Meridian-Based Therapies

Meridian-based therapies use the body’s bio-energetic system to improve cellular communication and the flow of energy, which can improve health. Meridians are energy pathways throughout the connective tissue in the body. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has used them for over 2,000 years for healing. The existence of these pathways has been scientifically verified with specialized CT scans. 

The use of acupuncture needles, tapping, holding, and coordinating each pathway with color, organs, and emotions are all used in meridian-based therapies.

What Are Meridians?

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, meridians are considered to be pathways or channels of qi (chi) and blood flow that move continuously throughout the body. Any disruption of this flow of qi/chi indicates an imbalance in the child which can manifest as any kind of sickness or disturbance. However, insufficient qi/chi in the meridians may result as diminished energy or level of vitality and/ or poorly functioning body organs and tissues.

Meridian-based therapies are based on the concept that a disruption in the flow of qi/chi energy can result in compromising the immune system making the body susceptible to many unwanted conditions and diseases.

Therefore, many acupuncturists, Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors, Chinese herbalists, Shiatsu therapists, and many other holistic practitioners focus on improving the flow of this qi/chi energy to the meridians in order to correct the imbalances and repair the non-functioning areas of the body.

What Do the Twelve Meridians in the Body Correspond to?

There are twelve major meridians in the body, and they correspond to specific organs of the body:

  • Kidneys
  • Liver
  • Spleen
  • Heart
  • Lungs
  • Pericardium
  • Bladder
  • Gall bladder
  • Stomach
  • Small intestine
  • Large intestine
  • The triple burner, also known as the regular of body temperature

Some meridians have an upward movement which means they are more “yin”. Other meridians have a downward movement which means they are more yang”. Yin is more expansive and uplifting energy (cold) while yang is more contracted and concentrated energy (heat). Some organs are more yin, and others are more yang.

Traditional Chinese Medicine eventually discovered that the body has different biorhythms which affect the body at different intervals throughout the day. Hence, the Meridian Clock was created and is reflected in the energy meridians that are connected to each of the body organs. The 24-hour clock is divided into 12 two-hour intervals of the qi/chi. Each period of each organ represents the peak functioning that occurs within a 24-hour period.

How to Heal with Yin/Yang

The Chinese concept of yin and yang can be applied to healing in many different ways such as food, herbs, therapies, teas and so on. For instance, if your child wakes up every night around the same time, then checking the Meridian Clock can help a parent understand what organ is under stress and causing the child to wake up every night within that organ’s time period.

The next step would be to have your child either seen by an acupuncturist, massage therapist, OMD or Chinese herbalist to establish how to correct the imbalance of the stressed organ affecting your child’s sleep. Simple solutions can be found by using meridian-based therapies to help rectify your child’s imbalances and correct the underlying disturbances.

Meridian Clock

Yin Meridians Yang Meridians
3-5am: Lung (hand Taiyin) 5-7am: Large intestine (hand Yangming)
9-11am: Spleen (foot Taiyin) 7-9am: Stomach (foot Yangming)
11am-1pm: Heart (hand Shaoyin) 1-3pm: Small intestine (hand Taiyang)
5-7pm: Kidney (foot Shaoyin) 3-5pm: Urinary bladder (foot Taiyang)
7-9pm: Pericardium (hand Jueyin) 9-11pm: Triple Burner (hand Shaoyang)
1-3am: Liver (foot Jueyin) 11pm-1am: Gallbladder (foot Shaoyang)

 

Still Looking for Answers?

Visit the Epidemic Answers Practitioner Directory to find a practitioner near you.

Join us inside our online membership community for parents, Healing Together, where you’ll find even more healing resources, expert guidance, and a community to support you every step of your child’s healing journey.

Sources & References

Bower, W.F., et al. Acupuncture as a treatment for nocturnal enuresis. Auton Neurosci. 2010 Oct 28;157(1-2):63-7.

Jindal, V., et al. Safety and efficacy of acupuncture in children: a review of the evidence. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2008 Jun;30(6):431-42.

Libonate, J., et al. Efficacy of acupuncture for health conditions in children: a review. ScientificWorldJournal. 2008 Jul 13;8:670-82.

Lin, Y.C., et al. Acupuncture for pediatric pain: The trend of evidence-based research. J Tradit Complement Med. 2019 Aug 17;10(4):315-319.

Yang, C., et al. Efficacy and safety of acupuncture in children: an overview of systematic reviews. Pediatr Res. 2015 Aug;78(2):112-9.