A practical guide to the locations, clinical uses, and treatment tips for Ma Jin Shui, San Zhong, Mu Dou, Mu Liu, and Zu Jie – helping practitioners build confidence in everyday practice.
By Cho, Byung Sik L.Ac
Practitioners new to Tung’s acupuncture often find the system difficult because of its unfamiliar point names, locations, and broad clinical applications. Rather than trying to understand the entire system at once, a practical approach is to begin with a small group of frequently used points and become familiar with them through repeated clinical use.
The following points are among those emphasized in the lecture and can be readily incorporated into everyday practice.
Ma Jin Shui (馬金水) and Ma Kuai Shui (馬快水)
Location: Draw a vertical line downward from the lateral canthus to the depression along the inferior border of the zygomatic bone. Ma Jin Shui is approximately 0.15 cun inferior to SI18. Ma Kuai Shui is 0.4 cun directly below Ma Jin Shui.
Clinical Use: Consider these points for pain around the Yaoyan region, low back pain, and shoulder and back pain, especially along the lateral portion of the Bladder channel.
Clinical Pearl: For low back pain, first identify exactly where the pain is located. Pain centered around the Yaoyan or lateral lumbar region is a useful indication for these points.
San Zhong (三重穴)
Location: From the tip of the lateral malleolus, locate GB39 at 3 cun superiorly. Move 1 cun anteriorly to locate the first point. The second and third points are located superiorly at 2-cun intervals.
Clinical Use: San Zhong has broad applications. For beginners, remember it for migraine, facial disorders, and pain or numbness extending from the shoulder into the arm and wrist. It may also be combined with Mu Liu for generalized numbness, tingling, or electric-like sensations.
Clinical Pearl: Rather than memorizing every indication, begin with head and facial conditions and symptoms radiating through the upper extremity.
Mu Dou (木斗) and Mu Liu (木留)
Location: Locate these points between the second and third metatarsal bones, slightly superior to ST43. Mu Dou is 1 cun anterior to Mu Liu.
Clinical Use: They may be used for indigestion, abdominal distention, abdominal pain, fatigue, and numbness or tingling. Mu Liu is especially useful with San Zhong for numbness in the hands or feet or electric sensations in different parts of the body.
Clinical Pearl: Do not needle Mu Dou and Mu Liu bilaterally at the same time.
Zu Jie (足解穴)
Location: Locate Zu Jie 1 cun superior to the superolateral corner of the patella and 0.3 cun medially.
Clinical Use: Zu Jie is especially useful for newly developed pain and acute sprains of the wrist, lower back, or ankle, particularly with swelling and pain. It may also be used for persistent pain at an acupuncture site or difficulty withdrawing a needle.
Clinical Pearl: Zu Jie is particularly suited to acute rather than longstanding pain. Needle perpendicularly about 0.3–0.5 cun. Remove the needle once the pain subsides; retention is generally kept under eight minutes.
Learning Tung’s acupuncture does not require mastering the entire system at once. Becoming comfortable with a few versatile points and using them repeatedly in common clinical situations provides a practical starting point.
