Points

• Opening: SP-4.
• Closure: PC-6 (coupled with Yin Wei Mai).
• ST-30: Qi Chong.
• KI-11: Heng Gu.
• KI-12: Da He.
• KI-13: Qi Xue.
• KI-14: Si Man.
• KI-15: Zhong Zhu.
• KI-16: Huang Shu.
• KI-17: Shang Qu.
• KI-18: Shi Guan.
• KI-19: Yin Du.
• KI-20: Fu Tong Gu.
• KI-21: You Men.
• CV-1: Hui Yin.
• CV-7: Yin Jiao.
• KI-2: Ran Gu.
• SP-1: Yin Bai.

Areas of influence: Feet, medial aspect of the legs, uterus, lumbar region, abdomen, chest, heart, throat, face and head.

Pathway

It begins in the lower abdomen, in the Dan Tien and then goes to CV-1 where it divides into 2 pathways:

The external pathway goes to ST-30, from where two branches emerge:

• The ascending branch goes to KI-11 and ascends the abdomen along the Kidney channel KI-12, KI-13, KI-14, KI-15, goes toward the midline at point CV-7, continues ascending to KI-16 (beside the umbilicus), connects with KI-17, KI-18, KI-19, KI-20, KI-21. There it interiorizes branching through the chest, throat, contorts around the mouth and ends in the posterior nasal cavities.
• The descending branch descends along the inner aspect of the thigh, knee and leg, and behind the medial malleolus (KI-3) where it bifurcates: one pathway goes to the bridge of the foot KI-2 and the other follows the Spleen channel to SP-1, on the first toe.

From CV-1 a posterior pathway reaches the tip of the coccyx and enters the spine ascending to the first dorsal vertebrae.

Functions

Chong Mai is one of the most important channels of the Eight Extraordinary Channels. Connects above and below.

"Mar" indicates breadth, assembly, convergence. "Chong" connotes the extension of the influence of its Blood-Qi, which reaches the entire body. Ren Mai is the Sea of the Yin Channels, and Du Mai is the Sea of the Yang Channels.

Chong Mai assumes many functions. It is considered as:

• Sea of the twelve channels. It can influence almost all main channels.

• Sea of the five Zang and six Fu. It has action on all of them, guarantees the proper functioning of the whole organism by establishing communication between the Pre-Heaven (Kidney) and the Post-Heaven (Spleen - Stomach) through its crossing points. Chong Mai connects with the Kidney Channel at the abdominal level and also establishes direct relation with SP/ST through ST-30, ST-37, ST-39 and SP-4. It distributes the energy coming from the Jing of Kidney. The Post-Heaven nourishes the Pre-Heaven and the Pre-Heaven energizes the Post-Heaven.

• Sea of Blood. Close relation with Ren Mai, uterus, menstruation and reproduction.

The three Yin channels (below the Yin) and Yang Ming (above the Yang) are under the influence of Chong Mai. It is very important when there is a Pre-Heaven problem, so that the Post-Heaven can contribute energy we have to think about this channel.

References from ancient texts

• According to Su Wen: when affected, the energy goes counterflow upward and one feels discomfort and pain in the abdomen.
• Mai Jing: the upward rising of Qi causes violent abdominal pains.

Both speak of upward rising of Qi, which equals Qi rebellion or Qi Ni. It is when it inverts or exaggerates its energy circulation. It is everything that does not obey normal circulation. The Qi rebellion of Chong Mai causes problems at the abdominal and thoracic levels, also makes urination and defecation difficult (circulates upward). It can be accompanied by a sensation of internal heat and nervousness. Cold feet and hot head and chest, the energy does not descend to warm the feet.

• Zhen Jiu Da Cheng: SP-4. Says that Chong Mai can treat nine types of Heart pain and regurgitation (reflux of ST), indigestion, borborigmus, abdominal pain/distension, periumbilical oppression, chest oppression, hypochondrium, diarrhea, hemorrhage and retention of the placenta after childbirth.

Symptoms

Qi Ni or Qi rebellion of Chong Mai

The Qi rebellion or Qi Ni: occurs especially in maturity, in women, with menopause and during pregnancy.

What causes the ascending? The Heat. Chong Mai is a channel very connected to the Stomach, its starting point is ST-30. Here heat equals a Stomach that does not descend. ST-30 is the sea of foods.

During menopause the Stomach requires a large amount of fluid to fulfill its function of transportation and transformation, of cooking, of the pot. This fluid comes in great part from the Jing of Kidney. With menopause, Kidney Jing decreases, its fluid contribution decreases. This causes the Stomach to overheat, does not descend, and the typical hot flashes appear in waves, that ascend suddenly and descend slowly.

It is a sensation that comes from the abdomen, like wood heat, as if the bones were being steamed. Causes significant anxiety: let us think that Chong Mai is very connected to Yin Wei Mai, it has a lot of psychic component. So, besides hot flashes there may appear anxiety, anguish, nausea, palpitations, sensation of not being able to breathe in the chest, vertigo, dizziness.

During pregnancy: Chong Mai begins to fill with blood and this generates heat. Its direct connection with Stomach explains the vomiting especially in the first three months, it is due to overheating. Life is heat, fire.

Imbalances in Chong Mai can be from imbalances in the main channels or from imbalance at the level of Kidney Yin and Yang. In the latter case it manifests as heat/cold, combined symptoms, not unified. Sometimes along the channel it can produce pain simultaneously with the reflux.

Gynecological symptoms of Chong Mai

In the Ren Mai channel we mentioned the eight types of accumulated masses. Ren Mai is more energetic, Chong Mai is more Blood: both can produce accumulated masses in the abdomen.

Ren Mai, Liver, Kidney and Chong Mai can present common symptoms related to menstruation. How to discern?

• When Chong Mai is affected there is intense dysmenorrhea and clots in menstruation, it does not flow, produces stagnation. Irregular periods or with delayed cycle, premenstrual pain with difficulty lowering the menstruation.

• Liver: we can think in stagnation of Liver Qi and Blood, it is difficult to lower the menstruation, there is pain, and when it descends it brings great relief and comes loaded with clots. For it to be Liver it must be accompanied by its typical symptoms: wiry pulse, irritable character.

• In the case of delayed menarche or dysmenorrhea and clots in an 11-year-old girl, for example, it would have more relation to Chong Mai or Kidney not flowing.

• Amenorrhea, infertility, spontaneous abortions. Every infertility problem (especially female) has much to do with both, Chong Mai and Ren Mai. The lack of nutrition of Chong Mai can come from Kidney Jing deficiency.

The crossing points of the extraordinary channels are important to palpate, they allow us to discern if Ren Mai, Chong Mai or Kidney is affected. For example: if KI-11,KI-12,KI-13 are painful, I lean toward Kidney and Chong Mai. If instead the sensitive ones are CV-2 and CV-3, I think of Kidney and Ren Mai.

Chong Mai in men

Zong Jin (Jin is muscle tendon, Zong means ancestral): some books say it refers to male external genitals, others say it refers to the pelvic floor. Zong Jin can refer to sexual and reproductive functions. Here we will speak of penis (in women it would be the clitoris).

The blood of Chong Mai produces menstruation in women and beard in men: the beard and chest hairs. Eunuchs have no beard because they have Chong Mai affected.

In men Chong Mai can cause problems of penis and testes: inflammation, pain, impotence, spermatorrhea, urinary problems. We can find mixed symptoms of KI-Liver-SP/ST.

Impotence is generally a problem of internal organs, not of channels. There is an important psychological-emotional component that directly attacks the Zang-Fu organs. But if there are symptoms of Chong Mai I treat Chong Mai.

Symptoms in abdomen, chest, throat and nose

• Fullness, pain with signs of abdominal distension (or sensation of distension, it is not necessary to be visible). Much air, borborigmus. Aerophagia. In general they are quite noisy disorders. Problems at the gastric level, nausea, vomiting (think of pregnant women). It can also produce dysnea, chest pain.

• Chong Mai branches through the breasts. Distension and pain in the breasts during menstrual period (can also be due to Liver Qi stagnation). Well-nourished and abundant breasts during pregnancy have relation with Chong Mai.
• Chest pain: It can produce nine types of Heart pain, the pain can come from the digestive to the Heart or it can be true Heart pain.
• Chong Mai ascends through the throat: hoarseness, tonsillitis, sensation of constriction in the throat... If a woman comes for tonsillitis, ask about periodicity. If the throat pain coincides with menstruation it is Chong Mai, not low defensive Qi. Chong Mai follows the lunar cycle.
• Posterior nasal cavities. Chong Mai related with pheromones, the hormone of attraction. Women who live together coordinate their menstruations through pheromones. Sinusitis, atrophic rhinitis, sensation of dry nose. Also with menstruation the nose can bleed, form scabs, due to the heat.

Descending branch of Chong Mai

Its function is to warm the leg, to circulate Blood.

Su Wen: "when Chong Mai is disturbed one can observe icy feet up to the knee (red face and cold feet). If there is infertility, first warm the feet, because the uterus has the temperature of the feet".

This pathway is important for good circulation of the legs. If there is not good circulation there is swelling, sensation of heaviness, pain along the pathway, purplish-bluish color, varicose veins, venous - lymphatic insufficiency. Typical varicose veins in the saphenous veins, on the inner thigh, after pregnancy.

Important: if in this channel the energy does not descend, the ascending channels (the three Yin of the leg: Spleen, Kidney and Liver) do not produce the return.

Posterior pathway of Chong Mai

Chong Mai low back pain: quite sharp pain, like a bar stuck in the lumbar region that prevents flexion and extension. Image of strong lordosis, with belly forward. Many times it is Blood stasis. It is a quite blocking low back pain.

A very effective point in this case, if it is painful, is SP-8, Xi point, moves blood, for acute pain. You can add SP-4, key point of Chong Mai. KI-2 if it is Chong Mai, and GV-26 if it is Du Mai.

This pathway allows understanding back pain during menstruation and pregnancy.

Formulas

Let us see together the treatments of Yin Wei Mai and Chong Mai.

Nine types of Heart pain (hot flashes, anxiety, anguishes, palpitations, sensation of not being able to breathe, oppression in the chest, vertigo, dizziness):

• SP-4, PC-7, CV-12, SP-1, you can add PC-6.

Five types of hemorrhoids, with incessant pain in context of Yin Wei Mai:

• PC-6, GV-1, BL-35, BL-57, SP-4, you can add PC-6.
• Extraordinary points for hemorrhoids: Er Bai, at 4 cun from wrist flexion, a point in the middle of the tendons, the other on the external radial side.
• Electroacupuncture at GV-1 + BL-35 Li Ping uses this.
• Inspect the sacrum.

Abdominal distension in context of Chong Mai, which equals abdominal fullness with indigestion:

• SP-4, ST-25, CV-9, ST-44, you can add PC-6.

Irregular menstruation:

• SP-4, CV-4, CV-6, ST-25, SP-6, PC-6.

Heart-Qi deficiency, both sings and laughs, in context of Yin Wei Mai:

• PC-6, HT-4, BL-15, HT-5 you can add SP-4.

To calm the Heart at once:

• Tonify HT-4, HT-7.