In the concept of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), luò mài (collaterals) are branches of the jīng mài (meridians), connecting the interior and exterior meridians or organs. There are three types of collaterals: bié luò (branch collaterals), fú luò (floating collaterals), and sūn luò (small collaterals).
The twelve primary meridians and the rèn mài (Ren Meridian) and dū mài (Du Meridian) each have a branch collateral, along with the large collateral of the spleen, totaling fifteen, known as the fifteen branch collaterals.
The fú luò are the collaterals that float in the superficial parts of the body, primarily distributed on the skin surface, used for the transmission and distribution of qì (vital energy) and blood, nourishing the entire body.
The sūn luò are the smallest branches derived from the bié luò, serving the same function as the fú luò.
In TCM, collaterals are the main and branch pathways for the circulation of qì and blood within the body. They include both the meridians and collaterals, where the longitudinal main lines are called meridians, and the branches that extend from the meridians to various parts of the body are called collaterals. As stated in the Ling Shu (Spiritual Pivot) chapter on meridians: “The twelve meridians run deep and are hidden between the flesh; the ones commonly seen are the fú luò, which are all collaterals.” The main content of the meridians includes: twelve primary meridians, twelve branch meridians, eight extraordinary meridians, fifteen collaterals, twelve sinews, and twelve skin areas. Among these, the twelve primary meridians are predominant in the meridian aspect, while the fifteen collaterals are predominant in the collateral aspect. They interconnect and spread throughout the body, linking the internal and external organs and limbs into an organic whole.
The branches of collaterals within the body crisscross and form a network throughout, including the three types: bié luò, fú luò, and sūn luò.
1. Bié Luò
The bié luò are larger branches, totaling fifteen, derived from the three yin and three yang meridians of the hands and feet, each giving rise to a collateral above and below the wrist and ankle joints, along with the collaterals of the rèn mài, dū mài, and the large collateral of the spleen, hence also called the fifteen branch collaterals.
The collaterals derived from the twelve primary meridians and the collaterals of the rèn mài, dū mài, and the large collateral of the spleen are all named after their respective luò xué (collateral points), specifically:
Hand Taiyin Collateral – Liè Quē
Foot Taiyin Collateral – Gōng Sūn
Hand Shaoyin Collateral – Tōng Lǐ
Foot Shaoyin Collateral – Dà Zhōng
Hand Jueyin Collateral – Nèi Guān
Foot Jueyin Collateral – Lǐ Gōu
Hand Taiyang Collateral – Zhī Zhèng
Foot Taiyang Collateral – Fēi Yáng
Hand Yangming Collateral – Piān Lì
Foot Yangming Collateral – Fēng Lóng
Hand Shaoyang Collateral – Wài Guān
Foot Shaoyang Collateral – Guāng Míng
Collateral of the Ren Meridian – Jiū Wěi
Collateral of the Du Meridian – Cháng Qiáng
Large Collateral of the Spleen – Dà Bāo
2. Fú Luò
The fú luò are the branches of collaterals that float in the superficial parts of the body. Among all collaterals, those that float in the superficial areas are called fú luò, distributed on the skin surface. Their main function is to transport and distribute qì and blood to nourish the entire body.
3. Sūn Luò
The smallest branches derived from the bié luò are called sūn luò, and they serve the same function as the fú luò in distributing qì and blood to nourish the entire body.
There are 365 sūn luò, a result of the “correspondence between heaven and man” deduction.
As stated in the Ling Shu chapter on evil qi and organ disease: “The twelve primary meridians have three hundred sixty-five collaterals, and their blood and qi all ascend to the face and travel through the orifices.”
The twelve primary meridians of the human body and the 365 sūn luò have their blood and qi directed upwards to the face and travel through the orifices. How are these 365 sūn luò calculated? They are derived from the “correspondence between heaven and man” deduction, corresponding to the 365 days of the year, rather than from actual anatomical findings.
Many texts in the Nei Jing discuss the “heaven has three hundred sixty-five days,” and the human body has 365 acupoints, collaterals, valleys, joints, and corresponding numbers, such as in the Su Wen chapter on the six divisions of the organs: “Heaven uses the six divisions to complete a year; the earth uses the nine divisions to gather, and humans also have three hundred sixty-five divisions.” In the Tiao Jing Lun: “Humans have essence, qi, body fluids, four limbs, nine orifices, five organs, sixteen parts, and three hundred sixty-five divisions… The twelve primary meridians are all collaterals of three hundred sixty-five divisions.” In the Qi Xue Lun: “I have heard that there are three hundred sixty-five qi points, corresponding to a year… A total of three hundred sixty-five points, through which needles are inserted… The three hundred sixty-five sūn luò also correspond to a year… The valleys also have three hundred sixty-five points, corresponding to a year.” In the Qi Fu Lun: “The points where qi emerges are all three hundred sixty-five points.” And in the Ling Shu chapter on the nine needles and twelve origins: “At the junction of the divisions, there are three hundred sixty-five meetings… The so-called ‘divisions’ refer to the places where the spirit and qi circulate in and out, not the skin, flesh, tendons, or bones.” In the chapter on evil qi and organ disease: “The twelve primary meridians have three hundred sixty-five collaterals, and their blood and qi all ascend to the face and travel through the orifices.”
Qing Dynasty scholar Yu Jiayan in Yi Men Fa Lü stated: “The twelve primary meridians have been thoroughly discussed by ancient sages, but the collaterals have not been adequately covered, which is also a deficiency… The twelve meridians give rise to twelve collaterals, which in turn give rise to one hundred eighty connecting collaterals, which give rise to one hundred eighty entangled collaterals, which give rise to thirty-four thousand sūn luò. The more they emerge from within, the finer they become.” This sūn luò is not limited to 365, but is countless, similar to modern anatomical capillaries, and according to this reasoning, it would exceed one hundred million. Given the medical development at that time, it could not have been derived from dissection but was also a deduction.
4. Distribution Patterns
The distribution of the fifteen collaterals follows a pattern:
The collaterals of the twelve primary meridians (the twelve regular meridians) branch out from their respective luò xué and connect to the corresponding meridians, with yin collaterals branching into yang meridians and yang collaterals branching into yin meridians.
The branch collaterals of the rèn mài spread in the abdominal area and descend;
The branch collaterals of the dū mài spread in the lumbar and back areas and ascend;
The large collateral of the spleen spreads to the lateral rib area after branching out.
The fifteen collaterals serve to connect the interior and exterior meridians, governing the fú luò and sūn luò, and facilitating the flow of qì and blood to nourish the entire body.
5. Literature Discussion
In the Ling Shu chapter on needling and true evil: “There must be horizontal collaterals,” which refers to smaller collaterals. This means that collaterals are also called horizontal collaterals.
In the Zhen Jing Zhi Nan: “There are fifteen collaterals, over three hundred horizontal collaterals, eighteen thousand fine collaterals, and countless sūn luò.”
In the Ling Shu chapter on pulse measurement: “The meridians are the interior, and those that branch out horizontally are the collaterals,” indicating that the meridians are located deeper, while the branches that emerge horizontally from the meridians are located more superficially.
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