Chronic Sinusitis

How Chinese medicine differentiates chronic sinusitis — inflammation of the paranasal sinuses lasting 12 weeks or longer — into the six patterns you'll actually meet in practice, and the points for each. Distinct from this site's own Sinusitis page by duration. 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. Sinus symptoms lasting 12 weeks or longer despite treatment should be evaluated by a physician (structural causes like a deviated septum or nasal polyps need ruling out) before assuming a simple pattern.

General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for chronic sinusitis — 11 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

Point	Key action
BL-13	Stimulates the diffusing and descending of Lung-Qi. Expels external Wind.
LU-7	Promotes the descending and diffusing of Lung-Qi. Releases the Exterior and expels exterior Wind.
L.I.-20	Expels exterior Wind. Opens the nose. Removes obstructions from the channel.
ST-40	Resolves Phlegm and Dampness. Calms the Mind and opens the Mind's orifices.
L.I.-4	Expels exterior Wind. Regulates Defensive Qi.
LU-11	Expels exterior Wind. Stimulates the diffusing and descending of Lung-Qi. Benefits the throat.
BL-20	Tonifies Spleen and Stomach. Resolves Dampness. Lifts Spleen-Qi.
SP-9	Regulates the Spleen. Resolves Dampness.
ST-36	Tonifies Qi and Blood. Tonifies the Stomach and Spleen.
LU-9	Resolves Phlegm. Promotes the descending of Lung-Qi. Tonifies Lung-Qi and Lung-Yin.
LR-3	Subdues Liver-Yang. Extinguishes interior Wind.
G.B.-40	Promotes the smooth flow of Liver-Qi. Clears Gall Bladder-Heat.
G.B.-20	Expels exterior Wind. Extinguishes interior Wind. Subdues Liver-Yang. Clears Heat.
SP-10	Cools Blood. Invigorates Blood and eliminates stasis.
BL-17	Invigorates Blood. Cools Blood. Stops bleeding. Nourishes Blood.

The Six Patterns

↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.

1. Phlegm-Heat in the Lungs View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Thick yellow or green nasal discharge, chest tightness and oppression, cough with sticky yellow phlegm, feeling of heat in the body, frontal headache or facial pressure, thirst with desire for cold drinks.

Tongue: Red body with yellow greasy coating, possibly swollen at the front. Pulse: Slippery and rapid.

Treatment principle: Clear Heat and transform Phlegm, regulate Qi and stop cough.

BL-13 ↓ LU-7 ↓ L.I.-20 ⊥ ST-40 ↓

Note: no moxa. Direct exact-name match with this site's own Phlegm-Heat-in-the-Lungs slide.

2. Lung Heat View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Yellow or green thick nasal discharge, frontal headache or facial pain, red and swollen nasal passages, fever or feeling of body heat, thirst with desire for cold drinks.

Tongue: Red body with yellow dry coating, possibly prickly papillae on the front third. Pulse: Rapid, slippery, or overflowing at the right Cun position.

Treatment principle: Clear Heat, benefit the nose.

L.I.-20 ⊥ L.I.-4 ↓ LU-7 ↓ BL-13 ↓ LU-11 ↓

Note: no moxa. Matched to this site's own Lung-Heat slide via the Lung-opens-into-the-nose logic used for Congested Nose and other nasal-Heat pages.

3. Spleen Deficiency With Dampness

Clinical manifestations: Thick sticky nasal discharge that is white or clear (not yellow), feeling of heaviness in the head as if wrapped in cloth, abdominal bloating and loose stools, fatigue especially after meals, poor appetite with a sticky taste.

Tongue: Pale and swollen with teeth marks on the sides, white greasy coating. Pulse: Soggy and slow, often soft and lacking force.

Treatment principle: Tonify Qi, strengthen the Spleen, drain Dampness.

BL-20 ↑ SP-9 ↓ ST-36 ↑ L.I.-20 ⊥

Note: moxa applicable on BL-20/ST-36. This site has no combined Spleen-deficiency-with-Dampness slide, a gap confirmed absent many times over — no pattern link is given here; points still link fine individually.

4. Lung Qi Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Clear thin watery nasal discharge, nasal congestion worse with fatigue or cold, frequent colds that settle in the sinuses, weak low voice and reluctance to speak, spontaneous daytime sweating, pale tired-looking face.

Tongue: Pale tender body with teeth marks and thin white coating. Pulse: Empty and weak, especially at the right Cun position.

Treatment principle: Tonify Qi, secure the exterior, astringe to stop sweating.

BL-13 ↑ ST-36 ↑ LU-9 ↑ L.I.-20 ⊥

Note: moxa applicable on ST-36. Direct exact-name match with this site's own Lung-Qi-deficiency slide.

5. Damp-Heat in the Gallbladder View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Bitter taste in the mouth, rib-side pain or distension, foul-smelling yellow nasal discharge.

Tongue: Red body possibly swollen with redder sides and yellow greasy coating. Pulse: Wiry, slippery, rapid, especially at the left middle position.

Treatment principle: Drain excess Fire from the Liver and Gallbladder, clear Damp-Heat.

LR-3 ↓ G.B.-40 ↓ G.B.-20 ↓

Note: no moxa. Direct match with this site's own plain Damp-Heat-in-the-Gall-Bladder slide.

6. Qi and Blood Stagnation View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Stabbing fixed pain in the sinuses, blood-tinged or dark nasal discharge, pain that worsens with pressure.

Tongue: Dark purple body with stasis spots, distended sublingual veins. Pulse: Wiry and choppy.

Treatment principle: Invigorate Blood and dispel stasis, unblock the channels.

SP-10 ↓ BL-17 ↓ L.I.-20 ⊥

Note: no moxa. Linked to this site's own Liver-Blood-stasis slide via the established discoloration-marker rule.

Related conditions

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