Two points I use frequently and feel are underutilized by most students and clinicians are Pericardium 8 and Heart 8. Both points are ying spring and fire points for their respective meridians and are located on the sensitive area of the palm of the hand.
Many practitioners avoid these points due to concerns of pain upon needling – similar to concerns about the important point Kidney 1 – and often choose less effective alternate points.
I also find these two points to be extremely important for emotional / psychological issues such as insomnia due to emotional disturbances and chronic urinary infections. Both points share similar characteristics, yet also have unique differences which are important for effective clinical results.
Pericardium 8
Pericardium 8 is the ying spring and fire point of the Pericardium Channel, as well as a sun si-miao ghost point. Ying spring points are particularly effective for treating issues related to heat in the body and as a result, Pericardium 8 has a wide scope of application clinically.
Pericardium 8 has the actions of clearing heat from the pericardium, reviving consciousness, clearing heat from the heart, calming the spirit, harmonizing the stomach, clearing heat from the middle jiao, clearing nutritive heat, and cooling the blood.
I use this point particularly when heat signs are rooted in internal disharmonies such as long-standing anger, worry, fear, and frustration. Chronic emotional imbalances quickly lead to liver qi stagnation (Jue Yin Channel) and the depressive heat that results often spreads to the paired Jue Yin Channel of the pericardium.
When liver heat transmits to the Pericardium Channel, it inevitably enters the Heart Channel, resulting in many complex and sometimes confusing mental / emotional disorders. Depressive heat starting in the liver and moving into the pericardium often initially manifests as gastrointestinal issues related to stress such as gastric reflux, nausea, gas, bloating, and poor appetite.
Pericardium 8 is highly effective for gastric issues related to chronic stress and emotional frustrations. This can often be diagnosed via such signs as mouth / tongue sores, scarlet dry tongue, and red tip / red swollen sides of the tongue. Draining Pericardium 8 can be highly effective in these presentations and easily combined with such points as Liver 2 and Stomach 44 in patterns of liver depression with depressive heat spreading to the pericardium / heart.
Strongly draining Pericardium 8 can often have a dramatically fast result, with symptoms receding after one to two treatments if correctly diagnosed.
Pericardium 8 is also extremely effective when heat is irritating the heart due to chronic frustration and worry resulting in insomnia. In such cases, clinicians must ask patients nuanced details on the nature of their insomnia and closely examine the tongue / pulse for the aforementioned signs. In such cases of liver depression with depressive heat irritating the heart, draining Pericardium 8 and also using Yin Tang and Du 24 can be highly effective.
Heart 8
Heart 8 is the ying spring and fire point of the Heart Channel, sharing many similar attributes of Pericardium 8. Heart 8 also strongly clears heat similar to Pericardium 8, but has some unique differentiating characteristics.
Heart 8 clears heat from the heart and small intestine, calms the spirit, regulates heart qi, activates the channel, and alleviates pain. Heart 8 is highly effective for chronic emotional issues causing anxiety, fear, and paranoia, as well as insomnia particularly due to heat irritating the heart / small intestine.
Much like Pericardium 8, key signs of the heat are insomnia, sores of the mouth / tongue, and also excessive thirst. liver qi stagnation easily transmits to the Heart Channel and this can include signs of pain and tenderness along the channel.
A unique feature of Heart 8 is clearing heat from the lower jiao, which manifests as itching of the genitals, difficult urination and urinary tract infections. When heart fire or liver heat transmits to the Small Intestine Channel, this heat often overflows into the Bladder Channel, resulting in lower jiao issues.
I frequently use Heart 8 in cases of chronic urinary tract infections with heat signs manifesting with the mouth, as mentioned, coupled with emotional disturbance. I typically couple Pericardium 8 with Heart 8 in such cases and strongly drain both points, adding Ren 4 / Ren 6 with high clinical efficacy.
Clinical Considerations
Concerns of painful needling often cause clinicians to avoid using these points, which is unfortunate. I use tuning fork stimulation on the points Pericardium 8, Heart 8, as well as Kidney 1 for five minutes prior to needling. I find patients rarely experience pain after this preparation and needle insertion is swift and smooth, providing unique radiating sensations of qi arrival, but not pain. Additionally, draining such points is also less painful after using this preparatory procedure.
The tuning forks are vibrated and held on the point(s) repeatedly for five minutes as needed prior to needle insertion. I have also found this relaxes the patients and fewer points are used with excellent resolution of symptoms – a beautiful outcome for nervous patients.
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