Acupuncture Theory

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Clearing Heat, Warming Coldness

This involves the harmonizing of Yin and Yang.

Cold – Yang Qi deficiency or cold pathogenic invasion.

Heat – Yang Qi excess or hot pathogenic invasion (with heat the body function is active).

Warming Acupuncture (tonifying, setting the mountain on fire, etc.) and Moxibustion techniques are used to: warm Jing Luo, warm and invigorate Yang Qi, expel cold pathogens, and rescues Yang.

Clearing heat Acupuncture (sedating, cooling heaven, etc) techniques is used for: expel Wind/Heat, clear heat and detoxify, purge heat, and open cavities (revive).

Clinical application:

Clearing Heat – use rapid needling methods (sedating, cool heaven, etc).

- rapidly take needle out (same speed you would take your hand out of hot soup).

- bleeding methods also used to purge heat.

Wind/Heat: shallow, LI 4, 11, Du 14, 3 edge needle on finger tips, use 7 star needles for other areas.

Clear heat and detoxify: BL 40, PC 3, Shi Xuan (fingertips)

Clear heat/open cavities: Du 26, Jing-well, PC 8

Clear organ heat: use organ Ying-spring and Jing-river combinations

Warming coldness – retain needle longer

- insert deeper to invigorate Jing Luo Qi

- manipulate slowly with proper techniques for warming.

*Use Moxa for cold in the blood (warms Yang Qi):

- warm local area of problem

- warm whole meridian

- warm mid Jiao (this warms whole body): Ren 6,12, ST 36

- to rescue Yang use Ren 4, 8. Moxa many times. Apply salt and use size of date moxa cone on Ren 8. Can Use direct moxa on Ren 4.

Complicated heat and cold syndromes

Cold with heat, heat with cold, all combinations of the two. Also watch for false cold or false heat.

i.e. upper Jiao heat (insomnia, irritable) with low Jiao cold (cold feet, copious urination, white vaginal discharge), use Ying-spring/Jing-river to clear Heart heat, and Ming Men to warm low Jiao (Kidneys).

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