Furuncle and lymphangitis
StarEssentials of Chinese Acupuncture (Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing Colleges of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1980) — the standard prescriptions of the Chinese colleges.
Points
-
Governing Vessel point used empirically for furuncles
Reduce, or prick to bleed.
- ⚠ Spinal cord / medulla
-
Governing Vessel point; regulates the qi of all the yang channels
Reduce, or prick to bleed.
- ⚠ Spinal cord / medulla
-
Xi-Cleft of the Pericardium; used for acute conditions
Reduce.
-
Yuan-Source of the Large Intestine; expels the external pathogen from the surface
Reduce.
- Pregnancy: contraindicated
-
He-Sea of the Bladder; clears heat and toxin from the blood
Reduce, or prick to bleed.
Needling Safety
Cited hazards for these points. Tick what applies to the patient to see the cautions that follow from it.
-
GV10 Lingtai
-
⚠ Spinal cord / medulla risk: deep or misdirected insertion can enter the spinal canal. World Health Organization 1999, Section II §5.2 (Central nervous system), p. 25
-
-
GV12 Shenzhu
-
⚠ Spinal cord / medulla risk: deep or misdirected insertion can enter the spinal canal. World Health Organization 1999, Section II §5.2 (Central nervous system), p. 25
-
Treatment Principle
Clear toxic heat from the blood, mainly through the Governing Vessel and Large Intestine channel, by reducing or bleeding.
Indications
Method
Reducing technique or pricking to bleed. For lymphangitis, bleed with the three-edged needle at points about 2 cun apart along the red streak, working from its distal end towards the focus.
⚠ Cautions
Lymphangitis (a red streak tracking up a limb) means a spreading infection and needs prompt medical assessment and usually antibiotics; facial furuncles, especially around the nose and upper lip, can spread to the cavernous sinus and should not be squeezed or pricked. Never needle into the furuncle. GV10 and GV12 sit over the upper thoracic spine; needle shallowly and do not angle laterally (pneumothorax). LI4 is contraindicated in pregnancy. Use sterile single-use lancets for bleeding.
About
The college prescription for furuncles and red-thread furuncle (lymphangitis), which the book ascribes either to toxic heat built up internally from rich, spicy food or to toxins invading sweat-soiled skin in summer.
Rationale
GV10 is an empirical point for boils and GV12 regulates the qi of the yang channels through the Governing Vessel. PC4, a cleft point, is chosen for an acute condition, while LI4 vents the pathogen from the exterior and BL40 draws heat and toxin out of the blood; the book pairs these two to reduce inflammation. Bleeding disperses toxic heat in the blood.
Clinical Notes
The book also describes finding small papules beside the thoracic vertebrae in patients with furuncles and pricking them with the three-edged needle, lifting the fibre at each; treatment can be given daily.
Sources
- Beijing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, et al. Essentials of Chinese Acupuncture. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 1980. Chapter III, Furuncle and Lymphangitis, p. 385–386.
📝 Notes
Public notes from the community and your own private notes on Furuncle and lymphangitis.
No notes yet.