Conception Vessel 13: Ren 13 Shangwan

Conception Vessel 13 is the thirteenth acupuncture point on the Conception Vessel.

• Meeting point of the Conception Vessel with the Stomach and Small Intestine Channels.

Location of Ren-13, CV13

On the midline, 5 cun above the centre of the umbilicus, ie 5/8 of distance from umbilicus to the xiphisternal junction.

Sometimes the position of the sternocostal notch and the length of the xiphoid process make finding this point less obvious than it should be.

 

 

It can seem very close to Conception Vessel points 14 Juque and 15 Jiuwei. When in doubt, err on the side towards Zhongwan, Conception Vessel 12, if you can, because sometimes Juque, Conception Vessel 14, gives too strong a jolt to your patient!

ACTIONS of Shangwan

Note!

1. The actions listed below refer to the point’s actions in Chinese medicine and its theory.
2. The point is not often used in 5 Element acupuncture, though perhaps it should be, in support of other actions.
3. You’ll see ‘qi‘ often mentioned. It’s a fundamental concept in Chinese medicine. Click here for more on Qi, and click here for how Qi often causes problems.

• Regulates and descends Stomach Qi
• Regulates the Heart qi

Ren 13 Regulates and Descends Stomach Qi

In relation to the stomach organ, Conception Vessel 13 has some of the same characteristics as Conception Vessel 10 Lower Duct. The latter’s strength is to descend Stomach Qi. This point prevents Stomach Qi rebelling upwards.

It suggests Ren 13 manages the upper part of the stomach, specifically the gastroesophageal junction or GE junction, sometimes called the Cardiac sphincter. However, it isn’t as definite as that, although many of the conditions that follow do occur when the GE junction is too open or, conversely partially blocked, as with a fixed hiatus hernia.

In Chinese Medicine, Conception Vessel 13 controls Rebellious Stomach Qi symptoms (meaning that instead of descending food it rebels upwards), such as:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Hiccough
• Belching
• Acid regurgitation ie reflux
• Sour taste in mouth
• Vomiting Blood
• Fullness in the epigastrium
• Epilepsy from ‘wind and phlegm’ (Chinese medical terms denoting a development of the condition)

Along with rebellious Stomach qi, you often get: 

I once heard Leon Hammer, (one of our modern geniuses in acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, after long experience with probably the greatest modern Chinese Doctor in the West, John Shen) perhaps in an unguarded moment, suggest Conception Vessel 13 might be used in weight control, by which he meant appetite control.

Regulates Heart Qi: also because it is the upper duct point

Good for chest problems if associated with Stomach qi rebelling

Because the point is so close to the lower part of the Heart, or perhaps because the divergent channel of the Stomach penetrates the Heart, this point is often used to calm Heart Qi, for example when there are palpitations, or the Heart feels full, hot and painful.

The point is sometimes used when there is heat and pain in the chest.

For an example, see the following case, which happened with one of my patients.

I had a patient whose heart beat stopped every few beats: he was otherwise in what seemed good health.

His heart seemed to miss a beat as he  breathed in, when he was at rest.

Remembering that the Lung meridian originates in the area of Conception Vessel 12 and 13, I needled this point, together with Lung 9 and Heart 6. The condition improved, when with the previous treatment the two last points on their own hadn’t made any difference.

However, I also had to suggest the patient desist from heavy weight training for a few weeks, as I diagnosed that he was over-straining his Qi.

Meeting Point with Small Intestine Channel

Click to return from Conception Vessel 13 to Acupuncture Point Location.