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
 Prolonged labor
• Definition:
• Prolonged labor is the inability of a woman to proceed with childbirth upon going into
labor. Prolonged labor typically lasts over 20 hours for first time mothers, and over 14
hours for women that have already had children.

• Aetiology

Weak constitution
Qi and blood def.
Overexertion during labor
Infantile Indigestion
Excessive stress/anxiety
Qi and blood stag.
Inactivity
• Syndrome differentiation
• Main symptoms: The fetus cannot be delivered after the membrane has been ruptured
and the amniotic fluid has been discharged.

• Qi stag.: Severe pain in the lower back and abdomen, strong uterine contractions at
irregular intervals, scanty, dark red bleeding, nervousness, chest distention and epigastric
distress, intermittent nausea and vomiting, dark red tongue and a deep, full pulse.

• Qi def.: Weak, slight contractions with long intermissions and short durations, profuse
light colour bleeding, pale complexion, lassitude, palpitations, shortness of breath, a pale
tongue with and thin white coating and a empty and large or deep and thin pulse.
• Treatment principles:
• Regulate qi and blood

• Main points: Select points from the large intestine, spleen and bladder meridians.
• LI4 (hegu), SP6 (sanyinjiao), BL67 (zhiyin)

• Qi stag.: Add BL32 (ciliao), BL60 (kunlun)

• Restlessness: HT7 (shenmen), LV3 (taichong), PC6 (neiguan)
• Qi def.: ST36 (zusanli), KI3 (taixi)
• Needling technique:
• Reinforcing method is applied on LI4 (hegu), reducing method is applied on SP6
(sanyinjiao) and BL67 (zhiyin) (oblique insertion). Manipulate continuously for 5 minutes
and repeat intermittently.

• Other treatment approaches:

• Moxibustion technique: LI4 (hegu), RN6 (qihai), RN4 (guanyuan), BL31 (shangliao),
BL32 (ciliao), SP6 (sanyinjiao), KI7 (fuliu), BL67 (zhiyin). Select 2-3 points and use mild
warming moxibustion or moxibustion with salt on the umbilicus.

• Auricular acupuncture technique: Internal genitals, uterus, kidney, subcortex,

sympathetic. Select two points at a time and stimulate with a medium intensity every 3-5
minutes until delivery.
 Abnormal position of the fetus

• Definition:
• Refers to incorrect positions of the fetus in the uterus after 30 weeks upon prenatal
examination. The normal fetal position is the occiput anterior position.

• Aetiology

Congenital def.
Dysfunction of qi circulation Abnormal position of the fetus
Emotional depression
• Syndrome differentiation
• Main symptoms: week 30 or later of pregnancy and abnormal fetus position.

• Qi and blood def.: Pale complexion, fatigue, shortness of breath, palpitations, dizziness,
poor appetite, loose stool, a pale tongue with a thin, white coating and a slippery and
forceless pulse.

• Qi stag.: Emotional depression, restlessness, easily angry, chest and hypochondriac

distension and fullness, belching, poor appetite, loose stool, a thin white tongue coating
and a wiry and slippery pulse.
• Treatment principles:
• Nourish qi and blood, regulate liver qi, regulate the position of the fetus.

• Main points: focus on the bladder, stomach and liver meridians.

• BL67 (zhiyin), ST36 (zusanli), BL23 (shenshu), BL18 (ganshu), LV2 (xingjian)

• Lassitude, palpitations and shortness of breath: add DU20 (baihui) and SP6
(sanyinjiao)

• Needling technique:
• Moxibustion with small cones is performed on BL67 (zhiyin) 15-20 minutes each side
once or twice a day and check position of fetus every three days. Other points are
needled with mild reinforcing and reducing method.
• Other treatment approaches:
• Electro-acupuncture: Select points BL67 (zhiyin) and ST36 (zusanli), apply medium
stimulation for 30 minutes using the dense waves.
 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