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Back Stiffness

How Chinese medicine differentiates back stiffness into the five patterns you'll actually meet in practice, and the points for each. Distinct from this site's Low Back Pain, Upper Back Pain and Stiff Neck pages. 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. Back stiffness with fever, unexplained weight loss, leg weakness, numbness in the groin or loss of bladder or bowel control needs urgent medical assessment.
General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for back stiffness — 3 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

PointKey action
SP-9Regulates the Spleen. Resolves Dampness. Opens the Water passages.
ST-36Benefits Stomach and Spleen. Tonifies Qi and Blood. Tonifies the Original Qi.
SP-10Cools Blood. Invigorates Blood and eliminates stasis. Blood SP-10 SP-9 10 Xuehai
The Five Patterns

↑ reinforcing   ↓ reducing   ⊥ even method.

1. Damp-Heat in the Channels

Clinical manifestations: Heavy, distending stiffness; the back feels warm; worse in humid weather; dark scanty urine; irritability.
Tongue: Red, possibly swollen, yellow greasy coat. Pulse: Slippery and rapid.
Treatment principle: Clears Heat, dries Dampness, unblocks the channels and relaxes the sinews.
ST-40 ↓ SP-9 ↓ L.I.-11 ↓
Note: no moxa. This site's decks have no Bi-syndrome slide, confirmed absent many times — no pattern link is given here.

2. Blood Stagnation View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Fixed, stabbing stiffness in one spot; worse at night or with rest; deep, unrelenting pain; dark menstrual blood with clots.
Tongue: Purple or dusky with dark sublingual veins, thin white coat. Pulse: Choppy, rough, possibly wiry.
Treatment principle: Invigorates Blood, dispels stasis and unblocks the channels.
SP-10 ↓ BL-17 ↓
Note: Linked to this site's own Liver-Blood-stasis slide per the discoloration-marker rule (purple tongue, dark clots).

3. Qi and Blood Deficiency

Clinical manifestations: Dull, aching stiffness that improves with rest; fatigue; pale complexion; poor appetite; loose stools; dizziness; palpitations.
Tongue: Pale, thin or tooth-marked, thin white coat. Pulse: Fine and weak.
Treatment principle: Tonifies Qi, nourishes Blood and strengthens the Spleen.
ST-36 ↑ SP-6 ↑ BL-20 ↑
Note: moxa is appropriate. No combined Qi-and-Blood-deficiency slide exists on this site's decks — no pattern link is given here.

4. Phlegm-Dampness in the Middle Burner

Clinical manifestations: Heavy, stiff back with a sluggish feeling; bloating after eating; nausea; heavy limbs.
Tongue: Pale, swollen, tooth-marked, thick white greasy coat. Pulse: Slippery, possibly soggy.
Treatment principle: Dries Dampness, transforms Phlegm and harmonizes the Middle Burner.
ST-40 ↓ REN-12 ↑ BL-20 ↑ SP-9 ↓
Note: This site's decks have no Phlegm-Dampness-in-the-Middle-Burner slide — no pattern link is given here.

5. Liver Yang Rising View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Upper-back and neck stiffness; dizziness; heavy head; irritability; throbbing temples; heat rising to the face.
Tongue: Red, redder sides, thin dry yellow or scanty coat. Pulse: Wiry, often rapid and fine.
Treatment principle: Calms the Liver, extinguishes internal Wind, subdues Yang and clears Heat.
LIV-3 ↓ G.B.-20 ↓ DU-20 ↓
Note: no moxa.
Related conditions
Low Back Pain Upper Back Pain Stiff Neck

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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.