↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.
1. Painful Obstruction due to Damp-Heat in the Channels
Clinical manifestations: A red, swollen, hot ankle; a heavy, aching pain worse with warmth and pressure; thirst and irritability.
Tongue: Red with a yellow greasy coating. Pulse: Slippery, Rapid.
Treatment principle: Clear Heat and dry Dampness, draining Damp-Heat from the Lower Burner out of the injured joint.
Note: no moxa. No deck on this site has a joint/limb Painful Obstruction category, so no pattern link is given here.
2. Qi and Blood Stagnation
Clinical manifestations: Stabbing, fixed pain; bruising or purplish discoloration at the joint; pain worse with pressure; limited range of motion.
Tongue: Purple or dark, possible stasis spots. Pulse: Wiry, Choppy.
Treatment principle: Invigorate Blood, dispel stasis, move Qi, and alleviate pain at the site of injury.
Note: no moxa. This site's \"Liver-Blood stasis\" slide is gynecological/hepatic-framed with no local-joint-injury content, so no pattern link is given here.
3. Painful Obstruction with Liver and Kidney Deficiency
Clinical manifestations: A dull, aching pain that is better with warmth; worse in cold, damp weather and with fatigue; lower back and knee weakness; a pale complexion.
Tongue: Pale, thin, thin white coating. Pulse: Fine, weak.
Treatment principle: Dispel Wind-Dampness and relieve the obstruction while supplementing the Liver and Kidneys, addressing the chronic weakness behind a recurring sprain.
Note: moxa applicable. This site's closest candidate, \"Kidney-Essence deficiency,\" is framed around bone development, hair and memory rather than a joint-specific Bi-syndrome picture, so no pattern link is given here.
4. Qi and Blood Deficiency
Clinical manifestations: Dull, persistent pain worse with fatigue; a pale complexion and lips; general fatigue; dizziness.
Tongue: Pale, thin white coating. Pulse: Fine, weak, thready.
Treatment principle: Tonify Qi, nourish Blood and strengthen the Spleen, rebuilding the reserves needed for the joint to heal fully.
Note: moxa applicable. No deck on this site combines a generic Qi and Blood deficiency pattern, so no pattern link is given here.
5. Phlegm in the Channels
Clinical manifestations: Fixed, stabbing pain; a firm, hard swelling; a heavy, numb sensation; purplish discoloration; persistent stiffness.
Tongue: Purple with stasis spots, white greasy coating. Pulse: Wiry, Choppy or Slippery.
Treatment principle: Invigorate Blood, dispel stasis and transform Phlegm, unblocking the channel around a stubborn, swollen joint.
Note: no moxa. No deck on this site has a joint-specific Phlegm-in-the-channels category, so no pattern link is given here.