Characteristics

There are fifteen Luo points (or sixteen, depending on the author): twelve from the main channels, one for the Du Mai, one for the Ren Mai and the great Luo of the spleen. The Su Wen mentions another Luo which is the great Luo of the stomach.

Application of Luo points

1. Luo points are used with Yuan points to move energy from one channel to another and transform their polarity. For example: if I have a Yang fullness or Heat in the Stomach channel and a Spleen Yin emptiness, I can use the Yuan point of Stomach and the Luo point of Spleen to send energy from one channel to the other and balance both channels.
2. They treat diseases of the two channels that are in a Biao-Li relationship.
3. The Luo point treats rather chronic diseases of internal origin (acute diseases affect mainly the main channels).
4. From the Luo points there also emerges a longitudinal branch that gives symptoms when it is in fullness or emptiness.

Treatment if the longitudinal Luo is affected

1. Tonify or disperse according to the symptom presented.
2. Tonify and moxa the Luo point of the affected Luo channel and the Yuan point of the same channel.

See Tonification and dispersion techniques.

Treatment if the transverse Luo is affected

1. If the Yang channel is in fullness and the Yin channel in emptiness: tonify the Luo Point of the empty Yin channel and disperse the Yuan Point of the full Yang channel.
2. If the Yin channel is in fullness and the Yang channel in emptiness: disperse the Yuan Point of the full Yin channel and tonify the Luo Point of the empty Yang channel.

Points

Hand

• LU-7.
• PC-6.
• HT-5.
• LI-6.
• TE-5.
• SI-7.

Foot

• SP-4.
• LR-5.
• KI-4.
• ST-40.
• GB-37.
• BL-58.

Du Mai

• GV-1.

Ren Mai

• CV-15.

Great Luo of the Spleen

• SP-21.

Great Luo of the Stomach

• ST-18.