Points

• Opening: PC-6.
• Closing: SP-4.
• Xi: KI-9.

Zones of influence: Chest and heart.

• SP-12.
• SP-13.
• SP-15.
• SP-16.
• LR-14.
• CV-22.
• CV-23.

Pathway

It begins in the leg, at KI-9 (Xi point of Yin Wei Mai), ascends along the inner side of the leg, reaches the abdomen and crosses with SP-13, SP-15, SP-16 and LR-14 to reach the hypochondrium, then ascends through the chest and reaches the throat at CV-22 and CV-23.

Functions

Wei means linking. Yin Wei Mai links the Yin channels Liver, Spleen, Heart and Kidney. It has a great influence on Yin, Blood and the emotional state.

Together with Yang Wei Mai they control the balance of interior and exterior. Yang Wei Mai cares for the surface to protect from external climatic attacks while Yin Wei Mai equilibrates our internal emotional state.

It is related to symptoms that worsen according to the psycho-emotional state.

This channel connects the Shao Yin axis, Kidney and Heart.

References to ancient texts

• Nei jing: says the same about Yang Wei Mai.
• Nan jing: adds that there are nervous tics, fear, pre-cordial pain.
• Zenjaotazen: "sensation of distension, fullness of the chest, intestinal borborigmus, diarrhea, prolapse of the anus and pain of the chest and hypochondrium; in women pre-cordial pain and intermittent fever (add PC-6)".

Symptoms

• Emotional and psychological symptoms: anguish, anxiety, depression, stress, menopausal nervousness. Fear, phobia, panic. It seems rather that these fears are phobias and apprehension that cause loss of will. How to differentiate when these fears and phobias are related to Yin Wei or is a Heart and Kidney disconnection? If the person has no other Kidney symptoms, such as knee and lumbar weakness or urinary problems, we treat Yin Wei.
• Digestive symptoms: by crossing with Spleen points it can treat abdominal swelling, borborigmus, diarrhea, masses accumulated in the abdomen. Crohn's, irritable bowel, ulcerative colitis. Yin Wei Mai can be especially helpful for irritable colon and other psycho-somatic digestive problems.
• Pre-cordial pain, related to anguish, stress.
• Nervous tics.
• Enuresis in children, from fear.
• Throat: sensation of foreign body, hysterical bolus, cannot swallow.

Formulas

• Psychic disorders: PC-6, KI-9.
• Pain and abdominal distension in a context of Spleen-Stomach deficiency, which manifests with pain and abdominal distension, PC-6, SP-3, ST-36, CV-6 and CV-9 together with SP-4.
• Throat: CV-22 and CV-23.
• Heart-Qi deficiency, both sings and laughs: PC-6, HT-4, BL-15, HT-5.

See more in Chong Mai, they intertwine, we will see them together.