Stomach Meridian

Name

The Stomach meridian is the Foot Yang Ming.

Pathway

The Stomach receives energy from Large Intestine at LI-20 (very important crossing). It internally ascends from the root of the nose to the inner corner of the eyes (BL-1), goes toward the lower border of the eye socket, where it emerges at ST-1 on the pupil line.

It descends along the cheek and penetrates the upper gum (the upper gum relates more to Stomach and the lower to Large Intestine), goes to GV-26, in the nasolabial groove, rounds the lips and goes to CV-24, in the mental groove.

It follows the lower border of the jaw and arrives at ST-5, in the center of the lower jaw. It divides into two branches: the facial ascending branch and the descending branch.

Facial ascending branch. It ascends along the maxilla to the temple, arrives at the hairline ST-8 and goes to the midline (GV-24).

Descending branch. It descends in front of the sternocleidomastoid muscle to the supraclavicular fossa ST-12 and goes to GV-14 (below the 7th cervical, meeting of all Yang meridians), returns to the supraclavicular fossa and bifurcates into two branches: interior and exterior.

Interior branch. From ST-12, it penetrates the inside of the chest, crosses the diaphragm and arrives at the Stomach -the organ to which the meridian belongs- and at the Spleen. Several atlases describe secondary branches that connect with CV-13, CV-12 and CV-10. The internal pathway descends along the inner side of the abdomen and arrives at the inguinal fold, at ST-30, where it emerges and joins the exterior branch.

Exterior branch. From the supraclavicular fossa it descends vertically along the chest at 4 cun outside of Ren Mai, passes the nipple (ST-17) and arrives at the 5th intercostal space (ST-18). From ST-19 the meridian descends along the abdomen at 2 cun from Ren Mai until reaching ST-30 where it meets the interior branch.

Next, the main meridian descends from the hip along the anterior-external side of the thigh, arrives at the knee and passes outside the patellar tendon. At the patellar angle is ST-35. It follows the outer border of the tibial crest, crosses the dorsum of the foot and arrives at the lateral nail angle of the 2nd toe.

Collateral branch 1. From ST-36 a small branch descends to the third toe.

Collateral branch 2. From ST-42, touching the dorsalis pedis artery, descends to the medial nail angle of the big toe, SP-1.