and then the 8 extraordinary meridians called 脈 Mai, which act like energy reservoirs in the body;
and these two are collectively called 經脈 Jing [&] Mai and these are the standard meridians and points that are illustrated and acupuncturists use.
But then there are also 15 smaller channels called 絡脈 Luo Mai, which then branch off into smaller and even smaller channels (called child, grandchild, then, like a family, 2nd cousins, or twice-removed, etc.) which eventually branch into millions of strands that form a web or net called the 絡 Luo. These 15 channels are deeper down and are closer to the circulatory and lymphatic systems.
So sham-acupuncture can actually stimulate the movement of qi and blood, by inadvertently bringing it to a needle that is stuck anywhere in the body, but there's also the potential to nick a blood vessel and cause a bruise, or worse to hit a nerve.
In the Internal Martial Arts we're primarily concerned with building up our 絡脈 Luo Mai and increasing our overall 絡 Luo (network), which can be seen, in the positive, as increased circulation and opened micro-capillaries flowing to the palms of the hands, and increased fluid joint movement and limberness;
and felt, in the negative, as a deep muscle cramp, or tendon/ ligament injury.
Also, in the IMAs, we are concerned with the 8 筋脈 Jinmai (tendon, fascia meridians), which kind of follow the 8 extraordinary meridians that lie above these anatomical, physical tendon and myo-fascial lines, so they share the same names. These all pass through or are connected to the 'Dai Jinmai' (belt tendon meridian) which is also just the power of the waist (yao), or the Lower Dantian.
cdobe wrote:These structures are indeed very interesting. However, there is no indication, that they have anything to do with the meridians of TCM. I have read all of the available research, which isn't that much at this point, and it is already very clear, that the meridians and the Bonghan ducts or primo-vascular system do not match. The system follows blood and lymphatic vessels and is verified in some internal organs and interestingly in tumors. It has not been verified to exist in the skin, where most of the ordinary 12 meridians are supposed to be located. The system has so-called primo-nodes which have been suggested to be acupuncture points. And while you are able to find some of these nodes near places where acupuncture points are supposed to be, there are many more nodes in between, that are not known by acupuncture and TCM in general. Also, if you look at the tip size of the finest needles and compare them to the size of the nodes it is pretty improbable, that any acupuncturist would be able to hit these small structures.
I wonder if the primo-vascular system is these 15 smaller, deeper channels of the 絡脈 Luo Mai?
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