Type 1: Yang edema
Symptoms:
The edema starts from head and face and gradually affects other parts of the body. It is more excessive above the waist. Depressed upon pressure but recovered immediately. Bright complexion, scanty urine, accompanied by fever, aversion to cold, cough and rough breathing. The wind cold syndrome is marked by chill, absence of sweat, white and gready tongue coating, floating and tight pulse. The wind-heat syndrome is marked by sore throat, thin and yellow tongue coating, floating and rapid pulse.
Principle of treatment:
Dispelling pathogenic wind, removing pathogenic cold and heat to induce diuresis. Select points from Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin, Spleen Meridian of Foot-Taiyin and Large Intestine Meridian Hand-Yangming as principal points, Back-Shu points as supplementary points. Needling with reducing method.
Prescription:
Feishu (BL13) [3] (Feishu (BL13) [4]), Sanjiaoshu (BL22) [5] (Sanjiaoshu (BL22) [6]), Pianli (LI6) Luo-Connecting Point [7] (Pianli (LI6) Luo-Connecting Point [8]), Yinlingquan (SP9) He-Sea Point [9] (Sanyinjiao (SP6) [10]), Hegu (LI4) Yuan-Source Point [11] (Hegu (LI4) Yuan-Source Point [12]).
Modification according to symptoms:
For sore throat, Shaoshang (LU11)Jing-Well Point [13] (Shaoshang (LU11)Jing-Well Point [14]) is added (pricking for blood-letting); for excessive edema in the face, Shuigou (GV26) [15] (DU26) is added.
Type 2: Yin edema
Symptoms:
The edema starts from the feet and gradually affects other parts of the body. It is more excessive below the waist. Depressed upon pressure and recovered slowly. Dark complexion, scanty urine. accompanied by epigastric distension, loose stool, lassitude, white and greasy tongue coating, soft and slow pulse, the syndrome belongs to deficiency of the spleen. If accompanied by pain and weakness in the loins and legs, cold limbs, lassitude, pale tongue with white coating, deep, thready and weak pulse, it belongs to deficiency of the kidney.
Principle of treatment:
Invigorating the spleen and warming the kidney. Promoting Yang to induce diuresis. Select point from Ren Meridian,Stomach Meridian of Foot-Yangming, Kidney Meridian of Foot-Shaoyin and Back-Shu points. Needling with reinforcing method. Moxibustio is also used.
Prescription:
Pishu (BL20) [16] (Pishu (BL20) [17]), Shenshu (BL23) [18] (Shenshu (BL23) [19]), Shuifen (CV9) [20] (RN9), Qihai (CV6) [21] (RN6), Taixi(KI3) Shu-Stream, Yuan-Source Point [22] (Taixi(KI3) Shu-Stream, Yuan-Source Point [23]) and Zusanli (ST36) He-Sea Point [24] (Zusanli (ST36) He-Sea Point [25]).
Modification according to symptoms:
For epigastric distension, Zhongwan (CV12) Front-Mu Point of the Stomach [26] (RN12) is added; for loose stool, Tianshu (ST25) Front-Mu Point of the Large Intestine [27] (Tianshu (ST25) Front-Mu Point of the Large Intestine [28]) is added.
Cautions and precautions:
During the later stage of edema, the syndrome of water-toxin attacking the heart and Lung occurs. Apply needling Neiguan (PC6) Luo-Connecting Point the Eight Confluent Point [29] (Neiguan (PC6) Luo-Connecting Point the Eight Confluent Point [30]), Shenmen (HT7) Shu-Stream, Yuan-Primary Point [31](Shenmen (HT7) Shu-Stream, Yuan-Primary Point [32]), Chize (LU5)He-Sea Point [33] (Chize (LU5)He-Sea Point [34]), Zhongwan (RN12), Qihai (RN6), Shixuan (Ex-UE11), Shuigou (DU26), Xuehai (SP10) [35] (Xuehai (SP10) [36]) and Taichong (LR3) Shu-Stream, Yuan-Source Point [37] (Taichong (LR3) Shu-Stream, Yuan-Source Point [38]) as the emergency treatment. Complex treatment should be applied immediately.
Key Words: edema, acupuncture
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