Logout 📊 Admin
🏠 Home

← All Conditions

Ganglion Cyst

How Chinese medicine differentiates ganglion cyst, 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. A rapidly growing, painful, or red lump needs medical evaluation before acupuncture is considered.
General Acupuncture Points

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

PointKey action
ST-40Resolves Phlegm and Dampness, subdues rebellious Qi.
SP-6Strengthens the Spleen, resolves Dampness, nourishes Blood and Yin.
SP-10Cools Blood, invigorates Blood and eliminates stasis.
L.I.-4Expels exterior Wind, stops pain, removes obstructions from the channel.
LR-3Subdues Liver-Yang, promotes the smooth flow of Liver-Qi, invigorates Blood.
ST-36Benefits Stomach and Spleen, tonifies Qi and Blood.
Ren-6Tonifies Qi and Yang, raises sinking Qi.
SP-9Regulates the Spleen, resolves Dampness.
T.B.-5Expels Wind. Removes obstructions from the channel — local point for wrist problems.
The Four Patterns

↑ reinforcing   ↓ reducing   ⊥ even method.

1. Phlegm in the Channels (Joints and Muscles)

Clinical manifestations: A firm, fixed lump near a joint, often the wrist; a dull ache or stiffness that worsens with activity; a heavy or numb sensation in the limb.
Tongue: Purple with stasis spots, white greasy coating. Pulse: Wiry, Choppy or Slippery.
Treatment principle: Dry Dampness and transform Phlegm while nourishing and invigorating Blood to unblock the channel.
ST-40 ↓ SP-6 ↓ SP-10 ↓ L.I.-4 ↓ LR-3 ↓
Note: no moxa. No deck on this site has a joint-specific Phlegm-in-the-channels category, so no pattern link is given here.

2. Blood Stagnation View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: A firm, fixed lump with stabbing pain at the site, worse at night; dark lips or nails; dark circles under the eyes.
Tongue: Purple or dusky with stasis spots, dark sublingual veins. Pulse: Choppy or Wiry.
Treatment principle: Invigorate Blood and dispel stasis while moving Qi to alleviate pain.
L.I.-4 ↓ LR-3 ↓ SP-10 ↓ SP-6 ↓
Note: no moxa. Matches Liver-Blood stasis — dark lips/nails and dark circles under the eyes are shared discoloration markers.

3. Qi Deficiency Causing Blood Stagnation

Clinical manifestations: Fatigue and lack of strength; shortness of breath with reluctance to speak; the cyst feels heavy or dragging, worse with fatigue, improving with rest.
Tongue: Pale-purple, possible stasis spots, teeth marks. Pulse: Deep, Fine, Choppy.
Treatment principle: Tonify the Middle and augment Qi while addressing local stasis through Blood invigoration.
Tonify Qi
ST-36 ↑ Ren-6 ↑
Invigorate Blood
SP-10 ↓
Note: moxa applicable on the Tonify-Qi points. No deck on this site combines Qi deficiency with local Blood stagnation as its own picture, so no pattern link is given here.

4. Damp-Cold

Clinical manifestations: The cyst feels better with warmth; cold hands and feet; an aversion to cold; a heavy or numb sensation in the limb.
Tongue: Pale, swollen, teeth marks, thick white greasy coating. Pulse: Deep, Slow, Slippery or Soggy.
Treatment principle: Warm the channels and disperse Cold while nourishing Blood and unblocking the vessels.
ST-36 ↑ SP-9 ↓ T.B.-5 ⊥
Note: moxa applicable on the Tonify-Qi point. No deck on this site has a joint/limb Damp-Cold category, so no pattern link is given here.
Related conditions
De Quervain's Tenosynovitis Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Spot an error, or have more to add? Send it to admin on WhatsApp and it'll be corrected/added here.

Acupuncture-only reference — structure adapted (not text) from how other condition-lookup sites organize this kind of content. Let us know what to add or change.