Unlocking the Secrets of BaDuanJin QiGong: Large Intestine Channel Theory for NCCAOM Exam Success
Hey fellow acupuncture enthusiasts! Dr. Richard Lai here, and I want to welcome you to our community of eager learners getting ready to ace the NCCAOM exam. If you're like me, the balance of maintaining a study routine while incorporating holistic practices can be a game-changer in achieving success. Today, we're diving into some powerful content, pulled straight from my podcast episode featuring the incredible Dr. Lily where she presents on BaDuanJin QiGong, along with an in-depth exploration of the Large Intestine Channel Theory.
Meet Dr. Lily: Our QiGong Guru
Before diving into the nitty-gritty of acupuncture theory, let's take a moment to appreciate the invaluable insights that Dr. Lily from Orange, New South Wales, brings to the table. As a dedicated acupuncturist, BaDuanJin QiGong teacher, and mother, Dr. Lily exemplifies balance and wisdom. Her segment on the first form of BaDuanJin QiGong will offer you practical techniques to incorporate into your study routine, enhancing your focus and mental clarity.
The First Form of BaDuanJin QiGong: "Hold Up Heaven to Regulate the Triple Warmers"
Dr. Lily emphasizes that this QiGong exercise is more than just physical movement; it’s about harmonizing energy flow to optimize your study and daily routines. Here's how to practice it:
1. **Stand Shoulder-Width Apart:**
- Visualize a string gently pulling the Bai Hui point (the crown of your head) upwards.
2. **Hold a Ball of Qi:**
- Picture holding a ball of energy just in front of your lower abdomen.
3. **Scoop Chi from the Earth:**
- Visualize scooping energy from the ground and drawing it up through your body, extending upwards to the sky.
4. **Lower Gently:**
- Allow your hands to complete a curved motion as you gently lower them back down.
Dr. Lily suggests repeating this movement six times. She adds that integrating this practice before and after study sessions can significantly enhance your learning efficacy by promoting mental clarity and relaxation.
Diving into Large Intestine Channel Theory
Let's shift gears into the breadth and depth of the Large Intestine Channel Theory. As acupuncturists, understanding the pathways and the interconnectedness of channels and organs is indispensable, especially for the NCCAOM exam.
What is Channel Theory?
Channel theory offers a framework where channels (meridians) and organs (zong fu) interact in maintaining our physiological and energetic balance. These channels are further categorized into main channels, Luo connecting channels, and sinew channels. Recognizing patterns related to these channels helps us in diagnosing and treating varied conditions.
Main Channel Pathway: Large Intestine
In acupuncture, the Large Intestine channel is especially significant. Here’s a breakdown of its pathway:
1. **Starting Point - LI1:**
- Begins at the tip of the index finger.
2. **Ascending through the Arm:**
- Progresses through LI2 and LI3 along the knuckles.
- Reaches LI4 at the bulge between the first and second metatarsals.
3. **Anatomical Snuff Box to Elbow:**
- Moves through the anatomical snuff box up the lateral side of the forearm to LI11 at the elbow.
4. **Upper Arm to Shoulder:**
- Continues up the lateral upper arm, reaching points like LI13 and LI14.
5. **Shoulder Complex:**
- Ends up at LI15 (in front of the acromion) and LI16 (medial to the acromion).
Unique Turns and Connections
- **Du 14 Connection:**
- As the Large Intestine is a Yang channel, it associates with Du 14, engaging with Yang energy.
- **Stomach 12 & Beyond:**
- The channel traverses through ST12 at the supraclavicular fossa.
- It then splits; one branch diving into the lung organ and penetrating the diaphragm to contact the Large Intestine organ, and another ascending through the neck.
- **Facial Cross-Over:**
- Uniquely, the channel crosses over from one side to another via ST4, reaching LI19 and LI20 on the opposite face side.
Manifestations: Main Channel Issues
Knowledge of the pathway helps recognize the main channel issues, such as:
- **Throat and Facial Symptoms:**
- Sore throat, toothache, nosebleeds (epistaxis), and painful gums due to the channel’s presence in these areas.
- **Abdominal Symptoms:**
- Diarrhea and dysentery, following the channel’s connection with the digestive organ.
### Luo Connecting Channel Pathway for Large Intestine
A key segment of the channel theory involves the Luo connecting channels. For the Large Intestine:
- **LI6:**
- This starting point branches off the main channel and connects the Large Intestine with its Yin pair, the Lung channel.
- **Pathway Dynamics:**
- Ascends the arm, travels through LI15, splitting to connect with the cheek, leading to the ears and teeth.
Manifestations: Luo Channel Issues
Manifestations here tie into the pathway:
- **Toothache and Deafness:**
- Directly associated with the channel's progression to the ears and teeth.
- **Chest and Diaphragm Sensations:**
- Linked with the Luo connecting pathway’s interaction between the Lung and Large Intestine.
Tips for NCCAOM Exam Readiness
So, how does all this information help you ace the NCCAOM exam? Here are some vital tips:
1. **Incorporate QiGong Practice:**
- Use Dr. Lily’s QiGong routine before your study sessions for heightened mental clarity.
2. **Understand and Visualize Pathways:**
- Know the Large Intestine channel and its intricacies for a robust recall during methodical questioning.
3. **Link Symptoms with Pathways:**
- Relate common manifestations to their channel pathways for easier identification of conditions on the exam.
4. **Focus on Interconnections:**
- Remember how Luo connecting channels bridge critical points, affecting multiple symptoms.
By following these tips and integrating holistic practices into your preparation strategy, you’re securing a well-rounded approach to mastering the NCCAOM exam.
IN SUMMARY
The journey of becoming a skilled acupuncturist is both rewarding and challenging. By immersing yourself in the comprehensive understanding of QiGong and channel theory, you’re nurturing not only your professional skills but also your personal growth. Remember, the balance of mind, body, and spirit is paramount.
Feel free to practice the QiGong routines shared by Dr. Lily and study the pathways and manifestations of the Large Intestine channel deeply. Engage actively with these techniques, and you’ll find yourself not just prepared but also thriving in your practice.
Don't forget to follow Dr. Lily on Instagram at @thejadeladyacupuncture for more insights and updates. And, as always, keep up with my latest podcasts and blog posts for continued support and guidance on your acupuncture journey.
Until next time, God bless and happy studying and may the Qi be with you! 🌿
Studying for the Acupuncture Board Exam
Here are the other ones you should be familiar with and be able to perform differential diagnosis for:
Yin/Yang Theory
Five Elements Theory (Wu Xing)
Eight Principles
Qi, Blood, Body Fluids Theory
Channel Theory
Organ Theory
Six Stages Theory
Four Levels Theory
Triple Burner Theory
Etiology Theory like External / Internal or Miscellaneous Causes of
God Bless and Happy Studying
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TRANSCRIPT
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:00:00]:
Hey, everyone. Doctor Richard Lai here with study acupuncture with me. And today, I have a special guest for you. I have doctor Lily, and she's actually gonna teach us the first form of Baduan Jin Qigong, which is gonna help us as busy acupuncturists and acupuncture students. And doctor Lily, you're gonna figure out right away, she's from Australia. And she actually practices in Orange, New South Wales. She's also an official Ba Do An Jin Qigong teacher and on top of all that, she's a mom. So she does it all.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:00:26]:
And so for me, this movement that she's gonna teach really helped me to bookend my days, meaning I would do it in the morning and I would do it at night, and it's really helped me to just start the day and end the day. And then even when I go to my desk and I start to do some work, before I even sit down and I do the movement, and then after I'm done working, I transition out by doing the movement as well. And it's really helped me transition into and out of work mode. So I encourage you to introduce this into your life as well. And actually a great time to do this is right before you study and right after you study. Because this movement can help you get into a flow state really quickly. And then when you're done studying, this movement's really good to help you to book end that study time and help your brain assimilate what you just went over. So let's all follow along as doctor Lilly teaches us this movement.
Dr Lily [00:01:11]:
Yin and Yang. My name is doctor Lily. Let's do some medical Qigong together. Stand shoulder width apart, Bai Hui raised as if from a string. Hold a ball of Qi in front of your lower abdomen. Scoop Chi from the earth and draw it up through all passages of the body, pressing upwards to heaven. Gently lower down in a curve motion. Repeat this move 6 times.
Dr Lily [00:01:41]:
This is the first form of medical Qigong routine, Ba Duan Jin. It is called hold up heaven to regulate the triple warmers. As we all know, the triple burner or triple warmer or xanjiao assists all other organs in their functions, and in particular, it makes sure that all passages of chi are open and that various types of chi flow smoothly. Good luck studying.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:02:08]:
Alright. Thank you so much, Doctor. Lui, for sharing that wonderful Qigong form with us. I know for me, it's really made a difference in my life already, so thank you so much. So everyone, I hope you practice that today before you start work or before you study. And if you wanna learn more about Doctor. Lily, you can find her on Instagram at thejade lady acupuncture. So go and follow her right now.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:02:33]:
So our topic today is on large intestine channel theory. So first, what is channel theory? So as you all know, we have channels and then we have organs. And channels and organs, they're all connected. Organs, there are zong fu. And then our channels, we have main channels, we have wall connecting channels, we have sinew channels. And so we, as acupuncturists, we treat patients and we diagnose them based on the manifestations that they present with. And then sometimes we get to a pattern that's related to a channel. Sometimes we get to a pattern that's related to an organ.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:03:04]:
So for example, b syndrome. B syndrome is kind of like a channel issue, but lung chi deficiency on the other hand is more like a lung organ issue. And so the manifestations are gonna be a little different. Channel manifestations, they're a little more broad and they're a little more superficial than organ manifestations. A channel manifestation is something like stiffness, pain, spasms. But an organ manifestation is like a propensity to catch colds or frequent pale urination. And channel issues and organ issues, they can affect each other because, again, they're connected. So an organ issue can eventually cause a channel issue, and a channel issue can eventually cause an organ issue.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:03:42]:
Sometimes, though, your patient is just gonna present with a channel issue. They might just have shoulder pain, and then they don't really present with anything else. You can ask them all the questions you want. Do you have dry stools? Do you have itty bitty stools? They say no. Everything's fine. It's just my shoulder. So it's just a channel issue. So today, we're gonna talk about the large intestine in terms of the channels, and then we're gonna talk about how your knowledge of the actual pathway is really important in order for you to understand channel theory manifestations.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:04:11]:
So with the large intestine channel, we have the main channel, we have the loyal connecting channel, and we have the sinew channel. So with the large intestine channel, we already know there's 20 points. Large intestine 1 starts at our index finger. From there, the channel goes up to ally 2 and ally 3 at the either side of our knuckle. From there, it goes to large intestine 4, which we all know and love, Which is at the top of this bulge between the first and second metatarsal. And then the main channel is gonna continue up through our anatomical snuff box and it's gonna go on the lateral side of our forearm. And on the lateral side of our forearm, it's gonna go up until it gets to our large intestine 11, which is on the outside of our elbow, or you can say it's at the lateral end of our transverse cubital crease. And then the main channel is gonna go up the lateral side of our upper arm through large intestine 13 and 14, and then we end up in our shoulder.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:05:02]:
So here we have large intestine 15, which is in front of our chromium, and then we have large intestine 16, which is medial to our chromium. Now from here, the large intestine channel makes an interesting turn because it's gonna go to DU 14, and that's because large intestine is a Yang channel. All Yang channels at some point or another go to Du 14. So from large intestine 16, it's gonna go to Du 14, and it's gonna pass through small intestine 12 in order to get there. Now, after DUE 14, the large intestine channel is gonna go straight to stomach 12. Stomach 12 is inside our supraclavicular fossa. From here, it's gonna split and it's gonna go in 2 directions. The first direction is that it's gonna go down and it's gonna connect with our lung organ, and it's gonna connect with our large intestine.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:05:49]:
To get from the lung organ to the large intestine, it's gonna pierce our diaphragm in order to get there. The other direction is just gonna go up. So it's gonna hit large intestine 17 and 18. And then after your neck, the large intestine channel is gonna go up to your cheek and it's gonna hit up your gums. And then it's gonna pass through stomach 4. Now stomach 4 is on the outside corner of your mouth. At stomach 4, large intestine channel is gonna make another interesting turn. Because with the large intestine channel, you have two sides.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:06:17]:
You have a left side and you have a right side. Now the large intestine channel, when it goes up to your face, it doesn't go up to the same side. It actually crosses over. So from stomach 4, it's gonna go to DEW 26 to get to the opposite side, large intestine 19, and then end with large intestine 20. And then from there, the large intestine channel actually becomes the stomach channel. So it actually connects first with UB 1, which is on the inner canthus of your eye, and then it goes to stomach 1. So now, knowing that pathway, let's look at the large intestine main channel manifestations. So we have a sore throat.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:06:51]:
We have toothache. We have epistaxis, which is just a fancy word for a nosebleed. We have a runny nose. We have swollen painful gums. We have swollen eyes, and then we have diarrhea and dysentery. Now dysentery is just a fancy word for an infection in the large intestine, and it basically causes you to have really bloody stools and really mucousy stools. And then with the main channel manifestations, we also have pain anywhere along the course of the channel. So now we know the pathway of the large intestine channel.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:07:22]:
And when we look at these manifestations, it makes much more sense to us. Right? Because the channel, for example, crosses the neck. It goes to the gums. So if there's an issue with the channel, then that can present as a sore throat. That could also present as a toothache. That could also present as swollen or painful gums. And then it could also present as epistaxis, which is a nosebleed, because we have LA 19, we have LA 20, which are both literally right next to the nose. So that makes sense for that.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:07:49]:
And then with swollen eyes, we saw from the pathway that right after large intestine twenty, the large intestine channel turns into the stomach channel, And it does this by crossing into u b 1 first and then getting to stomach 1, which is all near the eye. So swollen eyes also make sense. And then we have diarrhea and dysentery. And then with this one, we saw that at stomach 12, the large intestine channel makes 2 turns. The first one goes down. It goes to the lung organ, and then it pierces the diaphragm and goes to your large intestine. So if there's an issue with the channel, it can present right away in the organs with diarrhea and dysentery. And then the other turn just goes up and connects with LI 17 and LI 18.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:08:28]:
So that's the pathway of the large intestine's main channel, and those are the manifestations. And, again, all of that makes complete sense because you know the pathway. Alright. Next, let's talk about the Luo connecting channel. Now the Luo Connecting Channel, we have to know 2 things first. First thing that we have to know is that Luo Connecting Channels connect a yin yang pair. So for the large intestine channel, the yin yang pair is the lung. And so that means that at large intestine 6, which is the Luo connecting point, it's gonna branch off and it's gonna connect with the lung channel.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:09:01]:
And that's why you can use the lower connecting point to treat issues on both channels. And then the other thing about a lower connecting point is that every lower connecting point is going to disperse into a specific area. So you can treat issues in that area that the low channel reaches. So for the large intestine low connecting channel, it goes up the arm. It passes through li 15, and it goes up to your cheek. At your cheek, it's gonna split off into 2 directions. One branch is gonna go to your ear, and the other branch is gonna go to your teeth. So now, we know the lower connecting channel pathway.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:09:34]:
We know where it disperses. Now we can look at those manifestations for the lower connecting channel. So we have toothache. We have deafness. We have a cold sensation in the teeth. We have a stifling sensation in the chest and diaphragm. So all of that makes sense. When I'm reading that, you're probably nodding your head because it makes sense, because we have a knowledge of the pathway.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:09:56]:
One branch goes to your teeth, the other one to your ear. So that's why you have toothache. That's why you have deafness. That's why you have cold sensation in the teeth. Now for the stifling sensation in the chest and diaphragm, we have to know 2 things. We have to know that the low connecting channel connects the lung and large intestine. And then we also have to know the pathway of the lung's main channel. Now the lung's main channel, it starts at our middle jowl, and then it's gonna go down and it's gonna connect with our large intestine organ before it shoots back up to connect with your lungs.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:10:26]:
And when it connects with the lungs, it makes this diamond shaped thing as a pathway. So if there's an issue with this main channel, that's why it could present with a stifling sensation in the chest and diaphragm. Alright, and that brings us to the end of this episode. I'm gonna go over the sinew channel of the large intestine in another episode, which I'm gonna link in the description below once I make it. And before I let you go, I wanna thank doctor Lily again for making a special guest appearance, and I really hope that the form that she taught really helps you. And make sure you follow her on Instagram at the jade lady acupuncture. And another quick reminder before I go, sign up for my email list. When you sign up for my email list, you get free study guides in your email.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:11:04]:
So sign up right now at www.studyacuwithme.com Alright everyone, until next time. God bless and happy studying.
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