Dysphagia (Difficulty Swallowing)

How Chinese medicine differentiates difficulty swallowing — distinct from Globus Sensation and Laryngopharyngeal Reflux 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. Progressive difficulty swallowing, especially with weight loss or pain, always needs medical evaluation to rule out a structural cause before assuming it is a simple pattern.

General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for dysphagia — 8 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

Point	Key action
ST-40	Resolves Dampness and Phlegm, calms the mind and opens the orifices.
LR-3	Subdues Liver-Yang, clears interior Wind.
REN-22	Descends Lung-Qi, benefits the throat and voice.
REN-17	Tonifies the Gathering Qi, opens the chest and regulates Qi.
BL-17	Invigorates Blood, cools Blood-Heat and stops bleeding.
SP-10	Cools the Blood, invigorates Blood and removes stagnation.
SP-6	Tonifies the Spleen and Stomach, resolves Dampness and benefits urination.
KI-6	Nourishes Kidney-Yin and clears Empty-Heat, invigorates the Yin Stepping Vessel.
KI-3	Tonifies Kidney-Yin and Yang, strengthens the Kidney's receiving of Lung-Qi.
REN-23	Benefits the tongue and voice, descends Qi.

The Three Patterns

↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.

1. Qi-Phlegm

Clinical manifestations: Sensation of a lump in the throat that cannot be swallowed or coughed up, chest and upper abdominal oppression or stuffiness, symptoms worsen with emotional stress anger or worry, frequent sighing and emotional depression, dry throat with a desire to clear it.

Tongue: Normal-coloured body, possibly slightly swollen, with a white greasy or slippery coating. Pulse: Wiry and slippery.

Treatment principle: Move Qi and resolve constraint, resolve Phlegm, moisten dryness.

ST-40 ↓ LR-3 ↓ REN-22 ⊥ REN-17 ↑

Note: no moxa. This is the classic Plum-Pit-Qi (Mei He Qi) presentation; no deck on this site has a dedicated Qi-Phlegm-of-the-throat slide, so no pattern link is given here.

2. Blood Stagnation View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Fixed stabbing pain in the chest or behind the breastbone, pain worsens at night, vomiting immediately after eating or drinking, dark or blackish stools.

Tongue: Dark purple body with stasis spots, thin white coat. Pulse: Choppy or wiry.

Treatment principle: Invigorate Blood and dispel stasis, nourish Blood and moisten dryness, promote bowel movement.

BL-17 ↓ SP-10 ↓ SP-6 ↑

Note: no moxa. Matches this site's Liver-Blood stasis slide — a dark purple tongue with stasis spots is the same discoloration marker named there.

3. Yin Deficiency

Clinical manifestations: Extreme dry mouth and throat, five-centre heat, emaciation or marked weight loss, night sweats, dry hard stools.

Tongue: Red, thin, dry body with cracks and little or no coating. Pulse: Fine and rapid.

Treatment principle: Nourish Lung and Stomach Yin, generate fluids, moisten dryness.

KI-6 ↑ KI-3 ↑ REN-23 ⊥

Note: no moxa given the Yin deficiency. This pattern combines Lung and Stomach Yin together, and no deck on this site has that exact combined-organ Yin-deficiency slide, so no pattern link is given here.

Related conditions

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