Harvard Study Confirms Existence of Pericardium Meridian

Harvard Study Confirms Existence of Pericardium Meridian

Can stimulating acupuncture points improve or cure diseases?  In the West, acupuncture and acupressure are gradually gaining popularity.  The question is, do meridians really exist in the human body? The scientific community has looked at this from different perspectives.  In one recent study published by Harvard Medical School, researchers were able to confirm the existence of the “pericardium meridian,” which is one of the 12 meridians associated with the heart and the fire element.

How Can the Pericardium help with problems such as heart palpitations, myocardial infarction, insomnia?

The word pericardium is derived from the Latin words “around (peri)” and “heart (cardium).” As its name implies, pericardium is the membrane enclosing the heart. It is the guard that protects the heart. And “meridian” can be interpreted as a “channel of energy.”

Usually, our emotional ups and downs will cause the energy in the body to fluctuate strongly, which can damage the heart. In western medicine, we’d talk about the detrimental effects of different hormones triggered by stress. People who are emotionally unstable and often stressed tend to have unhealthy hearts.  In addition, research is showing the negative energy of the SARS-COV-2 virus may also damage the heart after infection. In particular, many people with post-COVID-19 symptoms (long COVID) often still have residual viruses in their body which may be affecting the heart.

The energy of the pericardium meridian can protect the heart from damage and prevent bad energy from entering the heart.   According to traditional Chinese medicine, the “heart” doesn’t refer to only the heart itself, but also the person’s state of mind. Therefore, besides treating chest congestion, palpitations, and angina, the pericardium meridian can also improve mental tension and insomnia.

The Study:

Traditional Chinese medicine places great importance on the meridians, and many concepts of healing are closely related to them. The meridians are invisible to the naked eye, so conventional Western medicine still holds reservations about their existence.

However, in March 2021, a paper published in the medical journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a collaboration between Harvard Medical School and the Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (CACMS), observed the possibility of the pericardium meridian’s existence for the first time.

The pericardium meridian is one of the “12 meridians.” It starts in the chest, follows the midline of the forearm, travels to the palm of the hand, and ends at the tip of the middle finger. It has nine acupoints: referred to as PC-1 to PC-9.

In the study, 15 healthy volunteers were recruited, and two Chinese physicians marked the pathways and acupuncture points of the pericardium meridian on their hands and arms and used a low resistance detector for further confirmation.  Afterwards, they injected fluorescein into the volunteers’ pericardium meridians and observed the direction of the fluorescein’s movement with a special camera.

It was emphasized in the study that the fluorescein was injected intradermally, not subcutaneously, intramuscularly, or intravenously, to ensure that it would not disperse into the blood vessels.

The scientists were surprised to find that after the volunteers were injected with fluorescein in the PC-6 point on their wrists, over time, fluorescent lines appeared on most of their arms. These “glowing lines” spread along their arms, all the way to the bend of their elbows. The path of this line is precisely the path of the pericardium meridian.

In other words, starting at the Neiguan PC-6 Point, the fluorescein follows the pericardium meridian all the way to the Quze PC-3 Point.

It is worth noting that the bright spot at the Quze PC-3 Point appeared even earlier than the fluorescent line, as if the fluorescein entered the body and then “time traveled” to Quze PC-3 Point. What’s more interesting is that the Quze PC-3 Point is considered a “He-Sea point” in traditional Chinese medicine. The ancients believed that these kind of points could gather energy, so, in a way, the results seem to confirm this.

In addition to the Neiguan PC-6 Point, the researchers also injected fluorescein into one volunteer’s PC-5 Point, and a fluorescent line also appeared. In some cases, the lines extended all the way to the upper arm. This phenomenon lasted for 18 hours before the lines slowly disappeared.

Massaging Pericardium Meridian Acupoints for Palpitations and Insomnia

Note:  It is recommended to seek assistance from a Chinese medicine medical professional before attempting to regulate any condition related to the heart.  Review contraindications before beginning any medical procedure.  

So, specifically, how does one use the pericardium meridian to treat diseases?

To perform acupressure: press each point p to  100 times, two or three times a day (e.g. once in the morning and once in the evening). You can use your thumb to rub the points directly, or you can use a massage device to produce a slight soreness and swelling at the points. The following are the three major pericardium meridian points to massage.

Neiguam PC-6: for heart problems and improve insomnia.  

If you have palpitations, irregular heartbeat, a sudden myocardial infarction (heart attack) and other heart problems, massaging the PC-6 Point may help relieve the symptoms.

If someone around you suddenly suffers a heart attack, you should call an ambulance first, then observe the patient’s vital signs and keep communicating with the patient about his or her condition.

If the patient loses consciousness, make sure to clear his or her airway to avoid suffocation. While waiting for an ambulance, press the patient’s PC-6 Points continuously which may delay myocardial necrosis to gain some precious time to save the patient’s life.

When using acupuncture, acupuncturists generally consider the direction of the needle: “needling along the direction of meridian Qi-energy flowing (shunjing) is tonifying, and needling against the direction of meridian Qi-energy flowing (nijing) is reducing.”

For instance, if the needle is inserted into the PC-6 Point, it can be inserted in the direction of the palm of the hand (shunjing) to regulate the heart function, or in the direction of the upper arm (nijing), which can also penetrate the Jianshi (PC-5) and Ximen (PC-4) Points to improve angina pectoris (chest pain or pressure) and provide pain relief.

The PC-6 Point is a major point that not only treats heart problems, but also improves insomnia.

Quze PC-3: to regulate heart function

PC-3 is the He-Sea point of the pericardium meridian, which means that a lot of energy gathers here, allowing it to regulate the function of the corresponding internal organs. For example, it regulates the function of the pericardium and helps the heart contract. It can be massaged regularly to improve palpitations, chest congestion, and arrhythmias.

Daling PC-7: relieves pain and adjusts mood

Daling PC-7 point is a Shu-Stream acupoint of the pericardium meridian and can treat many pains, such as chest and underarm pains, arm pain, and elbow pain. It is also an acupuncture point that emphasizes reducing, and it can clear heart and liver “fire” energies. Therefore, when you are angry or upset, you can press the Daling Point to relieve your anger.

Qigong and Acupressure as a healing modality in modern life.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine the ancients used Qigong and acupuncture/acupressure to achieve healing in the body.  The practitioner knew how to diagnose root cause and provide their patient with holistic methods to achieve healing in the body, mind and spirit.  

The Pericardium meridian is associated with the Fire Element and the season of Early Summer.  Those who practice Qigong and acupressure as part of their holistic health practices can learn these modalities to achieve greater health, happiness and vitality.  The practices are simple and easily accessed by anyone who is willing to put in a little time to learn a few Qigong moves, and a few key acupressure points.

At Eastern Wisdom meets Modern Lifestyle we specialize in helping  people learn the Art of Qigong and the applications of acupressure to add holistic modalities to their lifestyle.  We offer a lifestyle based approach that meets you where you are.  If you are ready to learn more, you can schedule a discovery session using this link:  https://tinyurl.com/20-Minute-Discovery-Session

May your Chi flow freely and you Life be Healthy, Happy and filled with Vitality