Trigeminal neuralgia — maxillary branch
StarEssentials of Chinese Acupuncture (Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing Colleges of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1980) — the standard prescriptions of the Chinese colleges.
Points
-
Stomach point below the eye over the infraorbital foramen; local point
-
Stomach point beside the nose; local point over the cheek
-
Governing Vessel point at the philtrum; local point for the upper lip
-
Yuan-Source of the Large Intestine; distal point for the face
- Pregnancy: contraindicated
Needling Safety
Cited hazards for these points. Tick what applies to the patient to see the cautions that follow from it.
Treatment Principle
Relieve facial pain by combining points over the affected division with a distal point (no method is stated in the book).
Indications
Method
The book lists the points without stating a needling method.
⚠ Cautions
New facial pain, numbness, or pain in a younger patient warrants neurological assessment to exclude secondary causes (e.g. multiple sclerosis, tumour, dental disease). ST2 lies just below the orbit: needle shallowly and do not angle into the orbit. LI4 is contraindicated in pregnancy.
About
One of three textbook prescriptions for trigeminal neuralgia, here for pain in the maxillary (second) branch over the cheek and upper lip.
Rationale
ST2, ST3 and GV26 cover the area served by the second branch, while LI4 reaches the face through the Yangming channel. The book gives no explanation for this appendix; the rationale follows the local-plus-distal principle it applies to headache.
Clinical Notes
The book gives this as a brief appendix to headache, describing a fleeting, paroxysmal burning pain in the face within the territory of the trigeminal nerve, without a pattern differentiation or needling method. It also offers ear acupuncture with points matching the painful area.
Sources
- Beijing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, et al. Essentials of Chinese Acupuncture. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 1980. Chapter III, Trigeminal neuralgia, p. 338.
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