Sinew channels

The second category of channels most relevant to Tandem Point therapy is the 12 sinew channels or tendino-muscular meridians.

Sinew channels

• "circulate on the periphery of the body
• are associated with and take their names from the twelve primary channels
• originate at the extremities and ascend to the head and trunk
• broadly follow the course of their associate primary channels but are wider
• are more superficial and follow the lines of major muscles and muscle groups, tendons, ligaments, etc."(4)

Source: Deadman P, Al-Khafaji M, Baker K: A Manual of Acupuncture, Journal of Chinese Medicine Publications, East Sussex, England, 1998 (p. 180). Reproduced with the kind permission of the Journal of Chinese Medicine Publications.

The iliopsoas lies deep to the Spleen primary channel and the Spleen sinew channel. Here is a drawing of the spleen sinew channel. When I first saw this drawing, I was amazed. Note the black areas in the drawing, at the medial ankle (Sp 5), medial knee (Sp 9), medial to the ASIS (Sp 12-13), and near the navel. These are "binding points" of the channel. The area near the navel is very close to one of Travell and Simons's points for the iliopsoas. The area medial to the ASIS is one of the best places to release a taut band in the iliopsoas. And the points near the knee and the ankle are points that I had found by trial and error to be among the best at releasing trigger points in the iliopsoas. Naturally, upon discovering this drawing, I started to use the fifth binding point on the channel, located on the rib cage.