Dynamic Points: An Introduction
The term "动穴“ (dynamic points) was coined by Jiangxi TCM College professor Wei Jia (魏稼教授) to describe a class of acupoints that have no fixed name, location, or number, and are often in a hidden or mobile state, requiring special diagnostic techniques to identify.
In two articles published in 2008*, Professor Wei Jia introduced the term and its definition, as well as the historical usage of such points, different types of identification techniques, and numerous anecdotal examples of their use from his personal experience.
In 2009 Prof Wei came to my campus to give a lecture on the topic. The material he presented was intriguing, but completely new to me. I was impressed by Prof Wei's background, his questioning attitude, and his strong criticism of the overwhelming emphasis on "static points" in acumoxa education. In the Q&A session after the lecture I asked him how, if dynamic points were made part of a school curriculum, would he suggest testing the students' understanding, and he replied simply that this was a difficult problem, and one that had not been addressed yet. This answer greatly impressed me, as it is a rare professor who will cheerfully admit to not having the answer to something (especially in public)!
After hearing his lecture I located the two 2008 articles, and the ideas presented there allowed my thinking to expand in new ways. The disconnect between the authoritative listing of indications for each "static point" in my textbooks (described by Prof Wei as "philological summarization") and clinical reality still remained, but I felt as if I was suddenly given the tools (and, in a way, the permission) to begin my own exploration of the channels and points. My new understanding was that the clinical usage of the static information presented in textbooks required examination of the dynamic body. And how could it be examined? Through touch, through visual observation, through application of heat . . . through attentive communication with the patient.
What a delight! To know that this was indeed "Real Chinese Medicine", to know that it produced obvious therapeutic effects, to know that I would have to palpate and observe and listen to each patient before needling them . . . this is why I came to study this art!
In these pages I hope first to introduce the concept of dynamic and static points as described by Professor Wei Jia, then broaden out to include related ideas and work by other authors.
*”动穴疗效钩玄“ 中医药通报 2008年 第7卷 第1期，”动穴定位钩玄“ 中医药通报 2008年 第7卷 第4期
A Clear Definition
Prof Wei begins his first article* with a clear definition of the terms 'dynamic points' and 'static points'.
"The term dynamic points refers to those movement holes** that are in a hidden or mobile state. These points, distributed over the body, are numberless, nameless, and their location is not fixed.
"Static points refers to those named, numbered movement holes with fixed locations that are, relatively speaking, in a static state.
"Dynamic points are located primarily on the basis of clinical examination, while the location of static points is based on their locations as recorded in the literature.
"An example of dynamic points would be A-shi points, while channel points of the 14 channels and the extraordinary points are examples of static points.
*《动穴疗效钩玄》"On the Efficacy of Dynamic Points"
**Here 'movement hole' is used as a literal translation of the Chinese term 俞穴 (shū xué).
The Curious Efficacy of Dynamic Points
Dr Wei's interest in dynamic points was spurred by curious experiences he has had over his long clinical career. In the article "On the Efficacy of Dynamic Points", he organized these experiences into 5 different events or periods in his life.
This post is composed of examples from the first period, occurring relatively early in his career:
In the 1950's and 60's, when he was sent to the countryside to practice medicine, it was very common for acupuncturists to treat conditions like toothache, abdominal pain, Bell's palsy, sores and boils, etc. When treating toothache, it was often enough to use standard static points like hegu, xiache, xiaguan, etc, but sometimes needling these points did not help. In these cases he would change methods; he would search for and needle sensitive points on the head and face and along the hand yang-ming channel. This method produced results 'like striking a drum produces sound'. For example, one patient's toothache was immediately relieved when two sensitive spots - one about one cun below renying and another near jianyu - were needled.
When treating abdominal pain related to digestive tract illness - a very common condition in the countryside - needling zusanli, hegu, zhongwan, tianshu, etc, would usually do the trick, but not every arrow would hit the target, so to speak. When these static points did not resolve the patient's complaint, he would search for and needle sensitive points close to either side of the thoracic and lumbar spine, or along the portion of the yang-ming channels below the elbows or knees, often producing results that exceeded expectations. For example, after finding pressure-sensitive points beside the 10th and 12th thoracic vertebra of a patient with ulceration of the stomach and duodenum, needling those points caused the pain to cease immediately.
In most cases, using standard static treatment points worked when treating facial paralysis. In one patient's case, however, results were slow in coming. This patient's paralysis was originally caused by herpes zoster, and he had blisters distributed over his left ear and throughout his hair. Dr Wei changed his needling method to focus on the original disease - inserting 2-3 needles at each blistered area. Not only did this cure the patient's herpes zoster, but the symptoms of drooping eyes and mouth were also quickly resolved.
Another patient with facial paralysis complained that one half of their tongue was numb and was insensitive to taste. Other aspects of the disease showed improvement with the use of standard points, but the tongue issue still remained. Dr Wei located a pressure-sensitive point about one cun below daying on the lower jaw, and inserted a needle at this point up along the inside of the jaw bone to a depth of about 1.5 cun. After needling this point a second time, the symptoms of tongue numbness and loss of taste were resolved.
Localized skin infections were a common condition in the countryside - for example, sores, boils and swellings occurring on the shoulders and buttocks. It was difficult to throughly treat these conditions with antibiotics, and sometimes they had no effect at all. Instead, Dr Wei would insert needles about one cun away from the focus of the infection, or in local sensitive points. This would immediately bring the inflammation under control, and significantly shorten the amount of time needed for recovery.
These experiences inspired Dr Wei to reflect on the nature of acupoint theory. Through clinical exploration, a palpable distance between the theory of static points as recorded in acupuncture texts and actual practice was felt, and it became obvious that static point theory was inherently uncertain and limited; it could not be seen as an immutable law, and it would need to be continuously tested by clinical practice and developed further through application.The next post will continue with what Dr Wei referred to as the second event in the development of his interest in dynamic points.
A Personal Experience With Dynamic Points
The second event occurred as follows:
In the 1980's, the author had a personal health experience concerning dynamic points. At that time, he often contracted chronic rhinitis and upper respiratory infections that would gradually worsen with repeated contraction of colds. These conditions were treated with drugs, but the results were just passable, and his symptoms of running nose, phlegmy coughs, and even oppression and pain in the chest continued without relief.
In the spring of 1983, during a bout of severe cold symptoms that were not relieved by drugs, the author decided to try a method of stimulating acupoints. To this end, he brought down Wang Zhi-zhong’s Song dynasty acupuncture and moxibustion text Zhen Jiu Zi Sheng Jing from his shelf, and, using the method of pressing acupoints described within, found a pressure-sensitive point just beside zhongfu (LU-1) on his left chest. After applying finger pressure to this sensitive point for a minute or so, the pain in his chest was relieved considerably. He continued this treatment for another three days, applying pressure once every 5-6 hours. As the painful points disappeared, so did his symptoms, and he recovered completely around the tenth day.
When winter arrived, he again suffered from an upper respiratory infection, and although this time he did not have chest pain, nor was zhongfu sensitized, he was able to find a sensitive spot in the rib-space above the right nipple, just to the inside of yingchuang (ST-16). After applying finger-pressure to this spot three times, the sensitized area moved to next rib-space up, to the outside of kufang (ST-14). After about a week of applying pressure to this point, he completely recovered from the infection.
The following spring, during a surprise attack of an even more severe cold, multiple sensitive points appeared under the left nipple near yuanye (GB-22). After trying acupressure on these points twice without effect, he decided the amount and strength of stimulation was to blame, and applied strong pressure for 1.5 minutes to each point, repeating the treatment every 4 hours. After three applications of this treatment his symptoms began to lessen, and he recovered from the disease after days.
After this, he would perform the same treatment every time he got a cold, and used it as early prevention as well, each time getting fast results. In this way, his several-decade-long history of chronic bronchitis improved year by year, and very rarely contracted colds.
Through this personal experience, he realized that finger pressure of dynamic points was the same as needling, and that both could be used to fight infections. He also be came aware of the dynamic nature of these sensitive points, in that even with the same patient and the same disease, the points, far from being fixed in one place, would be constantly changing and moving during the course of the disease.
Ear Acupoints Are Also Dynamic
The third experience occurred when using ear acupoints in a treatment. At first, he applied the treatment according to the theory regarding the set positions and indications of the several dozen ear acupoints. For example, selecting ‘throat’ and ‘tonsil’ points for needling in the treatment of acute tonsillitis, which will obtain a certain treatment effect.
On one occasion he encountered a patient with acute tonsillitis for whom this treatment did not work. In a new approach, he tried searching for sensitive points in the outer ear by applying pressure with a matchstick, and after choosing 2-3 points, pressed about 100 times on each point. The patient immediately felt a reduction in the pain in his throat, and after continuing this treatment once every 5 hours or so, the inflammation was quickly brought under control, the redness and swelling of the tonsils went away, and 4 days later the patient had basically recovered.
After this experience, no matter the type of disease pattern, if the treatment was to include ear acupoints he would use this method, and the results consistently out performed using ‘static points’ on the ear. He realized that using dynamic points on the ear was also highly clinically significant, and at the same time it saved a lot of unnecessary time and energy spent in memorizing and locating points. This experience also strengthened his suspicions about the practicality and scientific nature of the pre-existing ear point theory*.
*see《对‘穴标’和耳穴的思考》中医药通报 2007年6月 第6卷 第3期
NOTE: Due to my current workload I am forced to put this project on hold - but there is more to come! 10/12
The term "动穴“ (dynamic points) was coined by Jiangxi TCM College professor Wei Jia (魏稼教授) to describe a class of acupoints that have no fixed name, location, or number, and are often in a hidden or mobile state, requiring special diagnostic techniques to identify.
In two articles published in 2008*, Professor Wei Jia introduced the term and its definition, as well as the historical usage of such points, different types of identification techniques, and numerous anecdotal examples of their use from his personal experience.
In 2009 Prof Wei came to my campus to give a lecture on the topic. The material he presented was intriguing, but completely new to me. I was impressed by Prof Wei's background, his questioning attitude, and his strong criticism of the overwhelming emphasis on "static points" in acumoxa education. In the Q&A session after the lecture I asked him how, if dynamic points were made part of a school curriculum, would he suggest testing the students' understanding, and he replied simply that this was a difficult problem, and one that had not been addressed yet. This answer greatly impressed me, as it is a rare professor who will cheerfully admit to not having the answer to something (especially in public)!
After hearing his lecture I located the two 2008 articles, and the ideas presented there allowed my thinking to expand in new ways. The disconnect between the authoritative listing of indications for each "static point" in my textbooks (described by Prof Wei as "philological summarization") and clinical reality still remained, but I felt as if I was suddenly given the tools (and, in a way, the permission) to begin my own exploration of the channels and points. My new understanding was that the clinical usage of the static information presented in textbooks required examination of the dynamic body. And how could it be examined? Through touch, through visual observation, through application of heat . . . through attentive communication with the patient.
What a delight! To know that this was indeed "Real Chinese Medicine", to know that it produced obvious therapeutic effects, to know that I would have to palpate and observe and listen to each patient before needling them . . . this is why I came to study this art!
In these pages I hope first to introduce the concept of dynamic and static points as described by Professor Wei Jia, then broaden out to include related ideas and work by other authors.
*”动穴疗效钩玄“ 中医药通报 2008年 第7卷 第1期，”动穴定位钩玄“ 中医药通报 2008年 第7卷 第4期
A Clear Definition
Prof Wei begins his first article* with a clear definition of the terms 'dynamic points' and 'static points'.
"The term dynamic points refers to those movement holes** that are in a hidden or mobile state. These points, distributed over the body, are numberless, nameless, and their location is not fixed.
"Static points refers to those named, numbered movement holes with fixed locations that are, relatively speaking, in a static state.
"Dynamic points are located primarily on the basis of clinical examination, while the location of static points is based on their locations as recorded in the literature.
"An example of dynamic points would be A-shi points, while channel points of the 14 channels and the extraordinary points are examples of static points.
*《动穴疗效钩玄》"On the Efficacy of Dynamic Points"
**Here 'movement hole' is used as a literal translation of the Chinese term 俞穴 (shū xué).
The Curious Efficacy of Dynamic Points
Dr Wei's interest in dynamic points was spurred by curious experiences he has had over his long clinical career. In the article "On the Efficacy of Dynamic Points", he organized these experiences into 5 different events or periods in his life.
This post is composed of examples from the first period, occurring relatively early in his career:
In the 1950's and 60's, when he was sent to the countryside to practice medicine, it was very common for acupuncturists to treat conditions like toothache, abdominal pain, Bell's palsy, sores and boils, etc. When treating toothache, it was often enough to use standard static points like hegu, xiache, xiaguan, etc, but sometimes needling these points did not help. In these cases he would change methods; he would search for and needle sensitive points on the head and face and along the hand yang-ming channel. This method produced results 'like striking a drum produces sound'. For example, one patient's toothache was immediately relieved when two sensitive spots - one about one cun below renying and another near jianyu - were needled.
When treating abdominal pain related to digestive tract illness - a very common condition in the countryside - needling zusanli, hegu, zhongwan, tianshu, etc, would usually do the trick, but not every arrow would hit the target, so to speak. When these static points did not resolve the patient's complaint, he would search for and needle sensitive points close to either side of the thoracic and lumbar spine, or along the portion of the yang-ming channels below the elbows or knees, often producing results that exceeded expectations. For example, after finding pressure-sensitive points beside the 10th and 12th thoracic vertebra of a patient with ulceration of the stomach and duodenum, needling those points caused the pain to cease immediately.
In most cases, using standard static treatment points worked when treating facial paralysis. In one patient's case, however, results were slow in coming. This patient's paralysis was originally caused by herpes zoster, and he had blisters distributed over his left ear and throughout his hair. Dr Wei changed his needling method to focus on the original disease - inserting 2-3 needles at each blistered area. Not only did this cure the patient's herpes zoster, but the symptoms of drooping eyes and mouth were also quickly resolved.
Another patient with facial paralysis complained that one half of their tongue was numb and was insensitive to taste. Other aspects of the disease showed improvement with the use of standard points, but the tongue issue still remained. Dr Wei located a pressure-sensitive point about one cun below daying on the lower jaw, and inserted a needle at this point up along the inside of the jaw bone to a depth of about 1.5 cun. After needling this point a second time, the symptoms of tongue numbness and loss of taste were resolved.
Localized skin infections were a common condition in the countryside - for example, sores, boils and swellings occurring on the shoulders and buttocks. It was difficult to throughly treat these conditions with antibiotics, and sometimes they had no effect at all. Instead, Dr Wei would insert needles about one cun away from the focus of the infection, or in local sensitive points. This would immediately bring the inflammation under control, and significantly shorten the amount of time needed for recovery.
These experiences inspired Dr Wei to reflect on the nature of acupoint theory. Through clinical exploration, a palpable distance between the theory of static points as recorded in acupuncture texts and actual practice was felt, and it became obvious that static point theory was inherently uncertain and limited; it could not be seen as an immutable law, and it would need to be continuously tested by clinical practice and developed further through application.The next post will continue with what Dr Wei referred to as the second event in the development of his interest in dynamic points.
A Personal Experience With Dynamic Points
The second event occurred as follows:
In the 1980's, the author had a personal health experience concerning dynamic points. At that time, he often contracted chronic rhinitis and upper respiratory infections that would gradually worsen with repeated contraction of colds. These conditions were treated with drugs, but the results were just passable, and his symptoms of running nose, phlegmy coughs, and even oppression and pain in the chest continued without relief.
In the spring of 1983, during a bout of severe cold symptoms that were not relieved by drugs, the author decided to try a method of stimulating acupoints. To this end, he brought down Wang Zhi-zhong’s Song dynasty acupuncture and moxibustion text Zhen Jiu Zi Sheng Jing from his shelf, and, using the method of pressing acupoints described within, found a pressure-sensitive point just beside zhongfu (LU-1) on his left chest. After applying finger pressure to this sensitive point for a minute or so, the pain in his chest was relieved considerably. He continued this treatment for another three days, applying pressure once every 5-6 hours. As the painful points disappeared, so did his symptoms, and he recovered completely around the tenth day.
When winter arrived, he again suffered from an upper respiratory infection, and although this time he did not have chest pain, nor was zhongfu sensitized, he was able to find a sensitive spot in the rib-space above the right nipple, just to the inside of yingchuang (ST-16). After applying finger-pressure to this spot three times, the sensitized area moved to next rib-space up, to the outside of kufang (ST-14). After about a week of applying pressure to this point, he completely recovered from the infection.
The following spring, during a surprise attack of an even more severe cold, multiple sensitive points appeared under the left nipple near yuanye (GB-22). After trying acupressure on these points twice without effect, he decided the amount and strength of stimulation was to blame, and applied strong pressure for 1.5 minutes to each point, repeating the treatment every 4 hours. After three applications of this treatment his symptoms began to lessen, and he recovered from the disease after days.
After this, he would perform the same treatment every time he got a cold, and used it as early prevention as well, each time getting fast results. In this way, his several-decade-long history of chronic bronchitis improved year by year, and very rarely contracted colds.
Through this personal experience, he realized that finger pressure of dynamic points was the same as needling, and that both could be used to fight infections. He also be came aware of the dynamic nature of these sensitive points, in that even with the same patient and the same disease, the points, far from being fixed in one place, would be constantly changing and moving during the course of the disease.
Ear Acupoints Are Also Dynamic
The third experience occurred when using ear acupoints in a treatment. At first, he applied the treatment according to the theory regarding the set positions and indications of the several dozen ear acupoints. For example, selecting ‘throat’ and ‘tonsil’ points for needling in the treatment of acute tonsillitis, which will obtain a certain treatment effect.
On one occasion he encountered a patient with acute tonsillitis for whom this treatment did not work. In a new approach, he tried searching for sensitive points in the outer ear by applying pressure with a matchstick, and after choosing 2-3 points, pressed about 100 times on each point. The patient immediately felt a reduction in the pain in his throat, and after continuing this treatment once every 5 hours or so, the inflammation was quickly brought under control, the redness and swelling of the tonsils went away, and 4 days later the patient had basically recovered.
After this experience, no matter the type of disease pattern, if the treatment was to include ear acupoints he would use this method, and the results consistently out performed using ‘static points’ on the ear. He realized that using dynamic points on the ear was also highly clinically significant, and at the same time it saved a lot of unnecessary time and energy spent in memorizing and locating points. This experience also strengthened his suspicions about the practicality and scientific nature of the pre-existing ear point theory*.
*see《对‘穴标’和耳穴的思考》中医药通报 2007年6月 第6卷 第3期
NOTE: Due to my current workload I am forced to put this project on hold - but there is more to come! 10/12