Jaundice
StarEssentials of Chinese Acupuncture (Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing Colleges of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1980) — the standard prescriptions of the Chinese colleges.
Points
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He-Sea of the Spleen; strengthens the spleen to resolve damp
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He-Sea of the Stomach; supports the spleen in resolving damp
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Front-Mu of the Gallbladder; a key point for jaundice
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Back-Shu of the Gallbladder; a key point for jaundice
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Outer back point level with the gallbladder shu; a key point for jaundice
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Governor Vessel point between the scapulae; a key point for jaundice
- ⚠ Spinal cord / medulla
Needling Safety
Cited hazards for these points. Tick what applies to the patient to see the cautions that follow from it.
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GV9 Zhiyang
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⚠ 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
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Treatment Principle
Resolve damp: clear damp-heat in the yang type, and warm the spleen and stomach to dispel cold-damp in the yin type.
Indications
Method
Yang type: reducing method. Yin type: even method combined with moxibustion. The book says GB24, BL19, GV9 and BL48 can be used in rotation.
⚠ Cautions
Jaundice needs medical diagnosis: hepatitis (potentially infectious), biliary obstruction, haemolysis and liver failure must be identified, and the book equates this section with acute icteric hepatitis. Use single-use needles and standard blood-borne-virus precautions. GB24, BL19 and BL48 lie over the thorax and liver; needle obliquely and shallowly to avoid pneumothorax or organ injury.
About
The colleges' prescription for jaundice, drawn from the Spleen, Stomach and Gallbladder channels, with additions for the yang and yin types.
Rationale
SP9 and ST36 strengthen the spleen so that damp can be cleared, addressing the cause the book gives. GB24, BL19, GV9 and BL48 are the specific points for jaundice itself and may be alternated rather than all used at every session.
Clinical Notes
Yang type: add LV3 needled through towards KI1, and GB34, to clear heat. Yin type: add BL20 and LV13 with moxibustion to disperse cold-damp. The book places this section under acute icteric hepatitis.
Sources
- Beijing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, et al. Essentials of Chinese Acupuncture. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 1980. Chapter III, Jaundice, p. 360–361.
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