confluent points

bbsadmin

I am confused about the confluent points. Houxi (SI 3) is the confluent point of the Du meridian but I don't see any mention of the Du meridian running down the arm to the wrist. This is also true of other confluent points;the extra meridian does not seem to go anywhere near the point. How are the confluent points connected to the meridians they pertain to? Is this just one of those clinical facts that are based on experience and just have to be accepted? I can memorized them of course but I would like to understand a little better. Thank you Ed Austin

Wilson1

 

Just because of no direct connection, so they are known as the Confluent points!

Of course they were found by the experience, all the knowledges of acupuncture were.

D.K.

Wilson1

They seem to be described as pairs of points such as Gongsun (SP4) of the Chong meridian with Neiguan (PC6), of the Yin Wei meridian, the two meridians being confluent in the chest. So it seems that pair would be useful for disorders in the chest. Is that how they are usually used in clinical treatment, paired together like one of the "even" prescriptions the text mentions?