THE KIDNEYS ARE UNDER THE DOME OF THE DIAPHRAGM AND ARE PROTECTED BY THE RIBS. THEY REST AGAINST THE BACK MUSCLES IN THE UPPER ABDOMEN. THE BASIC FUNCTIONING UNIT OF THE KIDNEY IS A TINY COILED TUBE CALLED A NEPHRON. THE NEPHRON FILTERS WASTE MATERIAL, USEFUL MATERIAL AND WATER FROM THE BLOOD, MOST OF THE WATER, ALONG WITH THE USEFUL MATERIAL, IS REABSORBED BY THE BLOOD. THE REST OF THE WATER AND WASTE PRODUCTS ARE COLLECTED AND PASSED DOWN THE URETERS TO THE BLADDER. THE KIDNEYS FILTER ABOUT FIFTY GALLONS OF BLOOD PER HOUR.
THE THREE MAIN FUNCTIONS OF THE KIDNEYS ARE: EXCRETION OF WASTES (MAINLY UREA AND SALTS FROM THE BLOOD PLASMA), MAINTAINING THE WATER BALANCE AND MAINTAINING THE ACID-BASE BALANCE.
THE KIDNEYS HAVE SEVERAL FUNCTIONS IN TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE. THEY STORE CHI FOR THE ENTIRE BODY, PRODUCE REPRODUCTIVE ENERGY AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE NURTURANCE OF THE FETUS. THEY ALSO REGULATE THE AMOUNT OF WATER IN THE BODY AND HELP KEEP THE BODY’S TEMPERATURE UNDER CONTROL. ALL LIFE PROCESSES ARE CLOSELY RELATED TO THE KIDNEYS.
THE KIDNEYS ARE ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH THE BONES, MARROW, BRAIN, ADRENAL GLANDS AND PARATHYROIDS. LETHARGY OR A GENERAL LACK OF ENERGY CAN INDICATE AN IMBALANCE OF THE KIDNEY MERIDIAN.
THE PRIMARY KIDNEY CHANNEL
PATHWAY: THE FOOT SHAO YIN KIDNEY CHANNEL STARTS ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE LITTLE TOE, CROSSES THE SOLE OF THE FOOT OBLIQUELY AND EMERGES OUT OF THE ARCH OF THE FOOT UNDER THE NAVICULAR TUBEROSITY AT K 2. IT THEN PROCEEDS POSTERIOR TO THE MEDIAL MALLEOLUS AND CONTINUES INTO THE HEEL. FROM THERE IT TRAVELS UP THE REAR MEDIAL ASPECT OF THE LOWER LEG TO INTERSECT WITH THE FOOT TAI YIN SPLEEN CHANNEL AT SP 6. TRAVELLING UP THROUGH THE GASTROCNEMIUS MUSCLE, IT ASCENDS ACROSS THE MEDIAL ASPECT OF THE POPLITEAL FOSSA IN THE POSTEROMEDIAL WHERE IT MEETS THE GOVERNING VESSEL AT GV 1. IT CONTINUES UP TO LINK WITH THE SPINAL COLUMN AND HOME TO THE KIDNEY, AFTER WHICH IT TURNS DOWNWARDS TO CONNECT WITH THE BLADDER AND INTERSECT WITH THE CONCEPTION VESSEL AT CV 4 AND CV 3.
A BRANCH ASCENDS FROM THE KIDNEY, GOES DIRECTLY TO THE LIVER, CROSSES THE DIAPHRAGM, ENTERS THE LUNG AND FOLLOWS THE THROAT UP TO THE ROOT OF THE TONGUE.
A FURTHER BRANCH SEPERATES IN THE LUNG, LINKS THROUGH TO THE HEART AND DISPERSES IN THE CHEST.