Small Intestine Channel
Front Valley
前谷Qián GǔAnatomical location
On the ulnar border of the hand, anterior to the metacarpophalangeal joint of the little finger.
Main function
Clears Heat, benefits the throat and the ears.
- Ying-Spring Point (Water)
Therapeutic indications
- Sore throat
- tinnitus
- headache
- wrist pain
- Deafness
- Scanty lactation
- Numbness of the fingers
- Red eyes
- Hand pain
- Fever
Name and classical tradition
Qiangu, 前谷, is the “front valley.” 前 means in front, as opposed to 后, behind; 谷, the valley, is the depression between two bony prominences. The point is on the ulnar border of the little finger, in front of the joint at the base of the finger, and its name is understood as a pair with the next point, SI3, Houxi, the “back stream,” which lies behind that same joint. This is the same device of naming two neighboring points by their relative position that appears in LI2 and LI3.
A modern gloss goes further and claims that the point acts on the front of the body, as opposed to Houxi, which acts on the back. It has no classical support. The Lingshu (Spiritual Pivot) records it in the Ben Shu chapter (本輸) as the Ying-Spring point (滎穴) of the channel, which on the Yang channels corresponds to Water.
