Dr.

Tans Balance Method for Knee Pain

by Richard Tan, L.Ac., O.M.D.

Knee injury is a common reason that people visit their doctors or seek out treatments. According

to the Mayo Clinic, almost one in three Americans older than age 45 reports some type of knee

pain. Knee pain may be related to overuse where small stresses are repeated over time, or can

be acute in which it is related to trauma.

All six meridians running through the knee can be affected when knee pain is present. The yin

meridians, Kidney, Spleen, and Liver, and the yang meridians, Stomach, Gallbladder, and Urinary

Bladder, all pass through the knee. For good results, accurate diagnosis of the affected meridians

is important. Pain may be located between meridians, or may cover multiple areas. If the pain is

deep inside the knee joint, then deep insertion of distal points is necessary.

EXAMPLE 1

Area of Discomfort: Lateral knee pain, right side

Step 1. Diagnose the Sick Meridian

Gallbladder meridian, right side

Step 2. Determine the Treating Meridians Based on the Five Systems

System 1: San Jiao

System 2: Heart

System 3: Liver

System 4: Heart

System 5: San Jiao

Step 3. Point Selection

System 1: Ashi points around Tianjing (SJ 10), left side

System 2: Ashi points around Shaohai (HT 3), either side

System 3: Ashi points between Xiguan (LR 7) and Ququan (LR 8),

or Dr. Tans Liver Point*, left side

System 4: Ashi points around Shaohai (HT 3), either side

System 5: Ashi points around Tianjing (SJ 10), left side

*Dr. Tans Liver Point: Located on the medial side of the condyle of the tibia bone,

anterior and superior to Yinlingquan (SP 9).