Hepatitis

How Chinese medicine differentiates hepatitis — distinct from Jaundice, Cirrhosis and Fatty Liver Disease already covered — the six patterns you'll actually meet in practice, and the points for each. Acupuncture only — no herbs, used as supportive care alongside ongoing medical management, never as a substitute for it.

This page is educational, for practitioners and students — it is not a diagnostic tool and does not replace a proper in-person assessment. Hepatitis needs proper medical diagnosis and monitoring (viral, autoimmune, and drug-induced causes are managed very differently); acupuncture here is supportive only, alongside that care.

General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for hepatitis — 15 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

Point	Key action
LR-3	Subdues Liver-Yang. Clears Interior Wind.
G.B.-34	Resolves Liver-Qi stagnation. Resolves Damp-Heat.
SP-9	Regulates the Spleen. Resolves Dampness.
BL-19	Resolves Damp-Heat in Liver and Gall Bladder. Subdues rebellious Qi.
LR-14	Invigorates Liver-Qi, harmonizes Liver and Stomach.
P-6	Invigorates Qi and Blood in the chest. Calms the Mind.
ST-36	Tonifies Qi and Blood. Tonifies the Stomach and Spleen.
BL-20	Tonifies Spleen Qi and Yang. Resolves Dampness.
REN-6	Tonifies Original Qi, lifts sinking Qi.
REN-12	Tonifies the Stomach and Spleen. Regulates Qi and removes pain.
BL-17	Invigorates Blood. Cools Blood-Heat.
SP-10	Cools Blood, invigorates Blood and removes stagnation.
KI-3	Tonifies Kidney-Yin and Yang. Strengthens the Kidney's receiving of Lung-Qi.
SP-6	Tonifies Spleen and Stomach. Resolves Dampness, benefits urination.
BL-18	Resolves Damp-Heat. Invigorates Liver-Qi and Blood.

The Six Patterns

↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.

1. Damp-Heat in the Liver View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Right-sided rib pain and distension, bitter taste in the mouth, jaundice (yellow skin/eyes), dark yellow urine, aversion to greasy foods, body heaviness.

Tongue: Red body with redder sides, yellow greasy coating. Pulse: Wiry, slippery, and rapid.

Treatment principle: Clear Heat, drain Dampness, resolve jaundice.

LR-3 ↓ G.B.-34 ↓ SP-9 ↓ BL-19 ↓

Note: no moxa. Direct exact-name match with this site's own Damp-Heat-in-the-Liver slide.

2. Liver-Qi Stagnation View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Distending rib-side pain fluctuating with emotions, frequent sighing, irritability or depression, chest tightness, belching, poor appetite.

Tongue: Normal or slightly red body, red or slightly purple sides, thin white coat. Pulse: Wiry, like a taut guitar string.

Treatment principle: Course the Liver and resolve constraint, move Qi and alleviate pain.

LR-3 ↓ LR-14 ⊥ P-6 ⊥

Note: no moxa. Direct exact-name match with this site's own Liver-Qi-stagnation slide.

3. Spleen-Qi Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Fatigue and lack of energy, poor appetite or reduced food intake, abdominal bloating worse after eating, loose or soft stools, dull pale complexion.

Tongue: Pale, puffy body with tooth marks and a thin white coating. Pulse: Weak, especially at the right middle position.

Treatment principle: Tonify Qi, strengthen the Spleen, harmonize the Stomach.

ST-36 ↑ BL-20 ↑ REN-6 ↑

Note: moxa applicable throughout. Direct exact-name match with this site's own Spleen-Qi-deficiency slide.

4. Cold-Damp Invading the Spleen View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Dull heavy hypochondriac pain, sallow smoky-yellow jaundice, heavy chilled sensation in body/limbs, loose watery stools, bland taste and sticky mouth.

Tongue: Pale, swollen body with tooth marks and a thick white greasy coating, excessively moist. Pulse: Soggy or slippery and slow.

Treatment principle: Warm Spleen and Kidney Yang to dispel Cold, drain Dampness.

REN-12 ⊥ SP-9 ↓ ST-36 ↑

Note: moxa applicable to warm the middle burner. Direct match with this site's own Cold-Dampness-invading-the-Spleen slide.

5. Liver-Blood Stagnation View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Fixed stabbing rib-side pain worsening with pressure and at night, dark/purplish complexion/lips/nails, palpable lumps or fullness under the ribs, dark menstrual blood with clots (women).

Tongue: Dark purple body with stasis spots along the sides, distended sublingual veins, thin white coat. Pulse: Wiry and choppy.

Treatment principle: Invigorate Blood and dispel stasis, move Qi and alleviate pain.

LR-3 ↓ LR-14 ↓ BL-17 ↓ SP-10 ↓

Note: no moxa. Direct match with this site's own Liver-Blood-stasis slide via the well-established stasis-spot-tongue marker.

6. Kidney and Liver Yin Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Dull aching rib pain improved with rest, dry eyes with blurred/cloudy vision, night sweats and heat in palms/soles/chest, soreness and weakness of the lower back and knees, dizziness and ringing ears.

Tongue: Red, thin body with cracks, dry surface, little or no coating. Pulse: Fine, rapid, and often wiry.

Treatment principle: Nourish Liver and Kidney Yin, soothe the Liver and regulate Qi.

KI-3 ↑ SP-6 ↑ BL-18 ⊥

Note: no moxa given the Yin deficiency. Direct exact-name match with this site's own Kidney-and-Liver-Yin-deficiency slide.

Related conditions

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