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POINT: DU-14 (GOVERNING VESSEL-14)

NAME: DAZHUI

English: Great Vertebra
Also Known As: Big Vertebra
Great Hammer
Large Spine

LOCATION:

  • On the midline of the spine at the base of the neck, in the depression below the spinous process of the seventh cervical vertebra., approximately at the level of the shoulders.
  • Between the spinous processes of the seventh cervical vertebra and the first thoracic vertebra.

NEEDLING:

  • Perpendicular-oblique superior insertion 0.5-1 cun. Sensation: Local distention and soreness extending downward to both shoulders.
    Caution: The spinal cord lies between 1.25 and 1,75 cm below the skin surface , varying according to body build. If an electric sensation, numb sensation is felt in the limbs the needle should be immediately withdrawn.
  • Moxibustion is applicable according to age (e.g. if 30 years old use 30 cones)

COMMAND FUNCTIONS:

  • Meeting point of the Governing channel with the six Yang channels of the hands and feet
  • Point of the "Sea of Qi"
  • Influential point of Yang

ACTIONS:

  • Expels Wind and Wind-Heat (Relieves the Exterior)
  • Firms the Exterior (Tonifies Protective Wei Qi)
  • Regulates Nutritive and Defensive Q
  • Clears fire, Heat and summerheat
  • Reduces fever
  • Treats malaria
  • Tonifies Deficiency
  • Pacifies Wind
  • Opens the Yang
  • Regulates the Yang channels
  • Clears the brain (mind)
  • Calms the Shen
  • Facilitates Qi flow
  • Regulates Qi
  • Tonifies Yang
  • Restores collapsed Yin
  • Relaxes the sinews

INDICATIONS:

  • Injury by Cold leading to a high fever with agitation and vomiting
  • Common cold due to Wind-Heat
  • Aversion to Wind with shivering, chills and fever
  • Warm malaria
  • Alternating chills and fever
  • Malarial disorders
  • Intermittent fever
  • Tidal fevers
  • Throat painful obstruction (throat Bi)
  • Fullness of the chest and lateral costal region with depression
  • Deficiency sweating
  • Night sweats
  • Streaming bone disorder
  • Heat in the bones with recurrent fever
  • Lack of strength
  • Physical weakness
  • Asthenia
  • Does not want to speak
  • Shortness of breath with inability to speak
  • Afternoon fever
  • Febrile convulsions
  • Cough
  • Bronchitis
  • Whooping cough (pertussis)
  • Pulmonary tuberculosis
  • Five types of tuberculosis
  • Dyspnea
  • Tuberculosis due to Wind
  • Psychosis
  • Headache
  • Eczema and urticaria due to wind-Heat
  • Pain in the back of the shoulder
  • Extreme Dryness of the teeth of the upper jaw, especially the incisors
  • Mania
  • Melancholia
  • Emphysema
  • Muscular tetany
  • All febrile diseases
  • Hemiplegia
  • Asthma
  • Fullness in the Lungs
  • The five taxations
  • The seven injuries (types of contusion)
  • Wind taxation (chronic Bi leading to exhaustion of Qi and Blood)
  • Pain of the hundred joints
  • Epilepsy
  • Seizures
  • Infantile convulsions
  • Chronic and acute childhood fright Wind
  • Hypertension
  • Insomnia
  • Hematemesis
  • Epistaxis that does not stop
  • Stiffness of the spine
  • Stiffness of the nape of the neck with inability to turn the head
  • Neck pain
  • Neck rigidity
  • Torticollis
  • Spasms of the neck muscles
  • Jaundice
  • Hepatitis
  • Vomiting
  • Sensations of energy rising to the upper part of the body
  • Heat stroke
  • Hysteria
  • Blood diseases
  • Hemiplegia
  • Congested throat
  • Osseous tuberculosis with Yang symptoms and Dryness of the upper incisors
  • Atrophy (Wei) syndrome due to Lung Heat
  • Closed-type coma
  • Heat Bi with fever

COMBINATIONS:

SI-3
Houxi
PC-5
Jianshi
LI-11
Quchi

SI-3
Houxi
LI-11
Quchi

DU-2
Yaoshu

Malaria with much Heat and little Cold

Malaria with much Cold and little Heat

Malaria

LI-11
Quchi
GB-39
Xuanzhong
ST-36
Zusanli
KI-1
Yongquan
LI-4
Hegu

PC-5
Jianshi
ST-18
Rugen

KI-7
Fuliu
UB-43 (moxa)
Gaohuangshu

Injury by Cold with great Heat that does not recede (use reduction technique)

Spleen Cold malaria

Spontaneous sweating

DU-15
Yamen

UB-13
Feishu
UB-18
Ganshu

GB-20
Fengchi
LI-11
Quchi

Epistaxis (use moxibustion)

Overlapping Tai Yang and Shao Yang patterns

Influenza

N-BW-8
Ganrexue
ST-40
Fenglong

LI-11
Quchi
ST-36
Zusanli
UB-20
Pishu
SP-6
Sanyinjiao

DU-13
Taodao
M-BW-5
Erzhuisha
DU-12
Shenzhu

Bronchitis

Leukopenia

Psychosis

DU-2
Yaoshu

LI-11
Quchi

 

Tidal fevers

Lowers fever

 

CONTRAINDICATIONS:

NOTES:

  • This is a major point for lowering fever.
  • This point has a unique ability to clear pathogens from the Tai Yang, Shao Yang and Yang Ming stages.
  • This is one of the principle points to treat sweating.
  • This point is often needled toward either shoulder when neck pain radiates laterally.
  • This point induces everything into action.
  • This point can have opposite effects depending on the needling method used.
    With reducing method, it releases the Exterior fo treating wind-Heat, regulates the Ying and the Wei and clears Interior Heat.
    With reinforcing method, or with moxa, it tonifies Yang, especially Heart Yang, clears the mind and stimulates the brain.