Kidney 1 Body, Mind, and Spirit Acupuncture Point
Kidney 1, named “Bubbling Spring”, is the first acupuncture point on the Kidney meridian. It is the only meridian point on the sole of the foot. Kidney 1 is a major energy vortex that has the ability to revitalize body, mind and spirit. This point can be activated with acupuncture, acupressure, herbal plasters, exercise and even floral essences.
Recently, I had an awe-inspiring personal experience with this point that I would like to share with you. A patient of mine is in the final stages of lung cancer, finding it difficult to breathe, talk or swallow. She was just hospitalized to remove fluid from her chest. And if all of that wasn't bad enough, her husband called me to tell me that she suffered a stroke when she arrived home. The stroke left the whole left side of her body paralyzed. He asked if I would consider trying acupuncture to restore movement on her left side. His thinking was that if she had this functionality, she might be able to get out of bed and sit in a chair. This would at least improve her quality of life for the time she had left.
I have to admit that I was skeptical that I could help a person who was this debilitated, but I agreed to come to their home. I inserted just two needles in her right hand – Master Tung's ling gu and da bai. These points have a long list of indications and hemiplegia is one of them. Then, instinctively, I started to do some gentle acupressure on her left leg starting with Kidney 1 which is also indicated for lower limb paralysis. It seemed a natural place to start to address her breathing difficulty and the fear and anxiety I knew she was experiencing from her cancer.
But acupuncture can also treat digestive disorders such as nausea, acid reflux and irritable bowel syndrome. It is commonly used to treat asthma and sinus problems. Acupuncture is very powerful to treat gynecological problems including PMS, menopausal symptoms, endometriosis and even infertility.