdomen it continues upwards toward the chest. As with the Stomach channel the Spleen is an extensive meridian which runs for most of the entire length of the body from the 1st toe to the upper chest but its main usage in a musculoskeletal setting is of the points of the lower limb, namely SP 6, SP 9 and SP 10.
Heart Channel
The Heart Channel is a yin channel that consists of 9 points. It starts under the arm in the axilla and runs along the inner side of the upper arm, past the elbow and down the forearm where it then crosses the inner side of the wrist and palm and ends at the inside tip of the little finger. From here it then connects with the yang Small Intestine Meridian. The Heart meridian is relatively short, only running the length of the upper limb and in the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions the main points utilised are HT 3 at the elbow and HT 7 at the wrist.
Small Intestine Channel
The Small Intestine Channel is a yang channel that consists of 19 points. It starts from the tip of the 5 th digit and runs proximally along the ulnar border passing adjacent to the medial epicondyle and upward until it reaches the back of shoulder. Here it zig zags across the scapula and across the neck and cheek until it reaches the anterior aspect of the ear. Due to the passage of the Small Intestine channel over the upper limb from the tip of the 5th digit to the ear there are a variety of points along its length that can be employed in the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions. These include SI 3 on the hand, SI 8 at the elbow to SI 11 across the dorsal shoulder region and SI 19.
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Bladder Channel
The Bladder channel is a yang channel that consists of 67 points. It originates at the medial aspect of the eye and runs over the forehead across the top of the head then goes across the back of the head to the neck where it divides into two branches. One branch extends caudad down the back at a distance of 1.5 cun parallel to the midline of the spine until it reaches the level of the 4th sacral foramen. The other branch crosses the back of the shoulder and runs downward 3 cun from the midline parallel to the inner branch. It continues down until it reaches the buttocks where two branches run across the back of thigh along different pathways that join at the back of the knee. The joint meridian then continues along the back of the lower leg, circles behind the outer ankle, runs along the outside of the foot and terminates on the lateral side of the tip of the 5th toe, where it connects with the Kidney Meridian. The Bladder channel is another extensive meridian which runs the entire length of the body but it however utilises various points along its length to aid in the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions. The Bladder points commonly used in the management of musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction are BL 10, BL 11 in the cervical region, BL 23, BL 25 in the lumbar region, BL 40 at the knee and BL 60 and BL 62 at the ankle.
Kidney Channel
The Kidney Channel is a yin channel that consists of 27 points. It starts on the sole of the foot and runs medially towards the arch of the foot, where it travels medially and proximally along the lower leg. It circles behind the medial malleolus and then travels along the medial aspect of the lower leg and along the thigh. From the groin it then moves over the abdomen and upwards until it reaches the upper part of the chest. The Kidney Meridian is another relatively long channel but has a limited application in a musculoskeletal setting. The main points employed in the management of musculoskeletal pain are KI 3 and KI 6 at the ankle and KI 10 at the knee.
Pericardium Channel
The Pericardium Meridian is a yang channel that consists of 9 points. It starts from the chest, and travels upwards to the axilla then down the arm. It runs along the medial aspect of the upper arm and continues on between the lung and heart channels until it reaches the cubital crease. It then runs down the forearm and enters the palm ending at the tip of the 3rd digit. A connecting branch also extends to join with the Triple Burner Meridian at the end of the ring finger. The notable acupuncture point on the Pericardium channel is PC6 located proximal to the wrist on the anterior aspect of each forearm. This point is considered to be an antiemetic point that has a marked effect on nausea, vomiting and post-operative pain
Triple Energiser Channel
The Triple Energiser Channel is a yang channel that consists of 23 points. It begins at the outer tip of the ring finger and goes along the back of the hand, wrist, forearm and upper arm, until it reaches the shoulder region. There it runs up the side of the neck, circles the ear and face, and finally ends at the outer end of the eyebrow where it connects with the Gall Bladder Meridian. The Triple Energiser channel has two main points most commonly used in the management of musculoskeletal pain, these are TE 5 proximal to the wrist on the poster aspect of the forearm and TE 14 which is located in the posterior “eye of the shoulder.”
Gall Bladder Channel
The Gall Bladder Channel is a yang channel that consists of 44 points. It starts from the outer corner of the eye, runs laterally and backwards towards the ear where it then runs back and forth at the lateral side of the head before running forward above the eye then returning backwards and curving behind the ear. It then reaches the top of the shoulder and crosses the lateral side of rib cage and abdomen, until it ends up at the side of the hip. It then runs toward the lateral side of the thigh and lower leg. After crossing the ankle, it goes over the foot to reach to the tip of the 4th toe. A small connecting branch leaves the meridian and connects the Gall Bladder and Liver Meridians. The Gall Bladder Meridian is another long channel that runs the length of the entire body. It has an extensive distribution of points on the lateral aspects of the head that are often employed in the management of headaches. In a purely musculoskeletal setting however the most common Gall Bladder points needled are GB 20 and GB 21 at the neck and shoulder, GB 30 in the gluteal region and GB 34 distal to the lateral aspect of the knee.
Liver Channel
The Liver Channel is a yin channel that consists of 14 points. It starts from the 1st toe and goes across the top of the foot. After crossing the medial aspect of the ankle, it continues to go upwards along the lower leg and the thigh medially. It then extends upwards across the abdomen and reaches the lower chest laterally where it terminates. The Liver Meridian’s main musculoskeletal points are LR 3 on the dorsum of the foot and LR 8 at the knee.
Conception Vessel
The Conception Vessel is considered to be one of the eight extra meridians. It is a yin meridian that consists of 24 points. It originates at the centre of the perineum and runs cephalad along the anterior midline of the torso until it reaches the head where it continues it continues over the face terminating at the centre of the mentolabial groove directly below the lip. The Conception Vessel represents the convergence of all the yin meridians.
The Governor Vessel
The Governor Vessel is considered to be one of the eight extra meridians. It is a yang meridian that consists of 28 points. It originates at the base of the spine below the coccyx and runs cephalad along the spinal column until it reaches the apex of the skull where it continues it pathway downward over the face terminating at the junction of the gum and the fraenulum of the upper lip. The Governor Vessel represents the convergence of all the yang meridians. The most commonly used Governor Vessel points for the management of musculoskeletal conditions are GV 4 in the lumbar region, GV 14 at the base of the neck and GV 20 at the vertex of the skull.
I hope this guide can get you started on your relaxation journey.