Acupuncture Meridian Chart

In the practice of acupuncture, there are different charts that the acupuncturist must refer to after making a diagnosis so that the needles or pressure can be inserted where they need to be for that particular person. There are acupuncture point charts, ear acupuncture charts and acupuncture meridian charts depending on the needs of the person being treated.

There are twenty meridians that connect each of the four hundred acupuncture points that are listed on an acupuncture meridian chart. There are twelve regular channels and eight extraordinary meridians that are used that connect the points.

The twelve standard ones are related to the arms and legs and cover all the major systems of the body. These are all divided into yin and yang groups of correlating functions, all of which offset the others and work together to form a whole so that the body is balanced.

Twelve Meridians

According to an acupuncture meridian chart, there are six meridians that are related to the hand and six that are related to the foot. Each meridian is also related to the yin or yang and is also related to one of the primary elements such as wood, earth, fire or water or metal.

Each meridian is related to an organ of the body so that when that area is treated, that is the organ that is affected.

The meridians of the hand cover the lungs, heart, pericardium, triple heater, small intestine and the large intestine. Each of these is tied to a yin or yang and is mostly in the primary elements of metal or fire. In the foot, the meridians cover the spleen, kidney, liver, gallbladder, bladder and stomach.

According to an acupuncture meridian chart these are also tied to a yin or yang and cover the primary elements of water, wood and earth. Each of these points is treated through the insertion of needles or by applying pressure to these points in order to treat ailments in the patient regarding these functions of the body.

The idea behind acupuncture is that when ailments occur in the patient it is due to the body getting out of balance in one of these regions so that the yin or yang is functioning improperly, which throws the body out of balance as a whole.

If the acupuncture meridian chart is followed correctly, the flow between regions can be restored to the proper balance so that the body has wholeness to it again with the yin and yang balanced.