Yin Linking Vessel
A medial linking vessel that connects the yin meridians and regulates the interior.
Pathway
The Yin Linking Vessel (陰維脈, Yinwei Mai) begins at KI-9 Zhubin on the medial lower leg. It ascends the medial thigh, passes the abdomen and chest, and reaches the throat and the base of the tongue.
It is the interior counterpart of the Yang Linking Vessel, tying the yin channels together.
Role in TCM theory
- Linking the yin — The vessel is said to connect the yin meridians — especially the Kidney, Spleen, Liver, and Pericardium — into a coordinated interior.
- The chest and heart — Classical texts associate it with chest tightness, palpitations, and emotional constriction.
- The throat and tongue — Its pathway to the throat and tongue links it with speech and swallowing patterns in the tradition.
- Paired with the Penetrating Vessel — Its confluent point, PC-6, is paired with SP-4 on the Penetrating Vessel.
Key points associated with the vessel
| Point | Name | Location | Traditional use |
|---|---|---|---|
| PC-6 | Neiguan (內關) | Two cun above the wrist crease, between the tendons | The confluent point of the Yin Linking Vessel; traditionally used for chest tightness, nausea, and anxiety |
| SP-4 | Gongsun (公孫) | On the medial foot, distal and inferior to the base of the first metatarsal | The paired point on the Penetrating Vessel; classically used for abdominal and digestive patterns |
| KI-9 | Zhubin (築賓) | Five cun above the medial malleolus, on the medial calf | The xi-cleft point of the Yin Linking Vessel; traditionally used for the medial leg and emotional restlessness |
Point locations follow the WHO Standard Acupuncture Nomenclature (1991). The extraordinary vessels borrow points from the primary meridians; the table lists the points most closely associated with this vessel in standard references.
Confluent point
PC-6 Neiguan is the confluent point of the Yin Linking Vessel; SP-4 Gongsun is its paired point on the Penetrating Vessel. In clinical practice, the confluent point is the main point used when a practitioner wants to influence this vessel through acupressure or needling.
How this is viewed today
PC-6 and SP-4 are among the most studied point pairs in acupuncture research, particularly for nausea and digestive symptoms. Evidence quality varies. Chest pain, palpitations, or breathlessness should always be evaluated medically.
Sources & further reading
- Huangdi Neijing (黃帝內經), c. 2nd century BCE.
- Nanjing (難經), c. 1st–2nd century CE.
- World Health Organization, Standard Acupuncture Nomenclature, 2nd ed., 1991.
- Deadman P, Al-Khafaji M, Baker K. A Manual of Acupuncture. Journal of Chinese Medicine Publications.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Acupuncture: What You Need To Know.
Related: Pericardium meridian · Spleen meridian · Extraordinary vessels hub · acupoint library