Windstroke — hemiplegia
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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Governing Vessel point at the vertex; expels wind from the upper body
Even method.
-
Governing Vessel point below the occiput; dispels wind affecting the head
Even method.
- ⚠ Spinal cord / medulla
-
Bladder point on the top of the head; helps clear wind from above
Even method.
-
Yangming point at the shoulder; frees the channels of the arm
Even method; moxa may be added.
-
He-Sea of the Large Intestine at the elbow; moves qi and blood in the arm
Even method; moxa may be added.
-
San Jiao Luo point on the forearm; opens the channels of the arm
Even method; moxa may be added.
-
Yuan-Source of the Large Intestine; distal point for the hand and arm
Even method; moxa may be added.
- Pregnancy: contraindicated
-
Gall Bladder point at the hip; frees the channels of the leg
Even method; moxa may be added.
- ⚠ Nerve
-
He-Sea of the Gall Bladder below the knee; frees the sinews of the leg
Even method; moxa may be added.
- ⚠ Nerve
-
He-Sea of the Stomach; regulates qi and blood of the leg
Even method; moxa may be added.
-
Stomach point at the ankle; distal point for the leg and foot
Even method; moxa may be added.
Needling Safety
Cited hazards for these points. Tick what applies to the patient to see the cautions that follow from it.
-
GV16 Fengfu
-
⚠ 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)
-
-
GB30 Huantiao
-
⚠ Nerve injury has been reported after needling this point. Wu J, Hu Y, Zhu Y, Yin P, Litscher G, Xu S 2015, Table 3 (Peripheral nerve injury)
-
-
GB34 Yanglingquan
-
⚠ Nerve injury has been reported after needling this point. Wu J, Hu Y, Zhu Y, Yin P, Litscher G, Xu S 2015, Table 3 (Peripheral nerve injury)
-
Treatment Principle
Regulate qi and blood and clear the channels and collaterals, working mainly through the yang channels of the paralysed side.
Indications
Method
Even method, mainly on yang-channel points of the affected side; points on the healthy side may also be used, in which case the sound side is needled before the paralysed one. Moxibustion can supplement the needling.
⚠ Cautions
Any new weakness, facial droop or speech disturbance is a stroke until proven otherwise and needs emergency assessment before any acupuncture. This prescription is for the recovery phase. GV16 lies over the medulla: never needle deeply or upward. LI4 is contraindicated in pregnancy. Check anticoagulant use before needling, and protect numb skin from moxa burns.
About
The textbook's prescription for the mild type of windstroke, where only the channels and collaterals are struck, presenting as one-sided paralysis — whether as the sequel of a severe attack or as a primary event.
Rationale
Wind, as a yang pathogen, attacks the upper and outer body, so GV20, GV16 and BL7 are used to clear it from the head. Because the yang channels govern the exterior, the limb points are drawn from them, regulating qi and blood so that flow returns along the channels of both arm and leg.
Clinical Notes
Facial paralysis after stroke is treated as in the book's facial paralysis section. The book refers to its bi and wei syndrome chapters for further limb treatment. As prevention, it describes stiff tongue, slurred speech and numb fingertips in older patients as warning signs and suggests frequent moxibustion at ST36 and GB39 alongside care with diet and avoiding overwork. Sequelae listed include hemiplegia, monoplegia and aphasia.
Sources
- Beijing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, et al. Essentials of Chinese Acupuncture. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 1980. Chapter III, Windstroke, p. 331–335.
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