Kidney Meridian (足少阴肾经)

Meridian: Kidney Meridian of Foot-Shaoyin   

International Code: KI (Kidney Meridian)   

Circulation Time: Youshi (5:00–7:00 PM)   

Connected Zang-Fu: Pertains to the Kidney, connects to the Bladder   

Meridian with Same Name: Heart Meridian of Hand-Shaoyin   

Interior-Exterior Meridian: Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang

Brief Introduction   

The Kidney Meridian is one of the twelve regular meridians, one of the three Yin meridians of the foot. Superiorly, it connects to the Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang at the tip of the little toe; inferiorly, it meets the Pericardium Meridian of Hand-Jueyin inside the chest. The meridian runs under the little toe, the sole of the foot, the posterior border of the medial aspect of the lower limb, the chest and abdomen, and the clavicle, connecting to the throat and tongue. The first point is Yongquan (KI1), the last point is Shufu (KI27), with 27 points on each side. It mainly treats gynecological, genital, kidney, lung, and throat disorders, as well as conditions along the pathway of the meridian.

Point Descriptions

1.   Yongquan (KI1) – Jing-Well point – syncope, heatstroke, infantile convulsions, manic-depressive epilepsy, headache, dizziness, vertigo, insomnia, hemoptysis, sore throat, throat obstruction, loss of voice, difficult defecation, difficult urination, running piglet qi, heat in the sole

2.   Rangu (KI2) – Ying-Spring point – irregular menstruation, prolapse of the uterus, genital itching, turbid leukorrhea, seminal emission, impotence, difficult urination, hemoptysis, sore throat, wasting-thirst disorder, flaccid paralysis of the lower limb, foot dorsum pain, infantile tetanus, trismus, diarrhea

3.   Taixi (KI3) – Shu-Stream point and Yuan-Primary point – headache, dizziness, insomnia, poor memory, seminal emission, impotence, sore throat, toothache, tinnitus, deafness, cough, dyspnea, hemoptysis, chest pain, wasting-thirst disorder, frequent urination, constipation, irregular menstruation, low back pain, coldness of the lower limb, medial ankle swelling and pain

4.   Dazhong (KI4) – Luo-Connecting point – dementia, urinary retention, enuresis, constipation, irregular menstruation, hemoptysis, dyspnea, severe back pain, heel pain

5.   Huiquan (KI5) – Xi-Cleft point – irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea, prolapse of the uterus, difficult urination, stranguria, hematuria

6.   Zhaohai (KI6) – Eight Confluent point – insomnia, epilepsy, dry and painful throat, red and swollen eyes, irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea, leukorrhea, prolapse of the uterus, frequent urination, urinary retention

7.   Fuliu (KI7) – Jing-River point – edema, sweating disorders (anhidrosis or hyperhidrosis), abdominal distension, diarrhea, borborygmus, severe back pain, flaccid paralysis of the lower limb

8.   Jiaoxin (KI8) – Xi-Cleft point of the Yinqiao Vessel – irregular menstruation, metrorrhagia, prolapse of the uterus, genital itching, diarrhea, constipation, dysentery, five types of stranguria, hernia

9.   Zhubin (KI9) – Xi-Cleft point of the Yinwei Vessel – mania, hernia, vomiting of frothy saliva, tongue protrusion, medial calf pain

10. Yingu (KI10) – He-Sea point – mania, impotence, difficult urination, irregular menstruation, metrorrhagia, medial knee and thigh pain

11. Henggu (KI11) – lower abdominal distending pain, difficult urination, enuresis, seminal emission, impotence, hernia

12. Dahe (KI12) – meeting point of the Chong and Kidney Meridians – seminal emission, impotence, prolapse of the uterus, leukorrhea, irregular menstruation, diarrhea, dysentery

13. Qixue (KI13) – meeting point of the Chong and Kidney Meridians – irregular menstruation, leukorrhea, infertility, difficult urination, diarrhea, running piglet qi

14. Siman (KI14) – meeting point of the Chong and Kidney Meridians – irregular menstruation, metrorrhagia, leukorrhea, persistent postpartum lochiorrhea, seminal emission, enuresis, lower abdominal pain, constipation, edema

15. Zhongzhu (KI15) – meeting point of the Chong and Kidney Meridians – irregular menstruation, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea

16. Huangshu (KI16) – meeting point of the Chong and Kidney Meridians – periumbilical abdominal pain, abdominal distension, diarrhea, constipation, hernia, irregular menstruation

17. Shangqu (KI17) – meeting point of the Chong and Kidney Meridians – stomach pain, abdominal pain, abdominal distension, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal masses

18. Shiguan (KI18) – meeting point of the Chong and Kidney Meridians – stomach pain, vomiting, abdominal pain, constipation, postpartum abdominal pain, infertility

19. Yindu (KI19) – meeting point of the Chong and Kidney Meridians – stomach pain, abdominal distension, constipation

20. Futonggu (KI20) – meeting point of the Chong and Kidney Meridians – abdominal pain, abdominal distension, stomach pain, vomiting, cardiac pain, palpitations, chest pain

21. Youmen (KI21) – meeting point of the Chong and Kidney Meridians – abdominal pain, frequent hiccups, vomiting, abdominal distension, diarrhea

22. Bulang (KI22) – chest pain, cough, dyspnea, breast abscess

23. Shenfeng (KI23) – chest and hypochondriac fullness, cough, dyspnea, breast abscess, vomiting, poor appetite

24. Lingxu (KI24) – chest and hypochondriac fullness, cough, dyspnea, breast abscess, vomiting

25. Shencang (KI25) – chest and hypochondriac fullness, cough, dyspnea, vomiting, poor appetite

26. Yuzhong (KI26) – cough, dyspnea, chest and hypochondriac fullness, profuse phlegm

27. Shufu (KI27) – cough, dyspnea, chest pain