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
Otitis media
• Definition:
• Otitis media (OM) is any inflammation
of the middle ear.

• Aetiology

Wind-heat

Liver and gallbladder heat Otitis media

Zang-fu def.
• Syndrome differentiation
• Main symptoms: pain/pus in the ear, a distending sensation in the ear, reduce or loss of
hearing, tinnitus; may be accompanied with high-grade fever, headache, fatigue, etc.

• Due to wind-heat: the main symptoms, accompanied with headache, fever, dry throat,
sore throat; a red tongue with a thin yellow coating, a floating rapid pulse

• Due to liver and gallbladder fire: severe pain in the ear, stabbing pain, pus in the ear;
accompany with fever, a red facial complexion, irritation, a bitter taste, dry throat, a yellow
urine, constipation, a red tongue with a thick yellow coating, a wiry rapid or slippery rapid
pulse
• Due to phlegm and blood stasis: a distending sensation in the ear, tinnitus, progressive
loss of hearing, a pale or purple tongue with purple spots, a hesitant or tense pulse

• Internal dampness due to spleen def.: clear pus in the ear, a long course of disease;
accompanied with tiredness in the limbs, poor appetite, loose stool, a pale tongue with a
white or greasy coating, a soggy pulse

• Kidney yin def.: a long course of disease; accompanied with dizziness, fatigue,
weakness in the waist and knees, a red or pale tongue with a scanty coating, a deep or
thin pulse
• Treatment principles:
• Wind-heat, liver and gallbladder fire, phlegm and blood stasis: clearing heat and
phlegm, acupuncture only with a reducing manipulation approach
• Spleen def. with internal heat: tonifying spleen and clearing dampness, a combination
of acupuncture and moxibustion with an even manipulation approach
• Kidney yin def.: tonifying yin and clearing heat, acupuncture only with a reinforcing or
even manipulation approach

• Main points: focus on local points and the foot shaoyang meridian
• SJ21 (ermen), GB2 (tinghui), SJ17 (yifeng), GB20 (fengchi), LI4 (hegu), SJ5 (waiguan)
• Wind-heat: add DU14 (dazhui), LI11 (quchi)
• Liver and gallbladder fire: add LV2 (Xingjian), GB43 (xiaxi)
• Phlegm and blood stasis: add ST40 (fenglong), KD3 (taixi)
• Spleen def. with internal dampness: add SP6 (sanyinjiao), SP9 (yinlingquan)
• Kidney yin def.: add KD3 (taixi), BL23 (shenshu)
• Headache: add LV3 (taiyang), DU23 (shangxing)
Tinnitus/deafness
• Main points:
• SJ21 (ermen), SI19 (tinggong), GB2 (tinghui), SJ17 (yifeng), SJ3 (zhongzhu), GB43
(xiaxi)

• Exogenous wind: add GB20 (fengchi), SJ5 (waiguan), LI4 (hegu)

• Liver and gallbladder fire: add LV2 (Xingjian), GB40 (qiuxu), GB41 (zulinqi)
• Phlegm fire: add ST40 (fenglong), ST44 (neiting)
• Kidney essence def.: add BL23 (shenshu), KD3 (taixi), RN4 (guanyuan)
• Spleen and stomach def.: add RN6 (qihai), ST36 (zusanli), BL20 (pishu)
Rhinitis

Definition:
Rhinitis and sinusitis are terms that refer to inflammatory conditions of the nose and
paranasal sinuses characterized by symptoms of rhinorrhea (anterior or posterior), itching,
sneezing and nasal obstruction.

• Aetiology

Wind cold

Wind heat
Rhinitis
Qi stag. and blood stasis

Qi def.
• Syndrome differentiation
• Main symptoms: rhinorrhea (anterior or posterior), itching, sneezing and nasal
obstruction; accompanied with headache, cough, facial pain, poor olfaction, disturbed
sleep, pharyngitis

• Due to wind-cold: nasal obstruction, sneezing, profuse nasal discharge; accompanied

with headache, body ache, sweating, aversion to cold, a pale tongue with a thin white
coating, a floating tense pulse

• Due to wind-heat: nasal obstruction, dry and itchy nose, scanty yellow nasal discharge,
fever, aversion to wind, headache, sore throat, thirst with a desire to drink, a red tongue
with a white or slightly yellow coating, a rapid floating pulse
• Due to qi stag. and blood stasis: constant nasal obstruction, profuse and sticky nasal
discharge, a red tongue with purple spots, a wiry, thin, hesitant pulse

• Due to qi def.: nasal obstruction comes and goes, clear sticky nasal discharge, worsens
upon cold environment, dizziness, a heavy sensation of the head, a pale tongue with a
thin white coating, a moderate pulse;
• Treatment principles:
• Exogenous wind: dispelling wind
• Wind-heat: acupuncture only with a reinforcing manipulation approach
• Wind-cold: a combination of acupuncture and moxibustion with a reinforcing manipulation
approach
• Qi stag. and blood stasis: activating qi and blood, acupuncture only with a reducing
manipulation approach
• Qi def.: tonifying lung and spleen; a combination of acupuncture and moxibustion with a
reinforcing or even manipulation approach

• Main points:
• LI20 (yingxiang), EX-HN8 (bitong), EX-HN2 (yintang), LI4 (hegu)
• Wind-heat: add LI11 (quchi), SJ5 (waiguan)
• Wind-cold: add LU7 (lieque), GB20 (fengchi)
• Qi stag. and blood stasis: add BL17 (geshu), BL7 (tongtian)
• Qi def.: add DU20 (baihui), BL13 (feishu)
• Lung qi def.: add BL13 (feishu), LU9 (Taiyuan)
• Spleen qi def.: add BL20 (pishu), ST36 (zusanli)
• Kidney qi def.: add DU4 (mingmen), BL23 (shenshu)

• Needling technique
• Moxibustion may be applied to the wind-cold syndrome, spleen and lung def. syndromes
• Other treatment approaches:
• Herbal plaster technique:
• Points: DU14 (dazhui), BL13 (feishu), BL43 (gaohuang), BL23 (shenshu), RN17
(tanzhong)
• How to make herbal plaster: baijezi 30g, yanhusuo 10g, gansui 10g, xixin 10g, dingxiang
10g, baizhi 10g; grind into fine powder; mix with pepper juice and rougui into a fine
powder before application; keep 4 hours, once a week, a course consists 3 weeks
Toothache

• Aetiology

Wind heat

Stomach heat Toothache

Def. fire
• Syndrome differentiation
• Main symptoms
• Due to wind heat: sudden onset, severe pain, a red gum, prefers cold; accompanied with
fever, thirst, swelling of the cheek; a red tongue with a thin yellow coating, a floating rapid
pulse

• Due to stomach heat: severe pain, bleeding gums, worsens upon heat; accompanied
with foul breath, yellow urine, constipation, a red tongue with a yellow coating, a surging
rapid pulse

• Due to def. fire: aching, comes and goes, worsens in the afternoon or at night, a long
course of disease; accompanied with dizziness, blurred vision, weakness in the waist and
knees; a tender tongue with a scanty coating, a thin rapid pulse
• Treatment principles:
• Due to wind heat/stomach heat: clearing heat, stopping pain and relieving swelling;
acupuncture only with a reducing manipulation approach
• Due to def. fire: tonifying yin and clearing heat; acupuncture only with an even
manipulation approach

• Main points: focus on the local points, and the hand and foot yangming meridians
• ST6 (jiache), ST7 (xiaguan), LI4 (hegu), LI2 (erjian), ST44 (neiting)
• Due to wind heat: add SJ17 (yifeng), GB20 (fengchi)
• Due to stomach heat: add ST45 (lidui), LI11 (quchi)
• Def. fire: add KD3 (taixi), KD6 (zhaohai)
• Pain in the upper gum: add EX-HN5 (taiyang), SI18 (quanliao)
• Pain in the lower gum: add ST5 (daying), RN24 (chengjiang)

• Needling technique
• LI2 (erjian), ST44 (neiting): prick to cause bleeding
• Treatment may be applied twice a day in patients with severe toothache
Sore throat

• Aetiology

Wind heat

Stomach heat Sore throat

Def. fire
• Syndrome differentiation
• Main symptoms
• Due to wind heat: sore throat, swelling, a burning sensation; accompany with fever,
sweating, cough with phlegm, yellow urine, a red tongue with a thin white or thin yellow
coating, a floating rapid pulse

• Due to stomach heat: sore throat, a burning sensation in the throat, high-grade fever,
thirst with a desire to drink, headache, a yellow sticky phlegm, constipation, yellow urine,
a red tongue with a yellow coating, a rapid forceful pulse

• Due to def. fire: slight swelling and pain in the throat, irritation in the throat, dry throat,
hoarse voice, no desire to drink, feverish sensation in the palms and soles, worsens at
night; a red tongue with a scanty coating, a thin rapid pulse
• Treatment principles:
• Due to wind heat/stomach heat: clearing heat, stopping pain and relieving swelling;
acupuncture only with a reducing manipulation approach
• Due to def. fire: tonifying yin and clearing heat; acupuncture only with an even
manipulation approach

• Main points: focus on the local points, and the hand and foot yangming meridians
• SI17 (tianrong), LU7 (lieque), KD6 (zhaohai), LI4 (hegu)
• Due to wind heat: add LU5 (chize), SJ5 (waiguan), LU11 (shaoshang)
• Due to stomach heat: add ST44 (neiting), LI11 (quchi)
• Due to def. fire: add KD3 (taixi), KD1 (yongquan)
• Sore throat: add RN22 (tiantu)
• Hoarse voice: add KD7 (fuliu), ST32 (futu)
• Constipation: add LI11 (quchi), SJ6 (zhigou)

• Needling technique
• Three-edge needling technique: LU11 (shaoshang), LI1 (shangyang), prick to cause
bleeding
 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