Youmen KI₂₁

﹝Alias﹞

Shangmen

﹝Explanation of Name﹞

You, hidden; men, portal. The point is near the lower opening of the stomach Youmen (KI21) and is related to it, hence the name.

﹝Category﹞

thoroughfare vessel (TV), foot shaoyin intersection.

﹝Source﹞

Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing.

﹝Location﹞

• Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing: "Located in the depression 0.5 cun lateral to Juque (CV14) on both sides."

﹝Local Anatomy﹞

• Muscle: Medial border of the rectus abdominis muscle. (Deep layer is the liver)
• Nerve: Seventh intercostal nerve.
• Blood vessels: Branches of the superior and inferior epigastric arteries and veins.

﹝Acupuncture and Moxibustion﹞

Perpendicular insertion 0.5～1 cun, do not insert deeply. Moxa cone moxibustion 3～5 cones, moxa stick warm moxibustion 10～15 minutes.

﹝Effects﹞

Descends counterflow, benefits the pharynx, harmonizes the stomach.

﹝Indications﹞

• Classical: Pain in the chest, ribs, and back that pulls on each other, nausea, vomiting, excessive salivation, difficulty swallowing food, frequent hiccups, fullness in the chest, hardness in the lower abdomen, heart pain, counterflow qi, vexation.
• Modern: Stomach spasm, gastroptosis, intercostal neuralgia.

﹝Prescription Examples﹞

• Vexation and vomiting: Yutang (CV18), Youmen (KI21).
• Vomiting and nausea: Moxibustion on Weishu (BL21), Youmen (KI21), Shangqiu (SP5), Zhongfu (LU1), Shimen (CV5), Geshu (BL17), Yangguan.