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Febrile Seizures

How Chinese medicine differentiates febrile seizures in children — distinct from the general Seizures page already covered — the six patterns you'll actually meet in practice, and the points for each. Gentle pediatric technique, supportive care only. 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. Any febrile seizure needs prompt medical evaluation, especially a first episode, a seizure lasting more than a few minutes, or one with breathing difficulty; acupuncture here is supportive between episodes and for underlying constitutional weakness, never a response to an active seizure. Gentle, quick technique only in children, no strong stimulation.
General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for febrile seizures — 10 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

PointKey action
LR-3Subdues Liver-Yang. Extinguishes interior Wind.
KI-1Nourishes Yin and clears Empty-Heat. Extinguishes interior Wind. Restores consciousness.
P-6Opens the chest and moves Qi and Blood. Calms the Mind.
DU-14Clears Heat. Releases the Exterior and expels exterior Wind.
ST-40Resolves Phlegm and Dampness. Calms the Mind and opens the Mind's orifices.
HE-7Calms the Mind and opens the Mind's orifices. Nourishes Heart-Blood.
ST-36Benefits Stomach and Spleen. Tonifies Qi and Blood.
KI-3Tonifies the Kidneys (both Yin and Yang). Benefits Essence.
SP-6Strengthens the Spleen. Nourishes Blood and Yin.
G.B.-20Extinguishes interior Wind. Subdues Liver-Yang. Clears Heat.
The Six Patterns

↑ reinforcing   ↓ reducing   ⊥ even method.

1. Liver Wind Agitating Internally Due to Extreme Heat View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: High fever unresponsive to treatment, violent convulsions, rigid neck with arched-back spasms, eyes rolling upward, clenched jaw, loss of consciousness or delirium, flushed face with intense thirst.
Tongue: Deep crimson body with dry, raised prickles and yellow coating. Pulse: Wiry, rapid, forceful.
Treatment principle: Cool the Liver system and extinguish internal Wind to halt spasms and calm convulsions.
Note: no moxa, medical emergency. Direct match with this site's own Extreme-Heat-generating-Wind slide, itself badged Emergency — the same acute febrile-convulsion framing used for Heat Stroke.

2. Heat in the Pericardium View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Loss of consciousness or delirium, high fever worsening at night, cold extremities despite burning skin, crimson stiff tongue, inability to speak or incoherent speech, restlessness and agitation.
Tongue: Crimson, stiff or shortened body with yellow dry coating. Pulse: Fine and rapid.
Treatment principle: Clear extreme Heat invading the protective envelope of the Heart-Mind to restore consciousness and stop convulsions.
Note: no moxa, medical emergency. Direct exact-name match with this site's own Heat-in-the-Pericardium slide — the same one used for Heat Stroke.

3. Phlegm-Fire Harassing the Heart View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Copious thick yellow sticky phlegm, rattling or gurgling throat sounds, flushed red face and eyes, bitter taste with vomiting, mental restlessness and agitation.
Tongue: Red body, swollen with a red-tipped appearance, thick yellow greasy coating. Pulse: Slippery and rapid.
Treatment principle: Clear Heat and transform sticky Phlegm clouding the Heart's orifices to settle the spirit and prevent convulsions.
Note: no moxa. Direct match with this site's own Phlegm-Fire-harassing-the-Heart slide.

4. Liver Qi Stagnation With Spleen Qi Deficiency Transforming Into Heat

Clinical manifestations: Abdominal bloating and loose stools, irritability and quick temper, distending rib-side pain, seizures triggered by mild fever, fatigue and lack of energy, bitter taste.
Tongue: Red body with redder sides, teeth marks, thin to moderately thick yellow slightly greasy coating. Pulse: Wiry and rapid.
Treatment principle: Harmonize Liver and Spleen while clearing stagnant Heat to address the root imbalance predisposing to febrile seizures.
Note: moxa applicable on ST-36 only. This combined Liver-stagnation-with-Spleen-deficiency-transforming-into-Heat picture has no matching slide anywhere on this site — a new confirmed-absent category — so no pattern link is given here; points still link fine individually.

5. Summer-Heat Entering the Lesser Yin and Terminal Yin Warps

Clinical manifestations: Extreme thirst with desire for large fluid intake, numbness or tingling in the hands and feet, fever persisting or worsening despite treatment, restlessness and irritability.
Tongue: Deep crimson, thin, dry with possible cracks and little or no coating. Pulse: Fine and rapid, possibly hollow at the rear positions.
Treatment principle: Replenish severely depleted Yin and Body Fluids damaged by deep Summer-Heat to prevent internal Wind and convulsions.
Note: this is a Warm-Disease (Wenbing) Four-Levels/Six-Warps concept rather than a Zang-Fu pattern, so it is structurally absent from every organ deck on this site — the same class of gap already found for the Shao-Yang/Lesser-Yang stage (Alternating Fever and Chills, batch 30). No pattern link is given here; points still link fine individually.

6. Empty-Wind Agitating in the Interior

Clinical manifestations: Intermittent twitching or tremors of the hands and feet, often nocturnal, low-grade fever or absence of fever after a high fever, severe fatigue and listlessness, dry mouth and throat with malar flush and night sweats, emaciation or failure to thrive.
Tongue: Deep crimson, thin, dry, cracked with little or no coating, mirror-like appearance. Pulse: Fine and rapid, weak on deep palpation.
Treatment principle: Nourish depleted Yin and fluids to anchor the Liver and extinguish the internal Wind arising from constitutional deficiency.
Note: no moxa given the Yin deficiency. This severe deficiency-driven \"Empty-Wind\" picture is the same confirmed-absent category first identified for Transient Ischemic Attack (batch 34) — no matching slide exists anywhere on this site. No pattern link is given here; points still link fine individually.
Related conditions

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