Jump to Main Content
 

POINT: REN-12 (CONCEPTION VESSEL-12)  

English: Middle Cavity
Also Known As: Zhongguan
Middle Controller
Middle Duct
Middle of Epigastrium
Middle Stomach Cavity
Middle Channel
Middle Bowel
  • On the midline of the abdomen, four cun above the umbilicus and midway between the umbilicus and the sternocostal angle.
  • On the anterior midline four cun above the umbilicus.
  • Perpendicular insertion 0.8 to 1.5 cun.
  • Caution: In thin patients, deep needling may penetrate the peritoneal cavity.
  • Perpendicular insertion 1 to 2 Cun.
  • Puncture perpendicularly 0.5 to 1.2 cun.
  • Moxibustion is applicable.
  • Straight insertion 1 to 2 cun or the needle may be inserted at a slant in all directions around the point. Sensation: a heavy, distended feeling in the upper abdomen, or a feeling of contraction in the Stomach region.
  • Caution: Because the Stomach, pancreas, and abdominal aorta are in the deep position behind this point, be careful not to needle too deeply, particularly with thin patients.
    For patients who have an enlarged Liver or Spleen, slanted needling to the left or right of the point should be avoided.
  • Front Mu point of the Stomach
  • Front Mu point of the Middle Jiao
  • Meeting point of the Fu organs
  • Meeting point of the REN channel with the Small Intestine, San Jiao, Lung, Liver, Pericardium and Stomach channels
  • Harmonizes the Middle Jiao
  • Descends Rebellious Qi
  • Tonifies the Stomach
  • Fortifies the Spleen, especially Qi and Yang
  • Regulates Qi and Blood
  • Warms Cold
  • Regulates Stomach Qi and Yin
  • Alleviates pain
  • Relieves Food Retention
  • Reduces digestive Stagnation
  • Eliminates Dampness
  • Transforms Damp-Heat and Phlegm
  • Dries Cold-Dampness
  • Calms the fetus
  • Tonifies Ying Qi
  • Clears Stomach Fire and Heat
  • All diseases of the Stomach and Spleen
  • Interior injury to the Stomach and Spleen
  • Epigastric pain and fullness
  • Difficult ingestion
  • Eats little but is easily full
  • Nausea
  • Stomach reflux
  • Vomiting
  • Hematemesis
  • Abdominal distention
  • Focal distention and fullness
  • Gastric distention
  • Pain of the Spleen
  • Hardness and pain of the lateral costal region
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Mania
  • Depression
  • Epilepsy
  • Tongue-thrusting
  • Dyspnea
  • Hiccup
  • Cold counter flow of the limbs
  • Intermittent suffocation
  • Dysentery
  • Fever and chills in Cold Attack
  • Difficulty bending the body
  • Gastric pain
  • Abdominal pain
  • Malaria with diarrhea and abdominal pain
  • Sour taste upon swallowing
  • Vomiting food long after ingestion
  • Acute and chronic gastritis
  • Jaundice due to Spleen Deficiency
  • Yin Cold diarrhea
  • Anorexia
  • Gastric hemorrhage
  • Gastric spasms
  • Borborygmus
  • Acute intestinal obstruction
  • Hyperacidity
  • Uterine diseases
  • Madness
  • Consumptive illness
  • Pains due to disorders of Qi
  • Discomfort in the diaphragm
  • Insomnia
  • Atrophy syndrome due to Damp-Heat
  • Restless fetus
  • Pulmonary tuberculosis with anorexia
  • Headache due to indigestion
  • Dizziness
  • Vertigo
  • Insanity
  • Palpitations
  • Bell's palsy
  • Numbness
  • Vaginal abscess
  • Injury by worry, anxiety and over thinking
  • Injury by the seven emotions leading to epigastric pain
  • Diarrhea
  • Undigested food in the stool
  • Red and white dysenteric disorder
  • Difficult defecation
  • Heat in the Small Intestine
  • Dark urine
  • Sudden turmoil disorder
  • Deficiency-taxation
  • Sallow complexion
  • Postpartum Blood dizziness
  • Heart pain
  • Chronic and acute childhood fright Wind
  • Cold body
  • Scorched, foul odor in the nose
  • Running piglet Qi
  • Warm malaria
  • Aversion to Cold
  • Purple lips
  • Swelling
  • Somber face in color
  • Dyspepsia
  • Stomach ache
  • Distention and pain in the abdomen and Stomach
  • Pain in the Spleen
  • Sudden abdominal distention
  • Hypertension
  • Cholera with nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
  • Inability to eat due to Spleen dysfunction with a sensation like an inverted cup below the false ribs on the left side
  • Acute and chronic enteritis
  • Gastric and duodenal ulcers
  • Constipation
  • Gastric cancer
  • Gastric prolapse
  • Neurasthenia
  • Nine types of Heart pain
  • Mental diseases
  • Spitting blood related to consumptive diseases
  • Fever from epidemic diseases
  • Yellowish complexion without jaundice
  • Renal inflammation
  • Middle Jiao wasting and thirsting syndrome with emaciation
  • Childhood nutritional impairment
  • Fatigue after childbirth
  • Morning sickness
  • Burning sensation in the esophagus and throat
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Suicidal tendencies
  • Paralysis
  • Facial paralysis
  • Vaginal prolapse

UB-17
Geshu
LIV-13
Zhangmen

REN-17
Shanzhong
PC-7
Daling
PC-8
Laogong

SP-4
Gongsun
ST-41
Jiexi

ST-36
Zusanli

Vomiting

Vomiting clear, watery saliva

Food Stagnation in the mid-abdomen

Stabbing pain in the abdomen that does not cease

PC-6
Neiguan
ST-36
Zusanli

REN-10
Xiawan

ST-20
Chengman

Abdominal pain

Hardness of the abdomen

Hardness and pain in the lateral costal region

UB-22
Sanjiaoshu

SP-6
Sanyinjiao

ST-25
Tianshu
REN-3
Zhongji

Abdominal masses in the hypogastrium due to Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis that are hard and big like a plate with epigastric distention and undigested food

Undigested food in the stool

Ceaseless diarrhea

ST-36
Zusanli

REN-6
Qihai

KI-4
Dazhong
UB-33
Zhongliao
REN-4
Guanyuan
UB-57
Chengshan
KI-3
Taixi

ST-40
Fenglong

Hemafecia

Difficult defecation

All Phlegm diseases

Head Wind

Dyspnea and cough

All types of Tan Yin

LIV-14
Qimen
LI-9
Shanglian

ST-36
Zusanli

SI-4
Waigu

Dyspnea with inability to walk

Tonifies the Spleen and Stomach Qi

Jaundice with weakness of the four limbs

Spleen Deficiency jaundice

N-CA-18
Weizhong
ST-36
Zusanli

ST-25
Tianshu
PC-6
Neiguan
REN-6
Qihai

REN-6
Qihai

REN-17
Shanzhong

Prolapsed Stomach

Acute intestinal obstruction

Vomiting

LIV-14
Qimen
ST-37
Shangjuxu

 

 

Asthma

 

 

  • Do not moxa if the pain is sharp.
  • This point is equally applicable for Excess and Deficiency.
  • it is the best point to use, especially with moxa, for Cold-Deficient patterns of the Spleen and Stomach.
  • It is very widely used to eliminate Dampness in any part of the body.