Yuan means source. In the Yuan points remains and passes the essential energy, Yuan Qi. They concentrate the energy that comes from the essence of each organ. They have fundamental therapeutic importance.

• The Yuan points treat disorders of organs and bowels and regularize the energy of the channel, because they are connected with the luo of their Biao-li pair. For example, the Lung Yuan point, LU-9, is connected with the luo point of Large Intestine, LI-6.

The Yuan points become painful when manifesting an imbalance, so they can be used in diagnosis:

• Empty. Pressure hurts but relieves. The skin has less tone. There may be spider nevi.
• Full. Pressure hurts a lot and may be hot. There may also be spider nevi.

There are twelve Yuan points that correspond to the main channels:

• The Yuan points of the Yin channels coincide with the Shu points of the Ancient Shu Points. They are Shu-Yuan points.
• The Yuan points of the Yang channels are one point after the Shu point (toward the trunk).

Yin Channels

• Lung. LU-9.
• Pericardium. PC-7.
• Heart. HT-7.
• Spleen. SP-3.
• Liver. LR-3.
• Kidney. KI-3.

Yang Channels

• Large Intestine: LI-4.
• Triple Burner: TE-4.
• Small Intestine: SI-4.
• Stomach: ST-42.
• Gall Bladder: GB-40.
• Bladder: BL-64.

Use of the Yuan and Luo points

The Yuan points by themselves balance the Empty and Full of the channel.

• Yuan in Yin channel: treat disorders of the Zang (organs).
• Yuan in Yang channel: treat the cephalo-facial region.

In combination with the Luo points they allow energy to be carried from a Yin channel to its Yang pair and viceversa.

There is a difference of opinion regarding the direction in which energy circulates between the Yuan points and the Luo points.

• Many schools and texts say that energy goes from the Luo point toward the Yuan point. According to this view, we could carry energy from Spleen toward Stomach by dispersing the Spleen Luo point (SP-4) and tonifying the Stomach Yuan point (ST-42).
• Radha Thambirajah, the author of Energetic Acupuncture, says and applies the opposite, that energy goes from the Yuan point toward the Luo point. According to this perspective applied to the same example, to carry energy from Spleen toward Stomach one would disperse the Spleen Yuan point SP-3 and tonify the Stomach Luo ST-40.