(Dept. of AM-Meridian & Pointology, College of Oriental Medicine, Dongshin University)
Front Points are told to be deeply related with viscera and bowels in oriental medicine. Since the Front Points are treated as response zone, it can be used for the diagnosis and treatment of disease in viscera and bowels. The location of Front Points are very similar to the several response zones in western medicine. Diagnostic aspect of Front Points to several response zones were discussed in here based on many thesis and reported laboratorial experiments. Front Points are located in the same latitude of viscera and bowels. So, diagnosis result in Front Points represent condition of each organs. Palpitation of the Front Points can make diagnosis of body surface and the organ beneath the body surface. Such use of Front Points for diagnosis can used as the treatment points also. Only three Front Points (LU-1, LI-14, GB-24) in lung, liver and gall bladder meridian are located on its meridian. The Front Points of Stomach (CV-12) cross its meridian or closely located to it. Unlike to those four Front Points that are matched to its meridian, other eight Front Points do not located or cross its meridian at all. It seems that the location of Front Points are decided by the location of organs and the conditions at a certain organ do not delivered by the meridians but delivered by main collaterals, tertiary collaterals and superficial collaterals instead. Among visceral response zones, Five Front Points (CV-3, CV-4, CV-12, LI-14, GB-25) are exactly matched to Head's response zone and other Front Points are closely matched to the Head's response zone. There are five Front Points (CV-12, CV-14, CV-17, LI-14, GB-24) that are matched with the location of pressing palpitation point and other Front Points are closely located to the pressing palpitation point. So far, it was clear that the Front Points do have important role as response points. Symptoms expressed to the Front Points were delivered conditions or symptoms occur in corresponding organ and the anatomical location of Front Points were also found near the corresponding organ. Diagnostic and therapeutic application of Front Points for Organ theory and in the Interpromotion-restraint of the five elements in oriental medicine can be made in future to increase its potential.