I didn't think this was possible but...

[donjitsu2]

I thought I should check it out before I was sure. I've recently been told that a meridian can be permanently damaged, even ruptured. I was unaware that a meridian could be damaged. I've always been told that meridians can have blockages. I'm not expert so I thought I would ask people who knew. Can a meridian be damaged, and if so can permanent damage be caused? And, Can a meridian be ruptured?

Thanks,
Josh Skinner

[Repulsive Monkey]

Some meridians can be permanently damaged or just long term damaged and can be reconnected.
For example a severe break in the leg can seperate, temporarily some channels where as an amputation or even loss of an organ can produce permanent seperation of two ends of a chanel.

[vikinggoddess]

I don't know about meridian rupture (except bleeding out from trauma), but they can definately be damaged. For example, I treated a woman with chronic UTIs, urgent frequent urination, etc. In the end, the only treatment that helped was needling under old scars from C-section. The scar tissue had effectively blocked the qi that should have been flowing in that area Ren/Liver meridians. This can happen anywhere along the meridian, not neccessarily localized to the area of pain/disfunction.

[ctoepker]

It would seem that damage has been recognized for a long time...


If then we look at a few of the danger-(acupuncuture)points idenfified by Sung Tzhu, and compare them with information current in modern forensic medicine,* we immediately begin to see what was the meaning of the discoveries of the Buddhist and Taoist combat schools. Half a dozen will be more than enough to make the point.

1. The fontanelles of the skull. Concussive vibration would cause bleeding in the brain tissue, and subarachnoid hemorrahages; there could also be fratures of the skull bones. The Ta-hinsg men of Japanese charts** would be equivalent to Pai-hui (TM19) and Hsiao-hing-men would be either hsing-hui (TM21) or Shang-hsing (TM22). These are all mid-line points, but there would be others on the sides of the head.

2. Occipital and cervical regions. Trauma at the base of the skull or near the nape of the neck can lead to fracture of the odontoid process of the second (Axis) cervical vertbra, or the transverse process of the first (Atlas) cervical vertebra, accompanied by injury to the vertebral artery and hence severe subarachnoidal hemorrhages. This is one of the circumstances where no external signs of the damage may be visible after death. Japanese cgarts indicate Ya-men (TM14), but VF20 (Feng chi) and VU10 (tien-chu)higher up and at the sides occiptially would also be dangerous.

3. Behind the ear. Here again hemorrages in the brain tissue and between its membranes (dura ater and pia mater) will result. Japanese charts indicate Wan-ku (VF17).

4. Above the sternum, at the throat. A blow in the Adam's apple region may lead to vertical frature of the thyrod cartilage accompanied by hemorrages from the carotid artery and the carotid sinus (the dilation at the point where it divides into the external and the internal branches); there may also be sudden vagal inhibition with consequent cardiac arrest. Sung Tzhu contended himself with the broad description yen hou (the throat) but the Japanese charts indicate Lien chuan (JM23)

5. The sternal notch, or 'pit of the stomach.' The most likely effect would be the sudden heart stoppage formerly called vagal inhibition, but there could also be damage to a number of important structures just below the diaphragm in this episastric region. The coeliac (of 'solar') plexus, largest of the sympathetic plexuses, lie about the level of the 1st lumbar vertebra, and there could be damage to the liver and hemorrage from the coeliac artery. Japanese charts indicate Shan-chung (JM17).

6. Perineal region and scrotum (yin nang). Apart from the pain caused, pubic fractures would be expected, damage to the whole pelvic girdle, and testicular hemorrages. Chang-chiang (TM1) was doubtless one of the targets, half way between coccyx and anus, a site named kuei wei (kamebi) by some of the Japanese schools.

Sung Tzu was the great representative of the learning needful for coroners, but over against it stood teh developing knowledge of military trainers, so often lamentable when it got into the hands of those who would use it for evil purposes. As in other instanes it reached special pefection in Japan, hence the interesting book of Fujita Saiko, on the atmei, shi-ketsu and katsu-ketsu (life and death points) of the body. Here we may find the vital spots recognised in the twenty-one principle schools (ryu) of karate, and when these are averaged the result comes out remarkably close to the 32 (dangerous points) described in Sung Tzhu's book.

How did the danger-points compare with the 'forbidden points' of the acupuncturists themselves? Something has already been said of these above and one would expect a certain correlation, though of course the dangers guarded against were not necesarily the same; the physicians would yhave been worrying about bleeding, fainting, piercing large nerve trunks and other unwanted eventualities, while the physical training specialists (note: martial artists) would have had quite other ideas in mind. Here one can turn to an ancient and very authoritative source, the +3rd century Chen Chiu Chia I Ching of Huangfu Mi, which gives a list of the forbidden points, both for acupunture and moxa. Of these 12, five have already been encountered among the danger-points in unarmed combat. Chiu-wei (JM15) and Ya-men (TM14) are typical loci, but others of interest are Shen-ting (TM23) near the fontanelles or sutures of the skull, Lu-hsi (SC19) just behind the ear and Jen-ying (V17), at the nipple, has always been contraindicated, and there are two occipital acu-points banned by the doctors yet encouraged by the fighters--Nao-hu(TM16) and Feng-fu(TM15). All in all, there is some correspondence between the medical and military preoccupations, but not beyond a limited extent, since the nature of their objectives was so divergent.

--Joseph Needham, Celestial Lancets (pages 311, 316)
*Practical Forensic Medicine, Camps & Cameron (Hutchinson Med. Pub., London 1971)
**Fujita Saiko, Plee, H. & Devevre, J. Les Points Vitaux Secrets du Corps Humain; le Secret des Atemis Ediprint, for Judo International, Paris 1972


The Sung Tzhu mentioned above is the author of the Hsi Yuan Lu or "Records of Washing Away of Unjust Imputations," which, according to Needham is "the father and mother of all books in all cultures on forensic medicine." Sung was a judge in Canton (Guangdong) in the 1200s. You can imagine how he came to write such a book on forensics. Many strange cases came to him and his "scientific" style resulted in great medical gains.

What a shame Sung's drive to understand reality is now missing from most TCM discussions.

Sincerely,
Chris