TCM Foundations: The Meridians
In continuation of our conversation from last week we will discuss what the meridians are in TCM.
What is a meridian?
The meridians are the energy highways of our body.
Last week we discussed what Qi is. In order to fully understand how Qi works you need to know about the meridians. First things first! If you missed the post on Qi click here >> Let's Talk About the TCM Basics and read that first then come back!
The words channel and meridian are used interchangeably. A meridian is a channel or pathway that allows the qi and blood of the human body to circulate. Think of it as a highway system for all the energetic products of your body to move. It is a network that links all of your cells, tissues, and organs into a whole body. Through this network, everything in your body communicates. If there is anything blocking the communication health issues will arise.
Located on each meridian are our acupuncture points. When a point is needled it helps move energy (Qi) in that channel which triggers a cascade of cellular responses that start moving your blood, body fluid, and nutrients where they need to go to improve your well-being. If you have any blockages in any channel it will be moved at that point. This is why acupuncture works really well for pain because qi blockages (qi stagnation) can cause pain, discomfort, emotional issues, etc. I’m going to go into more detail about qi stagnation soon so keep your notifications on.
The meridian/channel network has connections that go from the body’s surface to the innermost area of your body. They act as lines of communication between your organs like an energy grid. If there is something happening in a particular organ system, using acupuncture on the channel associated with it will help improve the condition. Since the channels also connect organs to other organs we can use acupuncture in one organ system to improve another. This is why I don’t have to put a needle where it hurts. If you were to come to me with a headache, I could put a needle in a point on your foot to make your headache go away. TCM is just cool like that.
The meridian/channel system is called Jingluo (meridians and collaterals). Meridians run from top to bottom (longitudinally) and go into the interior of the body. Collaterals are branches of meridians that run from side to side (transversely) and go superficially out from the meridians. To picture this go back to geography class when we had to learn the difference between longitude and latitude on the globe. As you may recall, longitude was the lines that ran vertically on the globe and latitude was the lines that ran horizontally.
The meridian-collateral system includes:
12 main meridians
8 extra meridians
15 collaterals
12 divergent meridians
12 muscle regions
12 cutaneous regions.
There are 12 main meridians that associate with the organ they are named after and connect to the joints, limbs, and outer tissues. When we speak of the organs or meridians we capitalize them in TCM.
The 12 main meridians and their pairs:
Lung + Large intestine
Spleen + Stomach
Liver + Gallbladder
Heart + Small Intestine
San Jiao (Triple Warmer/ Triple Energizer) + Pericardium
Kidney + Urinary Bladder
You may be wondering where the pancreas, adrenals, and other organs are. I’ll go into more detail in the TCM organ post soon.
Overall, the meridian system ensures there is homeostasis in the body for normal functioning. If there is an issue in any of these meridians you will see issues with its associated organ or body region. Using acupuncture on these channels is how we treat disease. This is why we do not need to use medications to treat because your body is the medicine. Just like any other machine we use, your body also needs regular maintenance. Acupuncture in this case is the act of regular maintenance. This is why the more often you get acupuncture for a particular condition you will see yourself heal quicker. Having a disease lets me know the body has lost its ability to maintain itself. This is what homeostasis means.
What are the Functions of the Meridians?
They transport Qi and Blood and regulate the balance of Yin and Yang
Defend the body against pathogens and let us know where the critical issues are occurring in the body. The meridians have their own signs and symptoms that indicate a particular body system needs assistance.
They transmit the signal when an acupuncture needle has stimulated a point to help balance out patterns of excess or deficiency.
Think of a highway system and what happens when there is an accident. A traffic jam happens and a wrecker truck is called to help move the accident. In this case, the sensation of an acupuncture needle dispatches the body to respond to the area of concern.
How in the world did the ancient Chinese figure this out?
It all starts with observation and studying. Scientific research is not some new modern concept. Observation of how diseases affected the body in relation to their disease patterns helped the ancient Chinese. They were able to determine how the channels worked because they observed what happened when different points were needled. Each point has a specific function and sensation when it is stimulated with an acupuncture needle. Replication of this process over time gave them knowledge of how the entire system worked.
Tuina (Chinese medical massage/Acupressure) was used to manipulate the channels by hand. They were able to feel and map out the channels by notating the anatomical positions. So knowing gross anatomy was very important.
Qigong or Daoyin is a branch of TCM focused on physical exercise, deep breathing, and mental focus. This system helped them understand the flow of energy (Qi) in the channels. If you’ve ever practiced Qigong you will understand why they were able to feel which direction Qi moves in each channel.
In the previous newsletter, we discussed Qi. You can catch up and learn more here >> Let’s Talk About TCM Basics
Bringing it home
The main concept of the meridians and collaterals system is knowing their primary function is to circulate and distribute Qi and Blood all around the body. There is a circadian rhythm of Qi and Blood that moves within this system. When we discuss the TCM Organs you will learn all about the circadian rhythm your organs use.
References:
Chen, X., Cui, J., Li, R., Norton, R. J., Park, J., Kong, J., & Yeung, A. (2019). Dao Yin (a.k.a. Qigong): origin, development, potential mechanisms, and clinical applications. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2019, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/3705120
程莘农, & Deng, L. (2010). Chinese acupuncture and moxibustion. Wiley-Blackwell.
