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Hand Tremor

How Chinese medicine differentiates hand tremor — distinct from Essential Tremor and Muscle Spasm already covered — the five 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 new or rapidly worsening tremor needs medical evaluation before assuming it is a simple pattern.
General Acupuncture Points

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

PointKey action
LR-3Subdues rising Liver-Yang, extinguishes internal Wind.
G.B.-20Dispels Wind and clears the head.
ST-40Master point for Phlegm, transforms and drains Phlegm from the body.
REN-12Harmonizes the Stomach and resolves Phlegm by strengthening the middle burner.
SP-6Tonifies Spleen, Liver and Kidney, generates Blood and calms the sinews.
ST-36Strengthens the Spleen and Stomach to produce Qi and Blood.
SP-10Sea of Blood, nourishes Blood and invigorates its flow to the extremities.
KI-3Yuan-source point, strongly nourishes Kidney-Yin and anchors the root.
BL-23Tonifies Kidney-Yang and nourishes Kidney-Yin.
DU-4Tonifies Kidney-Yang, warms the Gate of Life.
REN-4Nourishes Blood and Yin, strengthens the Kidneys.
The Five Patterns

↑ reinforcing   ↓ reducing   ⊥ even method.

1. Liver Wind from Liver-Yang Rising View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Coarse, forceful hand tremor, dizziness with a sensation of falling, irritability and quick temper, red face and flushed complexion, sensation of upward pressure in the head.
Tongue: Red body, stiff or trembling, possibly deviated, thin yellow or scanty coating. Pulse: Wiry, fine and possibly rapid.
Treatment principle: Subdue Liver-Yang, extinguish internal Wind, stop the tremor by calming the Liver and clearing Heat.
Note: no moxa. This site's own Liver-Fire-generating-Wind slide is the closer match — it explicitly names tremor, irritability and a red face, which plain Liver-Yang rising does not — so it is linked here rather than the milder headache-only pattern.

2. Wind-Phlegm

Clinical manifestations: Head shaking and trembling limbs, copious white frothy sputum, dizziness with a heavy sensation, chest stuffiness or nausea.
Tongue: Swollen body with teeth marks, white greasy coating. Pulse: Wiry and slippery.
Treatment principle: Resolve Phlegm and clear Heat, addressing the root of Phlegm obstruction by drying Dampness and moving stagnant Qi.
Note: no moxa. No deck on this site has a combined Wind-Phlegm category outside the Lungs, a confirmed and recurring absence, so no pattern link is given here.

3. Qi and Blood Deficiency

Clinical manifestations: Fine tremor worse after exertion, pale or sallow complexion, pale lips, heart palpitations and dizziness, persistent fatigue and poor appetite.
Tongue: Pale body, may be thin or slightly puffy with teeth marks, thin white coating. Pulse: Fine and weak, especially weak at right Guan.
Treatment principle: Powerfully tonify both Qi and Blood, nourish the sinews and calm the tremor by strengthening the Spleen to generate Qi and Blood reserves.
Note: moxa applicable throughout. No deck on this site combines Qi and Blood deficiency into one slide, so no pattern link is given here.

4. Empty-Wind Agitating in the Interior

Clinical manifestations: Fine, quivering hand tremor, tremor worsens with fatigue and overwork, night sweats and malar flush, dry mouth throat and eyes, severe fatigue and listlessness.
Tongue: Deep red, dry, cracked, little or no coating, may tremble. Pulse: Fine, rapid and weak, may be wiry at left Guan.
Treatment principle: Deeply nourish Kidney and Liver Yin and rebuild the body's moistening reserves to anchor the restless Empty Wind stirring from Yin depletion.
Note: no moxa given the Empty-Heat. No deck on this site has a Yin-deficiency-generating-Wind slide distinct from the Fire- and Blood-deficiency Wind patterns already covered, so no pattern link is given here.

5. Kidney-Yang Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Fine tremor worse with cold and fatigue, cold hands and feet, back soreness, frequent urination especially at night, general weakness and mild but persistent tremor.
Tongue: Pale, puffy, tender body with teeth marks and wet white coating. Pulse: Deep, slow and weak, especially at the rear position.
Treatment principle: Warm and tonify Kidney-Yang to dispel Cold and stop the tremor, restoring the body's foundational warming fire to the sinews and extremities.
Note: moxibustion strongly indicated throughout. Direct match with this site's own Kidney-Yang-deficiency slide.
Related conditions

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