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Diabetes (Wasting-Thirst)

How Chinese medicine understands Wasting-Thirst (Xiao Ke), the six 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. Diabetes requires ongoing medical diagnosis and management; acupuncture is a complementary, not a replacement, approach.
General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for Wasting-Thirst — 16 key points, used across most of the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

PointKey action
BL-13Tonifies Lung-Qi and nourishes Lung-Yin. Clears Heat.
LU-5Clears Lung-Heat. Promotes descending of Lung-Qi. Resolves Phlegm.
Du-14Clears Heat. Releases the Exterior and expels exterior Wind.
LU-10Clears Lung-Heat. Promotes descending of Lung-Qi. Benefits the throat.
ST-36Benefits Stomach and Spleen, tonifies Qi and Blood, clears Heat.
ST-44Clears Heat. Regulates the Intestines and resolves Damp-Heat.
L.I.-11Clears Heat from the Yangming channels.
SP-6Strengthens the Spleen, resolves Dampness, nourishes Yin.
SP-9Regulates the Spleen, resolves Dampness, opens the Water passages.
ST-40Resolves Phlegm and Dampness throughout the body.
BL-23Tonifies the Kidneys, nourishes Kidney-Essence and Kidney-Yin.
KI-3Tonifies the Kidneys (Yin and Yang), anchors Empty-Heat.
KI-6Nourishes Kidney-Yin, clears Empty-Heat, especially for night thirst.
Ren-6Tonifies Qi and Original Qi. Regulates Qi in the Lower Burner.
Du-4Tonifies Kidney-Yang, warms the Gate of Life. Benefits Essence.
Ren-4Strengthens the Kidneys, benefits Original Qi, warms foundational Yang.
The Six Patterns

reinforcing   reducing   even method — technique below follows standard Excess/Deficiency treatment principle for each pattern, not tied to a specific point-by-point source.

1. Lung-Heat (Upper Wasting) View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Intense thirst with a craving for cold drinks; a dry mouth and throat; restlessness and irritability; dark, scanty urine; constipation or dry stools; a flushed face or a sensation of heat through the body; brought on by long-term stress, dry climates, or a diet heavy in spicy or fried food generating internal Heat; eased by cool fluids and rest.
Tongue: Red with a dry yellow coating, red prickles across the front third. Pulse: Rapid, possibly Slippery or Overflowing, forceful at the right Cun position.
Treatment principle: Clear Heat from the Qi level, generate fluids, support Lung function to relieve thirst.
Clear Lung-Heat
Support Lung
Note: no moxa.

2. Stomach-Fire (Middle Wasting) View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Ravenous hunger that returns quickly after eating; a burning sensation in the stomach; bad breath with swollen, bleeding gums; thirst with a craving for cold drinks; constipation with dry, hard stools; acid reflux or sour belching; brought on by a diet of rich, greasy, or spicy food, or chronic overeating; eased by cool food and moderate portions.
Tongue: Red, especially at the centre, thick dry yellow coating, central prickles. Pulse: Rapid, Slippery, forceful at the right Guan position.
Treatment principle: Clear Stomach-Heat, generate fluids, reduce excessive hunger and thirst.
Clear Stomach-Fire
Support Stomach
Note: no moxa.

3. Spleen Deficiency with Dampness

Clinical manifestations: Abdominal bloating that worsens after eating; a heavy sensation through the body and limbs; loose or unformed stools; thirst with no real desire to drink; a sticky or greasy sensation in the mouth; drowsiness, especially after meals; poor appetite; brought on by irregular meals, cold raw food, overthinking, or damp weather; eased by warm cooked food and rest after meals.
Tongue: Pale, swollen, tooth-marked, white greasy coating, moist surface. Pulse: Soggy, Slowed, soft and lacking force at the right Guan, possibly Slippery.
Treatment principle: Tonify Qi, strengthen the Spleen, drain Dampness to restore fluid metabolism.
Tonify Spleen
Drain Dampness
Note: moxa applicable on the Tonify-Spleen point. No deck slide combines Spleen-deficiency signs with this internally-generated Dampness picture — the closest candidates are either pure deficiency with no dampness, or an exterior Cold-Damp invasion — so no pattern link is given here.

4. Kidney-Yin Deficiency with Empty-Heat Blazing (Lower Wasting) View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Frequent urination, especially at night; intense thirst that worsens at night; soreness and weakness in the lower back; a hot sensation in the palms, soles, and chest; tinnitus; a dry throat, worse at night; scanty, dark urine; night sweats; brought on by chronic illness, ageing, or overwork consuming Kidney-Yin; eased by rest and cooling foods.
Tongue: Red, thin, dry, little or no coating, possible cracks. Pulse: Fine, Rapid, weak at the rear (Chi) positions.
Treatment principle: Nourish Kidney-Yin, clear Empty-Heat, restore fluid retention.
Note: no moxa.

5. Qi and Yin Deficiency

Clinical manifestations: Persistent fatigue and a lack of strength; a dry mouth with little desire to drink; night sweats; a warm sensation in the palms, soles, and chest; shortness of breath on exertion; poor appetite; a dry throat; brought on by long-standing untreated Heat-pattern Wasting-Thirst depleting both Qi and Yin, or chronic overwork; eased by rest and a balanced diet.
Tongue: Red or pale-red, thin or absent coating, may be cracked and dry. Pulse: Fine, weak, often Rapid.
Treatment principle: Tonify Qi, generate fluids, nourish Yin, addressing the dual deficiency together.
Tonify Qi
Nourish Yin
Note: moxa applicable on the Tonify-Qi points only. No deck slide combines Qi-deficiency signs (fatigue, shortness of breath on exertion) with Yin-deficiency signs into one pattern — the same kind of gap as the site's known missing "Qi and Blood deficiency" combination — so no pattern link is given here.

6. Kidney-Yang Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Cold, aching lower back and knees; frequent, clear urination that is worse at night; a pervasive feeling of cold, especially in the lower body; deep fatigue and low spirits; loose stools or early morning diarrhoea; a pale or dark complexion; brought on by ageing, chronic illness, or long-standing untreated Wasting-Thirst exhausting Kidney-Yang; eased by warmth and rest.
Tongue: Pale, puffy, tender, tooth-marked, wet white coating. Pulse: Deep, Slow, Weak, especially feeble at the rear (Chi) position.
Treatment principle: Tonify Kidney-Yang, warm the Gate of Life (Ming Men) fire, restore fluid transformation and body warmth.
Note: moxa applicable.
Related conditions

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