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Hand Pain

How Chinese medicine differentiates hand pain into the six patterns you'll actually meet in practice, and the points for each. Distinct from this site's Wrist Pain, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Hand Numbness pages. 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 hot, red, swollen hand with fever, sudden severe pain after injury, or pain with colour change and coldness needs prompt medical assessment.
General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for hand pain — 3 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

PointKey action
L.I.-4Expels exterior Wind and releases the Exterior. Promotes the diffusing of Lung-Qi, regulates the Defensive Qi and sweating. Stops pain.
L.I.-11Clears Heat and cools Blood. Removes obstructions and Heat from the channel. Resolves Dampness.
T.B.-5Expels Wind-Heat. Benefits the ears. Clears Heat in the head.
The Six Patterns

↑ reinforcing   ↓ reducing   ⊥ even method.

1. Painful Obstruction with Wind-Cold-Damp

Clinical manifestations: Sharp pain worse in cold, damp weather; heaviness and stiffness; swelling without redness.
Tongue: Pale, slightly swollen, tooth-marked, white greasy coat. Pulse: Wiry and tight, or soggy.
Treatment principle: Dispels Wind, Cold and Dampness, warms the channels and promotes circulation.
L.I.-4 ↓ L.I.-11 ↓ T.B.-5 ↓ DU-14 ⊥
Note: moxa is appropriate. This site's decks have no Bi-syndrome slide, confirmed absent many times — no pattern link is given here.

2. Wind-Damp

Clinical manifestations: Migratory pain shifting between joints; morning heaviness and stiffness; aversion to wind.
Tongue: Normal or pale, white greasy coat, slightly swollen. Pulse: Floating and soggy.
Treatment principle: Expels Wind and Dampness, unblocks the channels and tonifies protective Qi.
L.I.-4 ↓ T.B.-5 ↓ EX-UE-9 (Baxie) ↓
Note: moxa is appropriate. This site's decks have no Bi-syndrome slide, confirmed absent many times — no pattern link is given here.

3. Painful Obstruction due to Damp-Heat in the Channels

Clinical manifestations: Red, swollen, hot joints; burning or throbbing pain worse with warmth and better with cold; irritability and thirst.
Tongue: Red, possibly swollen, yellow greasy coat. Pulse: Slippery and rapid.
Treatment principle: Clears Heat, drains Dampness and unblocks the channels.
L.I.-11 ↓ L.I.-4 ↓ T.B.-3 ↓ SP-9 ↓
Note: no moxa. This site's decks have no Bi-syndrome slide, confirmed absent many times — no pattern link is given here.

4. Painful Obstruction with Qi and Blood Deficiency

Clinical manifestations: Dull, lingering ache; numbness or tingling; worse with exertion, better with rest; fatigue and weakness; pale complexion.
Tongue: Pale, possibly thin and tooth-marked. Pulse: Fine and weak.
Treatment principle: Tonifies Qi, nourishes Blood, strengthens the Spleen and restores channel nourishment.
ST-36 ↑ SP-6 ↑ L.I.-4 ⊥
Note: moxa is appropriate. No combined Qi-and-Blood-deficiency slide exists on this site's decks — no pattern link is given here.

5. Blood Stagnation View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Fixed, stabbing pain that does not move; worse at night and with pressure; dark or purplish nails.
Tongue: Purple or dusky, stasis spots, dark distended sublingual veins. Pulse: Choppy or wiry.
Treatment principle: Invigorates Blood, dispels stasis, moves Qi and relieves pain.
SP-10 ↓ L.I.-4 ↓
Note: no moxa. Linked to this site's own Liver-Blood-stasis slide per the discoloration-marker rule (purplish nails).

6. Phlegm in the Channels

Clinical manifestations: Fixed stabbing pain; firm, hard swelling; numbness or heaviness; subcutaneous nodules near the joints; purplish skin discoloration.
Tongue: Purple with stasis spots, white greasy coat, distended sublingual veins. Pulse: Wiry and choppy, or wiry and slippery.
Treatment principle: Transforms Phlegm-Dampness, dries Dampness, resolves obstruction and breaks up nodules.
ST-40 ↓ L.I.-4 ⊥ SP-6 ⊥
Note: Mixed Deficiency/Excess. This site's decks have no Phlegm-in-the-channels slide, confirmed absent many times — no pattern link is given here.
Related conditions
Wrist Pain Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Hand Numbness

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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.