Coordinating Eight Extraordinary Vessels Technique (EEVT) will maximize your treatment effect

Underlying Theories of Acupuncture Treatment (22)

Eight Extraordinary Vessels (EEV): Governing Vessel, Conception Vessel, Thrusting Vessel, Girdle Vessel, Yang Heel Vessel, Yin Heel Vessel, Yang Linking Vessel, and Yin Linking vessel are equally crucial as twelve meridians for acupuncture treatment. But there is a limitation for acupuncturists using EEV due to a lack of understanding of EEV. I believe that currently, not many acupuncture schools lecture the EEV than simply introducing it. This month, I will explain and provide enough information about each EEV application for acupuncture treatment.

▲What are the functions of the EEV?

1. To provide sufficient physical power for physical labor or high-intensity workout and maintain normal Twelve Meridians’ normal functions.
2. To supply energy for Six Extraordinary Organs and enhance the functions of each Six Extraordinary Organs such as Marrow, Brain, Bone, Uterus, Vessels, and the Gall Bladder.
3. To enhance the mechanism of expelling pathogen(邪氣) in a human body and building healthy Qi (正氣).
4. To increase natural human frequency.
5. To make a particular part of the circulation of the fluid and humor(津液).
6. To help Triple Energizer (三焦) function and affect the brain’s emotional aspects and cognitive function.
7. To be an essential part of the composition of the Meridian Vessel (經脈) with the Twelve Meridians(十二正經) and taking part in maintaining the normal circulation of both Qi and Blood (氣血).
8. Comparing the Twelve Medians’ function tends to work in detail and be passive and specific; the EEV performs overall and general and active tasks in the human body.
9. The EEV is the primary agent of governing and being a mother of all Qi in the body.
10. To be a pathway of ascending Qi which formed from food digestion in the stomach.

▲Extraordinary Organs(奇恒之腑)

Extraordinary Organs are a collective term for the brain, marrow, bones, blood vessels, gallbladder, and uterus. They are called extraordinary because their morphological and physiological properties are different from the ordinary bowels and viscera.

Extraordinary Organs afford a background for shaping the human body. This is the same as the properties of the earth, which afford background for shaping all creations. Extraordinary Organs’ physiological characteristics are intermediation and regulation between Qi of Five Viscera & six Bowels and the shape of muscles & skins in the human body.

The origin of EEV could be found in HuangdiNeijing. The Uterus and Epiglottis Meridian’s collateral Meridians are formulated explicitly to supplying for the Uterus or Epiglottis. We can draw The Association between Extraordinary Organs and EEV; EEV is specifically formulated to supply for Extraordinary Organs.

The healthy Qi (正氣) is doing a significant function in EEV supplying for Extraordinary Organs. The healthy Qi (正氣) is concerned about growth, secondary sexual characters, generative function, the aging process. These are all concerned with the changing of human body shape. Healthy Qi (正氣) urges to change the body shape by following the human life cycle.

▲ What are the characteristics of EEV?

1. There are no solid relationships of Yin-Yang and Interior-Exterior for the EEV.
2. Distributions of the Twelve Meridians are Left-Right symmetry, but not all EEV is symmetrical. For example, EEV has no Left-Right symmetric distribution. Conception Vessel (任脈), Governor Vessel (督脈), the Belt Vessel (帶脈) have only one vessel, but the Thoroughfare Vessel (衝脈), Yin Heel Vessel (陰蹻脈), Yang Heel Vessel (陽蹻脈), Yin Link Vessel (陰維脈), Yang Link Vessel (陽維脈) have bilateral symmetry.
3. There is no direct relationship between the Viscera(臟) and Bowels(腑). It is not applicable the theory of the Five Element, Six Meridian Diagnosis, Yin and Yang, and Interior-Exterior.
4. There is no fixed Qi movement order for the EEV.
5. There is no fixed time for activation of EEV.
6. Qi movement along with EEV is up and down, oblique, and crossing the human body.
7. The distribution of each EEV is varied. Some located vertically in the center of the body and the others located on right and left side of the body.
8. Only Governor Vessel and Conception Vessel have their own Shu(兪) points.
9. Other EEV have shared Shu(兪) points of regular Twelve Meridians.

▲ Benefits Using EEV

1. The speed of energy movement in the EEV is three to five times faster than the energy movement speed in the Twelve Meridians so treatment effect will show faster than using acupuncture points located or belonged in the Twelve Meridians.
2. The EEV is storage of pathogen(邪氣) from the Twelve Meridian. Therefore, treatment on the EEV should be treated prior to treating the Twelve Meridian.
3. The EEV supply more Nutrient Qi (營氣) and provide faster than the Twelve Meridians do.
4. If an acute symptom arises in one of the Twelve Meridian, the Cleft point(郄穴) should be used first. But any symptoms caused by an overflow of a pathogen from a meridian should be treated by using EEV.
5. Cases like #4 and if you feel like to expel extra pathogen, it is recommended to use EEV.