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Dan Zhong (CV 17) & Chest Oppression

abstracted & translated by
Honora Lee Wolfe, Lic, Ac., FNAAOM (USA)

Keywords: Chinese medicine, acupuncture-moxibustion, Dan Zhong (CV 17), chest oppression, loosening the chest and rectifying the qi

On pages 35-36 of issue #8, 2004 of Gan Su Zhong Yi (Gansu Chinese Medicine), Liu Yong-hui and Deng Ni published an article titled, "Observations on the Effect of Needling Dan Zhong (CV 17) for Loosening the Chest & Rectifying the Qi." A summary of this article is presented below.

Cohort description:

There were 30 patients enrolled in this study conducted in Beijing, 22 of whom were Chinese and eight of whom were foreigners. Among these, 10 were male and 12 were female 16-48 years of age. The average age was 30 years old. These patients had suffered from qi stagnation pattern chest oppression for from two to 15 days, with an average disease duration of three days. Diagnostic criteria included chest oppression and discomfort, a possible feeling of a heavy weight pressing on the chest, stress and aggravation causing pain, heart fluster, shortness of breath, anxiety, sighing, burping, habitual tension, taxation and fatigue, a pale red or red tongue with thin, white or thin, slimy fur, and a fine and/or bowstring pulse. Organic disease resulting in chest oppression was excluded.

Treatment method:

With patients lying supine, 0.25-03mm diameter, 25-40mm long fine needles were inserted into Dan Zhong (CV 17) until the sternum was reached. Then twisting and turning hand technique was used in order to promote the conduction of the needle sensation to left pre-cordial and right chest regions. The needles were then retained for 30-60 minutes. When the proper degree of remission of the chest oppression was achieved, the needles were withdrawn. Only one such treatment was given.

Study outcomes:

Clinical cure was defined as complete disappearance of chest oppression and discomfort with no recurrence on follow-up after one week. Some effect was defined as reduction in the degree of chest oppression and discomfort. No effect was defined as no change in chest oppression and discomfort from before to after treatment. Based on these criteria, 25 cases were cured, three got some effect, and two got no effect. Therefore, the cure rate was 83.33% and the total effectiveness rate was 93.33%.

Discussion:

According to "The Treatise on the Magic Orchid of the Secret Laws" in the Su Wen (Simple Questions), "Dan Zhong is the official envoy from which issues joy and happiness." This makes it clear that Dan Zhong has the power to spread the heart’s joy and happiness." According to the Ling Shu (Spiritual Pivot) chapter titled, "Treatise on the Seas," "Dan Zhong is the sea of qi. "The Treatise on the Five Flavors" in the Ling Shu says, "When the great qi is obtained but not moved, rather accumulating in the chest, that is ascribed to the sea of qi," while "The Channels & Vessels" in the Ling Shu says, "The vessel of the triple burner hand shao yang... enters the supraclavicular fossa and then scatters into the network vessels of the heart wrapper." Dan Zhong refers to the thoracic cavity or center of the chest which is also called the sea of qi. If, due to psycho-emotional stress, the qi accumulates within the chest, the patient will feel a sensation of chest oppression and discomfort. The chest will have the feeling of being pressed by a heavy weight. Thus one can also say that the center of the chest is the sea of liver depression and qi stagnation. Dan Zhong is found on the ventral surface of the thorax between the two breasts and above the sternum. It is one of the eight meeting points, being the meeting of the qi. It is also the mu or alarm point of the heart wrapper, i.e., the pericardium. Therefore, it is sometimes called the upper sea of qi. This point has the effect of loosening the chest and rectifying the qi, regulating and smoothing the flow of the qi mechanism. Clinically, in order to achieve these effects, the Chinese authors believe it is necessary to needle this point deeply, stimulating it by twisting and turning hand technique. In this case, the needle sensation should spread to the left and right sides of the chest. Typically, these effects of loosening the chest and rectifying the qi can be obtained in 10 minutes, and most patients experiencing the above signs and symptoms for 1-3 days can be cured with one treatment. In the above study, only two patients failed to get any effect. Both of these had had these symptoms for two weeks and their qi stagnation was severe. When these symptoms are treated early, they are not difficult to diffuse as long as there is no organic disease.