Acupuncture for Diarrhea - Treatment Protocols
General Approaches
Acupuncture For Diarrhea - Treatment Protocols
Acupuncture treatment protocols are generally directed towards the deeper root of a persons set of health issues, not at each individual issue. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, treatment is generally directed towards the individuals diagnostic pattern(s) and their primary issue is only a part of the information required to approach the correct patterns to treat (see "treating the cause vs. the symptoms" for an introduction to this process.).
In designing an acupuncture protocol for diarrhea, one might find one or a combination of the following patterns: kidney yang deficiency, large intestine damp heat, liver and gallbladder damp heat, spleen yang deficiency among many other possibilities and possible combinations.
Below you will find some of the more common tcm diagnoses and acupuncture treatment protocols for diarrhea. There are many ways to approach the treatment of this condition within TCM. Our presentation describes foundational approaches that would need to be further tailored in most cases to be effective for a given individual.
- Etiology & Pathology:
- 2 Major Factors:
- Cold - generally a direct strike or from Yang Deficiency.
- Damp - effecting the ST/SP fluid transformation/ascension leading to loose stools (damp-heat is also common).
- 2 Major Organ Deficiencies Involved:
- SP Deficiency (can arise from LV Excess overacting on SP) - transforms and transports body fluids, raises and ascends the Qi.
- KD Deficiency - controls the lower orifices, role in transforming body fluids and as the pilot light to the SP.
- Etiology:
- Cold Diarrhea - exogenous cold w/direct strike on the intestines.
- Hot (Damp-heat) Diarrhea - exogenous heat enters the middle jiao, possibly combining w/damp - possible in warmer climates/months with humidity.
- Damp Diarrhea - Can be acute or chronic, due to overexposure to a damp environment a/or excessive consumption of damp foods.
- SP Deficiency Diarrhea
- KD Deficiency Diarrhea
- LV/SP Diarrhea
- Differentiation:
- Cold Diarrhea
- Signs & Symptoms:
- Treatment Points:
- Hot (Damp-Heat) Diarrhea
- Signs & Symptoms:
- Treatment Points:
- Valaskatagis Point Selection:
- ST 25 - LI Mu
- ST 37 - w/ST 25 to clear heat/regulate intestines
- LI 4 - clear heat in LI
- ST 44 - clear heat
- SP 9 - resolve dampness
- UB 25 - LI Shu
- Maciocia Point Selection:
- CV 12 - ST Mu
- UB 22 - TH Shu - transform body fluids
- SP 6 - resolve dampness
- SP 9 - resolve dampness
- ST 25 - LI Mu, regulate stools
- UB 25 - LI Shu
- Damp Diarrhea
- Signs & Symptoms:
- Treatment Points:
- Valaskatagis Point Selection:
- UB 20 - SP Shu
- CV 9 - resolve dampness
- SP 9 - resolve dampness
- ST 28 - damp heat in the lower warmer, esp. with urinary tract involvement
- Maciocia Point Selection: (he differentiates this as cold-damp)
- UB 12 - expel wind
- UB 22 - TH Shu
- SP 6 - tonify SP, transform damp
- SP 9 - transform damp
- CV 6 - tonify Qi
- ST 25 - LI Mu
- Spleen Deficiency Diarrhea
- Signs & Symptoms:
- Treatment Points:
- KD Deficiency Diarrhea
- Signs & Symptoms:
- Treatment Points:
- LV/SP Diarrhea
- Signs & Symptoms:
- Treatment Points:
- Cold Diarrhea
- 2 Major Factors:
The information on our site is drawn from our own lecture notes and clinical experience. The following lecture notes were consulted within this section:
- St. John, Meredith: New England School of Acupuncture, Etiology and Pathology Lecture Notes
- Valaskatgis, Peter: New England School of Acupuncture, Etiology and Pathology Lecture Notes
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