KIIKO MATSUMOTO

STYLE ACUPUNCTURE
ONLINE THEORETICAL
ESSENTIALS:
A 6-part webinar series
Broadcast from:
Sydney, AUSTRALIA | Los Angeles, USA
2020

Part 2: Kidney | Adrenals | Dan Tien: The Deepest Layers of the Body

Presented by

Monika Kobylecka
Instructor
©2020 Kiiko Matsumoto Style of Acupuncture Qiology Webinar 2020

Copyright Notice. The seminar textbooks (“Textbooks”) used in the seminar today are Copyright© Kiiko Matsumoto and David Euler
(“Authors”). The additional seminar materials (“Additional Materials”) used in the seminar today are Copyright© Kiiko
Matsumoto. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Anyone who is interested in utilizing the Textbooks in any way other than as learning
materials for this particular seminar shall contact Authors for SPECIFIC WRITTEN PERMISSION BY BOTH OF THE
AUTHORS. Anyone who is interested in utilizing the Additional Materials in any way other than as learning materials for this particular
seminar shall contact Kiiko Matsumoto for SPECIFIC WRITTEN PERMISSION by her.

The names of the Authors (alone or as part of another name) or any logos, seals, insignia or other words, names, symbols or devices that
identify either author may not be used to endorse or promote products derived from the Materials / Textbooks WITHOUT SPECIFIC
PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION.

Abdominal and neck reflexes in Kiiko Matsumoto Style (KMS)

For more info see: KIIKO MATSUMOTO’S CLINICAL STRATEGIES VOL. 1 (available on kiikomatsumoto.com)

Heart/insomnia
Area of CV14
Liver Spleen
Under right costal Under left costal
margin margin

Stomach
Ren12 1
5

Lung/Immune 2
St26, St27 area Oketsu (Liver)
St26, St27 and Ki15 4
area 3

1. Top of SCM (C1 Sublux./ENT)

Tan Tien (Kidney) 2. Mid-SCM (Neurological)
Ren6, Ren5 and Ren4 area + Ren9 Adrenals (Kidney)
3. Bottom of the SCM (Thyroid)
pulsing and Sp20 reflex Below Ki16 (on both sides)
4. Above St-12 (Neurovascular compression)
5. Tw-16/East-Wind - behind SCM (Immune)

Fire Points – see page 440 of Kiiko Matsumoto’s Clinical Strategies Vol 1

• Check fire-points using 3kg of direct pressure on the point – Kidney-2 is the exception,
slide across the area, with 3kg of pressure, instead of pressing.
• When painful, treat the corresponding metal + water points to release pressure pain on
the Fire point.
When multiple channels present with pressure pain on fire-points, start with the “deepest
organ/level” and once released, recheck to see if other fire-points responded too. For
example, if fire-points for Kidney

1 www.kiikomatsumoto.com prepared by Monika Kobylecka, L.Ac.

©2020 Kiiko Matsumoto Style of Acupuncture Qiology Webinar 2020

Kidney

SCM muscle is partially controlled by cranial nerve XI. The brain in Chinese Medicine belongs to kidney therefore, this
muscle can be a representation of kidney. The most practical application of this idea is inpatients that present with
neurological disorders – Parkinson’s disease,
Multiple Sclerosis, tumors of the brain. In these
patients you will often find that the SCM on one
side is very tight and may even feel like a rock. If
you are able to soften the muscle during the
course of the treatment, it indicates good
The SCM muscle as a whole
prognosis – i.e. your patient’s symptoms should
can represent kidney.
improve.

Glands, including thyroid, salivary, adrenal, ovary

& pancreas all rely on kidney treatments. It’s
important to consider and carefully check kidney
reflexes when patients report symptoms that involve glands.

Thyroid Salivary Adrenal Ovary Pancreas

Across abdomen
Reflex Lower SCM Below chin Around Ki-16 St-28 from right to left
St-21

Ki-3* or Lower leg kidney point

Possible Ki6* + Ki27 with Sp-
Ki-3* with Ki-27. See chart on Ki-10
treatment Ki-9*, Ki-27 & LI-15 3.2 or Sp-5 & 9
following pages

*if fire point is free of pain

Ming Men reflex overlaps with Lung/Immune. This area of the abdomen is unique in that a number of different reflexes
are reflected in this area. You will know which reflex is present when
there is pain at St-26 to St-27 area on the right by the treatment points
Wood Yin
Wood Yang
that release it. If this area is related to kidney Ming Men, it will change
with kidney points.
Water Yin Fire Yin
Water Yang Fire Yang Ming Men represents the right kidney and it is the origin of the five-
element cycle. Water-Yin represents the “blueprint” for the life of the
organism.

Metal Yin Earth Yin

In addition, this area can also be related to the pituitary gland and is
Matal Yang Earth Yang important to release for patients trying to get pregnant. In this case, test
a combination of kidney and/or pituitary points.

^(Note that in addition to the above suggestions the list of possible reflexes for this area is long and each one has different treatment
strategies. Here is a partial list (refer to the book and Kiiko Matsumoto’s recorded classes for specific treatment strategies): tailbone
injury, appendix, ileocecal valve, yeast overgrowth, “earth pattern”/9-star, and more.
2 www.kiikomatsumoto.com prepared by Monika Kobylecka, L.Ac.
©2020 Kiiko Matsumoto Style of Acupuncture Qiology Webinar 2020

Kidney continued - Tan Tien weakness

Common symptoms/conditions that present with a weak Tan Tien pattern may include:
• Low back pain
• Anxiety, panic attacks and other Shen disturbances
• Postpartum depression
• GYN problems
• Autoimmune problems
• Back pain, abdominal pain, headaches
• Cardiac problems – including irregular heartbeat, palpitations, etc.

REFLEXES:
There are two major reflex zones that we check for Tan Tien weakness: Ren6-4 and Ren9 with Sp20.
• “Ren-9 pulsing” – look for any of the following presentations in the area of Ren-9. If present it marks a positive “Ren-
9 pulsing” reflex.
1. Strong pulse when palpating Ren-9 or just to the left of Ren-9
2. Ren-9 looks concave compared with the surrounding area Sp-20 pressure pain
3. Pressure pain when palpating Ren-9 (left is more common)
4. You feel the linea alba around Ren-9 splitting as you press down
• Spleen-20 pressure pain – usually shows up on the left, but make sure to check
BOTH sides
This reflex accompanies Ren-9 pulsing. It is a great place to confirm that there is Ren-9 pulsing
Tan Tien weakness. Not every patient will show positive findings on Ren-9 even
when they have Tan Tien weakness. For this reason, it is essential that you check Weakness or pressure
Sp20. If painful, it indicates a weak Tan Tien. pain

Treatment:
Right St-24, main point & left Gb-26 (Dai Mai), support point

• Pressure pain along Ren-4/5 area and/or weak muscle/loose skin Liv-13
below the umbilicus (in the Nan Ching Kidney reflex area) and/or Ren- Gb-26
5 may feel like a “stone”.
The area of Ren-4 to Ren-6 is the lower Tan Tien. Check this line carefully
for any of the following signs: Side of Tan
Tien Ren-6
o Pressure pain Ren-5
o Weak muscle/loose skin Ren-4
o “Stone” on Ren-5 – the point itself may feel very, very hard,
like a stone, when pressed

Treatment:
Side of Tan Tien (also called “Tan Tien slice” or “MuShu points”)
These points are in a general area below GB26 and across from Ren5/Ren4 area
You can needle up to three points to release the Ren6-4 reflex

Side of Tan Tien points are also really useful for repeated sprained ankles. In these
cases, check GB40 as the reflex and find the Side of Tan Tien points that release it.

3 www.kiikomatsumoto.com prepared by Monika Kobylecka, L.Ac.

©2020 Kiiko Matsumoto Style of Acupuncture Qiology Webinar 2020

Kidney continued - Adrenal

Adrenal reflexes can be found around the umbilicus.

Press at a 45° angle toward the umbilicus. Project a clock with the umbilicus in the center
and press at “4 and 8 o’clock”.
Pain indicates a positive adrenal reflex.
Ki-16 Ki-16
(9 o’clock) 8 (3 o’clock)
To treat, use a lower leg kidney point(s) in combination with Ki-27. 4
The chart that follows can help you pick the best lower leg kidney point.

Adrenal reflexes
Step one is always to check for pressure pain at Ki-2 (fire point). It are at
often becomes painful after trauma/injury/stress. 8 and 4 o’clock

Palpate using a dragging/stroking motion in the area of Kidney-2 instead of directly applying pressure
to the point itself.

If painful, the treatment will be Kidney-7 (Kidney metal point) + Kidney-10 (Kidney water point) + Kidney-27.

Stubborn presentation of Ki-2 pressure pain can be released by checking

Lu-10 (lung fire point) and releasing that first. It should clear up the
remaining Ki-2 pressure pain through the mother/child relationship
between kidney and lung. Mid-SCM often
corresponds with
same side Ki-2 pain
In many cases, you will find that mid-SCM pressure pain corresponds with
the same side Ki-2 pain. Treatment strategy will be the same – release with
metal/water combination and possibly add Ki-27 for further support.

REMINDER: Immune points are important to consider when treating adrenal reflexes since the immune system is taxed
during periods of stress. (In the book, you can see that Kiiko sometimes used Lu-5 for adrenal support).

TW-16 & East Wind

4 www.kiikomatsumoto.com prepared by Monika Kobylecka, L.Ac.

©2020 Kiiko Matsumoto Style of Acupuncture Qiology Webinar 2020

To choose the best

Kidney-2 Takes priority Kid-7 + Kid-10 + Kid-27 lower leg Kidney point(s)
PAIN always check Kidney-2
first (Kidney fire point)
for pressure pain.
Choose lower leg Kidney point. ADD KIDNEY-27
Kidney-2
Suggestions below may help TO THE POINT(s) you
NO PAIN If painful, the treatment
picked from list below
will be Kidney-7 (Kidney
metal point) + Kidney-
Pressure pain on lower SCM - thyroid Kidney-3
(i.e. past or current diagnosis/problem) (standard location) 10 (Kidney water point)
+ Kidney-27.

Pressure pain on ASIS Kidney-9 If Kidney-2 is not painful,

you can choose to use
Pressure pain on St-28 - ovary other lower leg Kidney
Kidney-10
(i.e. ovarian cysts, PCOS, hysterectomy) points. See chart for
suggestions on how to
choose the correct
Above Kid-3
point(s) for your patient.
Symptoms involve brain
(i.e. memory, foggy brain, MS, Parkinson) Needle up with channel
The correct point(s) will
be the one(s) that
Symptoms involve bone Kidney-7 (Bone treatment
(i.e. elderly, patients w/ a bone problem)
release pressure pain on
= Ki-7, Ki-27, Lu-5 & Bl-11)
the adrenal reflex. The
chart may help you
Symptoms involve respiratory system Below Ki-3, closer to bone choose the best point(s)
Also, patient had a history of asthma as a needle down & toward Ki2 faster based on your
kid
patient’s presentation.

Patient has an active kidney disease “Opiate Kidney-9” –

For example: patient
Patients on opiate meds/trying to quit 3 fingers below Kidney-10
with a positive adrenal
sign + history of asthma
Patient w/ liver reflex & lots of meds Ki-9 + Ki-27 + LI-15 + zero pain on Ki-2 " Ki-
(i.e. chemo, radiation) 3 may be the best lower
leg point. Press on Ki-3
Below standard Kidney-9.
Patient has a diagnosed autoimmune OR and recheck adrenal
condition Test Ki6 or Ki-7 (pick 1) reflex, if some change
& needle it, then add Ki-27
test Ki9 or Ki-10 (pick 1)
to completely clear
adrenal reflex of
No other clues from patient’s history pressure pain.
and/or reflexes. Kidney-6
Also works well for patients with
hormonal imbalance

5 www.kiikomatsumoto.com prepared by Monika Kobylecka, L.Ac.