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Axilla Swelling

How Chinese medicine differentiates armpit (axillary) swelling — distinct from Swollen Lymph Nodes and Neck Lumps already covered — the three patterns you'll actually meet in practice, and the points for each. Acupuncture only — no herbs.

This page is educational, for practitioners and students — it is not a diagnostic tool and does not replace a proper in-person assessment. A rapidly growing, hard, or fixed armpit lump, or one with fever or weight loss, needs prompt medical evaluation before assuming a simple pattern.
General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for axilla swelling — 6 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

PointKey action
LR-3Subdues Liver-Yang. Clears Interior Wind.
LR-2Clears Liver-Fire and subdues Liver-Yang. Clears Interior Wind.
G.B.-21Removes obstructions from the channel. Promotes lactation.
SP-9Regulates the Spleen. Resolves Dampness.
L.I.-4Expels Exterior Wind. Regulates Defensive Qi.
L.I.-11Clears Heat. Cools the Blood.
The Three Patterns

↑ reinforcing   ↓ reducing   ⊥ even method.

1. Liver-Qi Stagnation That Transforms Into Heat View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Firm, mildly tender armpit swelling worsening with emotional upset, irritability and short temper, bitter taste in mouth, distending or burning sensation along the ribs.
Tongue: Red body with redder sides, yellow coating. Pulse: Wiry and rapid.
Treatment principle: Smooth Liver-Qi and clear stagnant Heat.
LR-3 ↓ LR-2 ↓ G.B.-21 ⊥
Note: no moxa. Matched to this site's own Stagnant-Liver-Qi-turning-into-Heat slide, the same paraphrase-link convention used throughout this site.

2. Damp-Heat in the Liver Channel View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Red, warm, tender swelling, bitter taste in mouth, dark scanty urine, feeling of heaviness in the body, genital itching or dampness (sometimes).
Tongue: Red body with redder sides, thick yellow greasy coating denser at the center and root. Pulse: Wiry, slippery and rapid.
Treatment principle: Drain Damp-Heat from the Liver channel, clear swelling and relieve pain.
LR-3 ↓ LR-2 ↓ SP-9 ↓
Note: no moxa. Direct match with this site's own Damp-Heat-in-the-Liver slide — the source names genital itching/dampness as an occasional accompanying symptom, satisfying the genital-specific-slide rule established for this deck's #5/#6 pair.

3. Toxic-Heat Stagnation

Clinical manifestations: Throbbing, severe pain with abscess formation, red hot swollen lump that may discharge pus, high fever sometimes with chills, intense thirst with craving for cold drinks, restlessness and irritability.
Tongue: Deep red or crimson body, often with prickly papillae, thick dry yellow coating. Pulse: Rapid and forceful.
Treatment principle: Clear Heat, resolve toxin, and reduce swelling.
L.I.-4 ↓ L.I.-11 ↓ LR-3 ↓
Note: no moxa — an abscess with fever needs medical evaluation. This site has no standalone Toxic-Heat slide, so no pattern link is given here; points still link fine individually.
Related conditions
Swollen Lymph Nodes Neck Lumps

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Acupuncture-only reference — structure adapted (not text) from how other condition-lookup sites organize this kind of content. Let us know what to add or change.