窃闻筋者力也。肉中之力。气之元也。靳固于身形也。其候在目。其主在肝。膝为之府。爪为之余者也。以部
位分之。则手之筋行乎手。足之筋行乎足。阳明行于前。太阳行于后。少阳行于侧。阴筋行乎身之阴。阳筋
行乎身之阳。皆根据经脉而行。可根据经脉而分也。详观经筋篇。手阴阳之筋。皆起于手指。阳筋自手而上行
于头面。阴筋自手而上行于胸腹。足阴阳之筋。皆起于足趾。阳筋自足而上行于头面。阴筋自足而上行
于胸腹。其为病也。皆当其所过者。转筋支痛。治用燔针劫刺。以知为数。以痛为输。盖燔针所以治寒。不燔
针所以治热。诊候之法。寒则见其筋挛反折。热则见其弛纵不收。在阳筋则见其不能俯。在阴筋则见其
不能仰。见于膝则行走难以屈伸。见于身。则左右难以动摇。损在筋者。筋缓不能自收持。痹在筋者。筋挛
不可以行走。筋极肝伤。则腰背相引。难以俯仰。筋死肝绝。则舌卵卷缩。不能展舒。及夫痉痫螈 。颓疝阴
病。纽痛肿痛。口目僻急。皆可按部位而知经筋也。若望其筋。知其病。惟肿胀有筋起之证。伤寒有筋惕之
文。肿胀以青涨高起者。为不可治。则知未青涨高起者。犹可治也。伤寒以筋惕为发汗亡阳所致。则知用
温经益阳之法。当可治也。至于筋溜者。有所疾前。筋屈不能伸。邪气居其间而不反也。疹筋者。尺脉数甚。
筋急而见。其腹必急。白色黑色见。则病甚也。斯二者。亦可望筋而知病也。其他筋 、筋急、筋挛。筋弛。亦有
可见。有不可见。然察其病情。按其部位。皆可知其病在何经之筋也。由是合而察之。切而验之。见而得之。
而经筋之病。庶可知其要矣。
我听说“筋”就是力量。它是肌肉中的力量，是气的本源。它牢固地维系着身体形态。它的征候表现在眼睛，其主宰脏腑在肝，膝部是它的府库，爪甲是它的余气。
按照部位来区分，手的筋行走在手上，足的筋行走在足上。阳明经的筋行走在前方，太阳经的筋行走在后方，少阳经的筋行走在侧面。阴筋行走在身体的阴面，阳筋行走在身体的阳面。它们都依据经脉而行，也可以根据经脉来划分。详细观察《灵枢·经筋》篇，手部的阴阳经筋，都起始于手指。阳筋从手部向上行走至头面部，阴筋从手部向上行走至胸腹部。足部的阴阳经筋，都起始于足趾。阳筋从足部向上行走至头面部，阴筋从足部向上行走至胸腹部。
当它们发生病变时，症状都会出现在经络经过的部位，表现为转筋（肌肉痉挛）和支撑性疼痛。治疗采用燔针劫刺法（将针烧红后迅速刺入并拔出），以病情见效为次数标准，以痛点作为穴位。大概燔针是用来治疗寒证的，不烧红的针是用来治疗热证的。诊察候病的方法：寒证可见筋脉拘挛、角弓反张；热证可见筋脉弛缓、松弛不收。在阳筋方面，表现为不能俯身；在阴筋方面，表现为不能仰身。病变见于膝部，则行走难以屈伸；病变见于身体其他部位，则左右难以摇动。
若筋受损，则筋脉松弛，无法自我收持；若痹邪阻滞于筋，则筋脉拘挛，无法行走。若筋极度受损导致肝伤，则腰背相互牵引，难以俯仰。若筋死导致肝绝，则舌体和生殖器卷缩，不能舒展。至于痉病、痫病、抽搐、颓疝、阴部疾病、扭转疼痛、肿痛、口眼歪斜急迫等，都可以按部位来判断是哪条经筋的病。
如果通过望诊筋脉来了解病情，只有肿胀伴有筋脉凸起的情况，以及伤寒中提到的“筋惕”（筋肉跳动）。肿胀若见青色、胀满、高起，属于不可治之症，由此可知未见青色、胀满、高起的，尚可治疗。伤寒中以筋惕为发汗过多导致亡阳所致，由此可知使用温经益阳的方法，应当可以治疗。
至于“筋溜”，是指患病之前，筋脉屈曲不能伸展，邪气停留在其间而不返回。若出现“疹筋”（筋脉显露如疹状），尺脉数疾，筋脉紧急而显露，腹部必然拘急，若面色见白或黑，则病情严重。这两种情况，也可以通过望筋来了解病情。其他的如筋纵、筋急、筋挛、筋弛，有的可见，有的不可见。然而通过考察病情，按压部位，都可以知道病在哪条经筋。因此综合观察，切脉验证，视诊获取信息，那么经筋的疾病，大致就可以掌握其要领了。
I have heard that "Jin" (sinews/tendons) refers to strength. It is the strength within the flesh, the origin of Qi (vital energy). It firmly secures the physical form. Its manifestations are observed in the eyes, its governing organ is the Liver, the knee is its residence, and the nails are its extension.
Differentiated by location, the sinews of the hand run along the hands, and the sinews of the foot run along the feet. The Yangming sinews run anteriorly, the Taiyang sinews run posteriorly, and the Shaoyang sinews run laterally. Yin sinews run along the Yin aspects of the body, and Yang sinews run along the Yang aspects of the body. All follow the meridians and can be distinguished according to them. A detailed examination of the *Jingjin* (Sinews) chapter reveals that the Yin and Yang sinews of the hand all originate from the fingers. Yang sinews ascend from the hands to the head and face, while Yin sinews ascend from the hands to the chest and abdomen. Similarly, the Yin and Yang sinews of the foot all originate from the toes. Yang sinews ascend from the feet to the head and face, while Yin sinews ascend from the feet to the chest and abdomen.
When pathology occurs, symptoms manifest at the sites traversed by these sinews, presenting as spasms (Zhuanjin) and support-related pain. Treatment employs burning needle puncture (Fanzhen Jiesi), where the frequency is determined by when the condition improves, and the painful point serves as the acupoint. Generally, burning needles are used to treat Cold syndromes, while non-burning needles are used to treat Heat syndromes. In diagnostic observation: Cold syndromes present with tendon contraction and opisthotonos; Heat syndromes present with flaccidity and inability to retain tension. For Yang sinews, this manifests as an inability to flex forward; for Yin sinews, an inability to extend backward. If affected at the knees, walking becomes difficult due to limited flexion and extension; if affecting the body generally, lateral movement becomes difficult.
If the sinews are damaged, they become lax and unable to maintain posture. If Bi syndrome obstructs the sinews, they become contracted, preventing walking. If sinew exhaustion injures the Liver, the waist and back pull against each other, making flexion and extension difficult. If sinews die and the Liver fails, the tongue and genitals curl and shrink, unable to extend. Conditions such as Jing (spasm), Xian (epilepsy), convulsions, Tuihan (scrotal swelling), Yin diseases, twisting pain, swelling, and deviation of the mouth and eyes can all be identified by location as disorders of specific meridian sinews.
Regarding visual diagnosis of sinews, conditions involving swelling with visible sinew protrusion and the "sinew twitching" (Jinti) mentioned in Shanghan (Cold Damage) texts are notable. In swelling, if the area appears cyanotic, distended, and elevated, it is considered incurable; thus, if these signs are absent, it remains treatable. In Shanghan, sinew twitching is caused by excessive sweating leading to the loss of Yang; therefore, treatment with methods to warm the meridians and benefit Yang should be effective.
As for "Jinliu" (sinew lipoma/sluggishness), it refers to a state before illness where sinews are bent and cannot straighten, with pathogenic factors lodged within without returning. If "Zhenjin" (visible sinew rash) occurs, characterized by a rapid pulse at the Cun position on the radial artery, urgent sinews becoming visible, and abdominal tightness, especially if accompanied by white or black facial complexions, the disease is severe. These two conditions can also be diagnosed through observing the sinews. Other conditions such as sinew laxity, urgency, contraction, and flaccidity may be visible or invisible. However, by examining the clinical presentation and palpating the locations, one can determine which meridian's sinews are affected. Thus, by integrating observation, pulse verification, and visual assessment, the essentials of meridian sinew diseases can be understood.