Eye congestion, swelling and pain
StarEssentials of Chinese Acupuncture (Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing Colleges of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1980) — the standard prescriptions of the Chinese colleges.
Points
-
Yuan-Source of the Large Intestine; disperses wind-heat
Reduce.
- Pregnancy: contraindicated
-
Meeting point of the Bladder and Stomach channels at the eye; clears local heat
Reduce.
- ⚠ Major vessel
- ⚠ Eye
-
Gall Bladder point at the nape; disperses wind-heat
Reduce.
- ⚠ Spinal cord / medulla
-
Extra point at the temple; bled to strengthen heat clearance
Prick to bleed.
-
Ying-Spring of the Liver; drains liver heat
Reduce.
Needling Safety
Cited hazards for these points. Tick what applies to the patient to see the cautions that follow from it.
-
BL1 Jingming
-
⚠ Vascular injury or haematoma has been reported after needling this point. Wu J, Hu Y, Zhu Y, Yin P, Litscher G, Xu S 2015, Table 4 (Organ injury) and Table 8 (Hemorrhage)
-
⚠ Close to the eyeball: risk of ocular injury and haematoma. World Health Organization 1999, Section II §5.2 (Other points), p. 25
-
-
GB20 Fengchi
-
⚠ Spinal cord / medulla risk: deep or misdirected insertion can enter the spinal canal. Wu J, Hu Y, Zhu Y, Yin P, Litscher G, Xu S 2015, Table 2 (Central nervous system injury associated with acupuncture); World Health Organization 1999, Section II §5.2 (Central nervous system), p. 25
-
No cited needling data yet for EX-HN5. No flag here does not mean no risk.
Treatment Principle
Disperse wind-heat by combining distal and local points with reducing technique.
Indications
Method
Reducing technique; Taiyang is pricked to let a little blood.
⚠ Cautions
A red, painful eye with reduced vision, severe pain, photophobia or a fixed pupil may be acute glaucoma, keratitis or uveitis and needs urgent ophthalmic referral. BL1 lies in the orbit: needle slowly and gently without lifting or thrusting, and press afterwards to prevent haematoma. LI4 is contraindicated in pregnancy. Use a sterile lancet for bleeding at Taiyang.
About
The college prescription for an acutely congested, swollen and painful eye, from external wind-heat or from liver and gall bladder fire rising.
Rationale
LI4 and GB20 scatter wind-heat, and BL1, where the Bladder and Stomach channels meet, clears heat at the eye itself. LV2 drains heat from the liver, the organ that opens into the eyes, and bleeding Taiyang adds to the heat-clearing effect.
Clinical Notes
For liver and gall bladder fire rising add LV3, the Liver source point, and GB37, the Gall Bladder connecting point, to drain fire from the paired organs. The book equates the condition with acute conjunctivitis. It also gives an ear-acupuncture option with bleeding at the ear apex.
Sources
- Beijing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, et al. Essentials of Chinese Acupuncture. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 1980. Chapter III, Congestion, Swelling and Pain of the Eye, p. 391–392.
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