Acupuncture Prohibited Points: Ancient Wisdom for Safe Healing

Emperor Huang inquired, “Pray, regale us with the locations where acupuncture should be eschewed.” Qi Bo responded, “Each of the five viscera possesses its own Achilles’ heel, demanding our utmost attention. The liver resides on the left; the lung makes its abode on the right; the heart governs the exterior with regal authority; the kidneys reign supreme within the body’s inner sanctum; the spleen, like a diligent servant, ferries the essence of grains and water to all organs; the stomach, akin to a bustling marketplace, accommodates the intake of food and drink; the ‘Sea of Qi,’ vital for sustaining life, lies above the diaphragm, and the subtle essence of the kidneys is nestled beside the seventh vertebra. When administering acupuncture, adhering to the established principles yields therapeutic efficacy, while flouting them leads to the misfortune of erroneous needling.”

Should the heart be inadvertently punctured, death may ensue within approximately one day, with the manifestation of belching as a telltale sign. An accidental strike to the liver could result in demise around five days later, accompanied by the symptom of yawning. A mishap involving the kidneys might lead to death in about six days, with sneezing as the observable change. If the lungs are mistakenly needled, death could occur within roughly three days, marked by the onset of coughing. An errant prick to the spleen might cause death around ten days later, with swallowing difficulties as the indicative symptom. Should the gallbladder be inadvertently injured, death may transpire in about one and a half days, with vomiting as the conspicuous sign.

When needling the top of the foot, accidentally damaging the artery nestled between the high bones could lead to unrelenting bleeding and, ultimately, death. Needling the face, if the ‘Liu Mai’ (a specific meridian point) is inadvertently struck, may bring about the misfortune of blindness. Needling the head, should the ‘Nao Hu’ (a vital acupoint) be mistakenly injured, could result in death in a short span of time. Needling the ‘Lian Quan’ acupoint beneath the tongue, if the meridian is punctured too deeply, might cause incessant bleeding, rendering the individual unable to speak due to loss of voice. Accidentally injuring the dispersed collaterals under the foot could lead to swelling as the blood fails to flow properly. Needling too deeply into the ‘Xi Zhong’ area and inadvertently damaging a major blood vessel might cause the patient to faint and their complexion to turn pale. Needling the ‘Qi Jie’ acupoint and mistakenly injuring the blood vessels could result in blood stasis and swelling, with the pain radiating to the inguinal region. Needling the interspaces of the spinal bones, if the spinal cord is inadvertently injured, could give rise to a hunched back deformity. Needling the ‘Ru Zhong’ acupoint and harming the breast might lead to swelling and the development of ulcerous sores. Needling the ‘Que Pen’ acupoint too deeply, causing the vital energy to leak out, could result in dyspnea. Needling the fleshy part of the hand too deeply might cause localized swelling.

It is impermissible to perform acupuncture on a patient who is dead drunk, as doing so could disrupt the flow of their vital energy. Similarly, it is inadvisable to needle a patient in the throes of intense anger, as it may lead to qi reversal. One must also refrain from administering acupuncture to individuals who are excessively fatigued, overly full after a large meal, extremely hungry, exceedingly thirsty, or those who have been severely frightened.

When needling the acupoints on the inner side of the thigh, accidentally injuring a major blood vessel could result in unceasing bleeding and death. Needling the ‘Ke Zhu Ren’ acupoint and inadvertently damaging the collaterals might cause pus to form at the base of the ear, leading to deafness. Needling the knee bone, if fluid is discharged, could result in a limp. Needling the ‘Tian Fu’ acupoint, if bleeding occurs, often leads to rapid death. Needling the ‘Zu Shao Yin’ meridian and causing bleeding might further deplete the kidney energy, resulting in the inability to speak fluently due to a lack of tongue flexibility. Needling the chest area too deeply and injuring the lung meridian could give rise to symptoms of dyspnea, coughing with a upward and backward inclination of the body. Needling the ‘Chi Ze’ and ‘Qu Ze’ acupoints too deeply might cause the vital energy to congeal locally, rendering the arm unable to flex or extend. Needling the area three inches below the inner side of the thigh too deeply could lead to loss of bladder control. Needling too deeply between the ribs might cause coughing. Needling the lower abdomen excessively and injuring the bladder could result in urine flowing into the abdominal cavity, causing swelling in the lower abdomen. Needling the calf muscle too deeply might lead to localized swelling. Needling above the eye socket bone and damaging the blood vessels could cause incessant tearing and even blindness. When needling the waist, spine, or the joints of the limbs, if body fluids are discharged, it might render the individual incapable of flexing or extending their limbs.