Dr Zijing Hu (M.B. M.

Med)

The Therapeutics of Lecturer: Department of

Complementary Medicine

Acupuncture and Moxibustion (Acupuncture)

Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Johannesburg
Nocturnal enuresis

• Definition:
• Nocturnal enuresis, or bed-wetting at night, is the most common type of elimination
disorder in persons above the age of three.

• Aetiology

Kidney qi def.
Spleen and lung def. Bladder dysfunction Nocturnal enuresis
Damp-heat
• Syndrome differentiation
• Main symptoms: bed-wetting at night, once or several times per night.
• Kidney qi def.: a pale facial complexion, fatigue, frequent urination during the day, cold
limbs, tiredness in the limbs, a pale tongue, a deep thin weak pulse

• Lung and spleen qi def.: a history of tiredness, a pale facial complexion, fatigue, short of
breath, reluctance to talk, loose stools, a pale tongue, a thin weak pulse

• Damp-heat: frequent urination, scanty, yellow, smelly urine, itching in the genital area,
dream-disturbed sleep, irritation, a red facial complexion, dry mouth, a red tongue with a
yellow greasy coating, a wiry rapid pulse
• Treatment principles:
• Kidney qi def., lung and spleen def.: tonifying the qi and blood, a combination of
acupuncture and moxibustion with a reinforcing manipulation approach
• Damp-heat: clearing dampness and heat, acupuncture only with a reducing manipulation
approach

• Main points: focus on the ren meridian, and the back transport and mu alarm points of
the bladder
• RN3 (zhongji), RN4 (guanyuan), BL28 (pangguangshu), SP6 (sanyinjiao)
• Kidney qi def.: add RN6 (qihai), BL23 (shenshu)
• Lung and spleen qi def.: add BL13 (feishu), BL20 (pishu), ST36 (zusanli)
• Damp-heat: add RN2 (qugu), SP9 (yinlingquan)

• Other treatment approaches:

• Auricular acupuncture: kidney, bladder, liver, subcortex, endocrine, urethra, select 3-4
points, keep for 30 minutes, once a day
• Skin needling technique: points: T4-L2 EX-B2 (jiaji), RN4 (guanyuan), RN6 (qihai), RN2
(qugu), BL23 (shenshu), SP6 (sanyinjiao), once a day
Infantile Indigestion

• This is a common disease due to disorders of the stomach and intestines resulting in
failure to digest food.

• Aetiology

Improper feeding
Excess consumption
of dairy, cold, raw or
greasy food
Dysfunction of the
Infantile Indigestion
spleen and stomach
• Syndrome differentiation
• Main symptoms: poor appetite, stomachache, abdominal distension, nausea, vomiting,
loose stools or constipation

• Food stag.: abdominal distension which worsens upon pressure, excessive crying,
restless sleeping, yellow, cloudy, scanty urine, low-grade fever. A red tongue with a thick
white or yellow, greasy coating, a slippery pulse

• Spleen and stomach def.: sallow complexion, fatigue, abdominal fullness with a
preference to lie prone, loose stools with undigested food, a red tongue with a white
greasy coating, a thin slippery pulse
• Treatment principles:
• Tonifying spleen and stomach

• Main appoints:
• RN12 (zhongwan), ST25 (tianshu), ST36 (zusanli)

• Needling technique:
• Reinforcing and reducing is used on ST25 (tianshu). The reinforcing method is used in
ST36 (zusanli).
• Other treatment approaches:
• Auricular acupuncture technique: stomach, spleen, large intestine, sympathetic, ear
shenmen, filiform needles.
• Skin needling technique: BL20 (pishu), BL13 (weishu), EX-B2 (huatuojiaji) (T7-L5)
 Infantile cerebral palsy

• Refers to the dysfunction of non-progressive and central dyskinesia (impairment of

voluntary movements) due to various reasons. The primary syndrome is paralysis of the
limbs, complicated by hypophrenia (intellectual deterioration), convulsions, auditory, visual
and verbal dysfunction and learning disorders. It is a sequela to brain injuries.

• Aetiology

Congenital def.
Kidney essence def. Infantile cerebral palsy
Malnourishment after birth
• Syndrome differentiation
• Main symptoms: paralysis of the limbs, athetosis (a nervous disorder that is marked by
continual slow movements especially of the extremities and is usually due to a brain
lesion), oligophrenia (mental retardation) and slurred speech
• Liver and kidney def.: weak, flaccidity of the bones and tendons, retarded development,
difficulties in standing and running, delayed tooth development, lack of shen in the eyes,
lassitude, a pale and tender tongue, a thin and weak pulse

• Heart and spleen def.: flaccidity and weakness in the muscles and tendons, the muscles
of neck cannot support the head, lassitude, oligophrenia (mental retardation), sluggish
expressions, speech retardation, excessive salivation, poor appetite, loose stools, a pale
tongue with a white coating, a thin and weak pulse

• Phlegm and blood stasis obstructing the collaterals: sluggish responses, aphasia,
dementia, flaccidity in the extremities, paraesthesia of the extremities and body, a pale
purple tongue with petechiae, a yellow greasy coating, a wiry and slippery or hesitant
pulse
• Treatment principles:
• Supplementing the brain and activating blood stasis in the collaterals

• Main points: focus on the du, the foot shaoyang and foot yangming meridians, and
huatuojiaji
• DU20 (Baihui), EX-HN1 (sishencong), EX-B2 (huatuojiaji), GB32 (xuanzhong), ST36
(zusanli), LI4 (hegu)
• Liver and kidney def.: add BL18 (ganshu), BL23 (shenshu)
• Heart and spleen def.: add BL15 (xinshu), BL20 (pishu)
• Phlegm and blood stasis: add BL17 (geshu), SP10 (xuehai), ST40 (fenglong)
• Difficulties in speaking: add HT5 (tongli), RN23 (lianquan), EX-HN12 ( jinjin yuye)
• Neck flaccidity: add BL10 (Tianzhu)
• Upper limb paralysis: add LI15 (jianyu), LI11 (quchi)
• Lower limb paralysis: add GB30 (huantiao), GB34 (yanglingquan)
• Paralysis of the waist: add DU3 (yaoyangguan)
• Other treatment approaches:
• Auricular acupuncture: occiput, subcortex, kidney, heart, liver, spleen, ear shenmen,
filiform needles.
• Scalp acupuncture technique:
• Points: middle line of the forehead (MS1), anterior oblique line of the vertex-temporal
(MS6), lateral line 1 of the vertex (MS8), lateral line 2 of the vertex (MS9), middle line of
the vertex (MS5), posterior temporal line (MS11), lower lateral line of the occiput (MS14),
retain for 2-4 hours, once every second day
Obesity

• Definition:
• Being overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that
presents a risk to health. A person with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more is
generally considered obese. A person with a BMI equal to or more than 25 is considered
overweight.
• Aetiology

Lung def. Phlegm accumulation

Excessive food intake Affecting the
zang-fu organs Spleen def.
Lack of exercises Water retention
Kidney def.

Excess heat Excessive food intake

• Syndrome differentiation
• Main symptoms:
• Spleen dysfunction due to stomach heat: polyphagia, polyrexia, corpulence,
abdominal fullness and distension, a red facial complexion, a dry mouth with a bitter taste,
a red tongue with a yellow greasy coating, a wiry slippery pulse

• Spleen transportation dysfunction: corpulent physique, oedema, lassitude, fatigue,

chest tightness and epigastric distension, dysuria and loose stools or constipation, a pale
swollen tongue with teeth marks, a thin white or white greasy coating, a soggy and thin
pulse
• Phlegm accumulation: corpulent physique, fatigue in the extremities, fullness in the
chest and diaphragm, profuse phlegm and drooling, dizziness and blurred vision, nausea
and loss of appetite, dry mouth with no desire to drink, prefers greasy food, lassitude, a
white greasy or white slippery coating, a slippery pulse

• Spleen and kidney yang def.: corpulent physique, facial oedema, shortness of breath,
fatigue, abdominal distension, loose stools, spontaneous sweating, dyspnoea which
worsens upon exercise, aversion to cold, cold extremities, oedema in the lower limbs, a
pale white tongue with a thin white coating, a deep thin pulse
• Treatment principles:
• Dispelling dampness and phlegm, unblock the meridians and activating the circulation

• Main points: focus on the large intestine, stomach and spleen meridians
• LI11 (quchi), ST25 (tianshu), SP9 (Yinlingquan), ST40 (fenglong), LV3 (taichong), RN9
(shuifen)
 Dr Zijing Hu (M.B. M.Med)
Lecturer: Department of Complementary Medicine
(Acupuncture)
Room 7106d John Orr Building DFC
Faculty of Health Sciences
University of Johannesburg
Tel: 011 559 6999
E-mail: zhu@uj.ac.za