Malaria

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Textbook Prescriptions Febrile Disease

Essentials of Chinese Acupuncture (Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing Colleges of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1980) — the standard prescriptions of the Chinese colleges.

Points

GV14 Dazhui midline

Governing Vessel point below C7; opens the Du channel and balances yin and yang
- ⚠ Spinal cord / medulla
GV13 Taodao midline

Governing Vessel point below T1; works with GV14 on the Du channel
- ⚠ Spinal cord / medulla
GB41 Zulinqi bilateral

Shu-Stream of the Gall Bladder; harmonises Shaoyang qi
SI3 Houxi bilateral

Shu-Stream of the Small Intestine; disperses exterior heat
PC5 Jianshi bilateral

Jing-River of the Pericardium; clears interior heat

Needling Safety

Cited hazards for these points. Tick what applies to the patient to see the cautions that follow from it.

GV14 Dazhui
- ⚠ 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; Wu J, Hu Y, Zhu Y, Yin P, Litscher G, Xu S 2015, Table 2 (Central nervous system injury associated with acupuncture)
GV13 Taodao
- ⚠ 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

Regulate the Governing Vessel and harmonise the Shaoyang channels so that nutritive and defensive qi come back into balance.

Indications

Attacks of chills followed by fever, at daily, alternate-day or third-day intervalsheadache, flushed face and thirst during the fevergeneral sweating as the fever breaksoppression of the chest and hypochondriumbitter tastethin, yellow, sticky tongue coatingpulse wiry and rapidin chronic cases, a mass under the right ribs

Method

Treat two hours before the expected attack. Where chills predominate, combine needling with moxibustion; where fever predominates, needle only.

⚠ Cautions

Malaria is a potentially fatal infection that requires blood-film or rapid-test diagnosis and antimalarial drugs; acupuncture is not a treatment for it and must never replace or delay medical care. Severe malaria with confusion (the book's delirium case) is an emergency. LV13, if added, lies over the liver and spleen: needle shallowly, especially with an enlarged spleen. BL51 is close to the kidney.

About

The textbook's prescription for malaria, which it attributes to damp heat attacking the Shaoyang channel together with an epidemic factor.

Rationale

GV14 and GV13 clear the Du channel and harmonise yin and yang. GB41 settles the Shaoyang. In the book's account SI3 releases heat from the exterior and PC5 from the interior; once both are cleared, nutritive and defensive qi are coordinated again and the attacks stop.

Clinical Notes

Additions: for high fever, LI11 with reducing method; for a mass under the right ribs, LV13 needled and BL51 warmed with moxa; for a severe attack with delirium and clouded consciousness, prick the hand Jing-Well points (twelve in all). The book also gives an ear-acupuncture regime given before the attack.

Sources

Beijing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, et al. Essentials of Chinese Acupuncture. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 1980. Chapter III, Malaria, p. 343–344.

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