Five Organs Can Be Transposed to The Five Elements and the Transporting Points
By David Lee, L.Ac.
“There will be acupuncture points for each of the Taeyang, Soyang, Taeeum, and Soeum constitutions” was physician Jema Lee’s statement in his book Longevity and Preservation of Life in Eastern Medicine published in 1894. He was the founder of Korean Sasang Four Constitutions Medicine.
…有之 蓋 針穴 亦有太少陰陽四象人 應用之穴而…
…대개 침혈도 역시 태양인, 소양인, 태음인, 소음인의 사상인에 응용하는 혈로써… 후세의 근후(勤厚)하고 활인(活人)하기 좋아하는 사람이 나타나기를 기다리고자 한다.
We have learned that the Yang meridians have the five-element flow, which starts as Metal element at Jing-well points. For example, Metal is LI1, Water is UB66, Wood is GB41, Fire is SI5, and Earth is ST36. But this pattern only applies to 70% of a population.
There is one key component that unifies Sasang Herbal Medicine, Saam Acupuncture, and Eight Constitutions Acupuncture together. This vital information is as follows: In 30% of a population, the Yang meridian can also follow the five-element pattern as that of Yin meridian. In other words, in some patients, Yang meridians start with Wood on Jing-Well Transporting point and end with Water on He-Sea point.
The chart <1> below lists all the five-element points.
Dr. Jema Lee’s Zang-Fu organs are identical to that of the five-elements. When the organs are transposed to five-elements, we can directly correlate them with the Transporting points. The outcome is a complete Saam four needle technique with four tonification and four sedation methods, as further developed by Dowon Kwon of Eight Constitutions Acupuncture.
One can work out the following four needle technique for all Sasang four constitutions as listed in the charts <2> below.
All the four needle techniques are equally effective for the constitution. Only the correct identification of the constitution is relevant. Therefore, a differential diagnosis of Zang-Fu or meridian is not necessary. For example, any of the four-needle technique for GB, SI, ST, LI, and UB will have equal relief for low back pain, or any other condition.
