Cystitis

How Chinese medicine differentiates cystitis — bladder inflammation specifically, distinct from the broader Urinary Tract Infection already covered — the four 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. Burning urination with fever, back pain, or blood in the urine needs medical evaluation (a kidney infection or other cause must be ruled out) before assuming a simple pattern.

General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for cystitis — 9 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

Point	Key action
REN-3	Resolves Dampness from the Lower Burner. Promotes the Bladder function of Qi transformation.
BL-28	Regulates the Bladder. Resolves Dampness in the Lower Burner.
SP-6	Strengthens the Spleen. Resolves Dampness. Benefits urination.
BL-23	Tonifies the Kidneys and nourishes Kidney-Essence.
KI-3	Tonifies the Kidneys (both Yin and Yang). Benefits Essence.
LR-3	Subdues Liver-Yang. Promotes the smooth flow of Liver-Qi.
LR-2	Drains Liver-Fire and subdues Liver-Yang. Resolves Damp-Heat in the genitourinary system.
REN-4	Strengthens the Kidneys. Benefits Original Qi. Benefits the Bladder.
DU-4	Tonifies Kidney-Yang and warms the Gate of Life (Ming Men).

The Four Patterns

↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.

1. Damp-Heat in the Bladder View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Burning or stinging pain during urination, dark yellow or cloudy urine, urgency with scanty output, lower abdominal fullness, thirst without desire to drink.

Tongue: Red body with thick yellow greasy coating at the root. Pulse: Slippery and rapid.

Treatment principle: Clear Heat and drain Fire, promote urination and relieve stranguria, clear Damp-Heat from the Lower Burner.

REN-3 ↓ BL-28 ↓ SP-6 ↓

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

2. Kidney-Yin Deficiency With Empty-Heat Blazing View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Mild burning during urination, night sweats, five-palm heat, dry throat at night, lower back soreness.

Tongue: Red, thin, dry with minimal coating. Pulse: Fine and rapid.

Treatment principle: Nourish Yin, clear deficiency Heat, anchor floating Yang.

BL-23 ↑ KI-3 ↑ SP-6 ↑ REN-3 ⊥

Note: no moxa given the Empty-Heat. Direct match with this site's own Kidney-Yin-deficiency-Empty-Heat-blazing slide.

3. Liver and Gallbladder Damp-Heat View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Urinary urgency and burning worsening with emotional stress, bitter taste, rib-side distension/pain, irritability, dark scanty urine.

Tongue: Red, especially the sides, with thick yellow greasy coating. Pulse: Wiry, slippery, rapid.

Treatment principle: Drain Liver and Gall Bladder Fire, clear Damp-Heat from the Lower Burner.

LR-3 ↓ LR-2 ↓ SP-6 ↓

Note: no moxa. Matched to this site's own Damp-Heat-in-the-Gall-Bladder-and-Liver slide — the core bitter-taste/rib-pain/irritability presentation matches directly, continuing the established core-presentation-match convention (Jaundice, Cloudy Urine, Dark Urine).

4. Kidney-Qi Not Firm View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Frequent clear urination, dribbling after urination or incontinence, increased nocturia, weak lower back and knees, fatigue.

Tongue: Pale, puffy, moist with thin white coat and tooth marks. Pulse: Deep and weak.

Treatment principle: Tonify Kidney-Yang, disperse Cold, secure Essence and stop leakage.

BL-23 ↑ REN-4 ↑ SP-6 ↑ DU-4 ↑

Note: moxa applicable throughout. Direct exact-name match with this site's own Kidney-Qi-not-Firm slide — the dribbling-after-urination marker is its own hallmark symptom.

Related conditions

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