Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease

A common childhood viral illness causing mouth sores and a hand-foot-buttock rash, staged in TCM from surface Damp-Heat to, rarely, a dangerous Wind-stirring crisis.

Educational information only, not a substitute for professional medical diagnosis or treatment.

General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for hand-foot-mouth disease — 4 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

Point	Key action
SP-6	Strengthens the Spleen. Resolves Dampness. Promotes the function of the Liver and the smooth flow of Liver-Qi.
ST-36	Benefits Stomach and Spleen. Tonifies Qi and Blood. Tonifies the Original Qi.
L.I.-11	Clears Heat and cools Blood. Removes obstructions and Heat from the channel. Resolves Dampness.
REN-12	Tonifies Stomach and Spleen. Resolves Dampness and Phlegm. Regulates Stomach-Qi.

The Five Patterns

↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.

1. Damp-Heat in Stomach and Spleen

Clinical manifestations: Low-grade fever, painful mouth ulcers and oral vesicles, a red papular rash on the hands, feet, and buttocks, poor appetite, abdominal bloating.

Tongue: C Pulse: l

Treatment principle: red body with yellow greasy coating,slippery and rapid

SP-6 ↓ ST-44 ↓ L.I.-11 ↓

2. Toxic-Heat Stagnation

Clinical manifestations: High fever unresponsive to sweating, a dense dark-purple vesicular rash, intense thirst, restlessness and irritability, foul-smelling mouth ulcers.

Tongue: C Pulse: l

Treatment principle: deep red body with prickly papillae, thick dry yellow coating,rapid and forceful

L.I.-11 ↓ DU-14 ↓ SP-10 ↓

3. Qi and Yin Deficiency

Clinical manifestations: Lingering fatigue after the acute phase resolves, dry mouth, poor appetite, night sweats, residual low-grade warmth.

Tongue: T Pulse: o

Treatment principle: red or pale-red body with little coating, dry surface,fine, weak, and slightly rapid

ST-36 ↑ SP-6 ↑ REN-12 ↑

4. Liver Wind agitating Internally due to extreme Heat View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: High fever with violent convulsions, neck rigidity, loss of consciousness, a deep red tongue, possible eye-rolling — a medical emergency.

Tongue: E Pulse: x

Treatment principle: deep red body, dry, possible tremor,wiry, rapid, and forceful

LIV-3 ↓ G.B.-20 ⊥ DU-20 ⊥

5. Collapse of Yang

Clinical manifestations: Ice-cold limbs, profuse cold sweating, a pale or ashen face, an imperceptible pulse, loss of consciousness — a medical emergency.

Tongue: R Pulse: e

Treatment principle: pale, moist, flaccid body, white slippery coating,minute and on the verge of disappearing

DU-20 ↑ REN-6 ↑ REN-4 ↑

Related conditions

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