Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar)

How Chinese medicine differentiates non-diabetic hypoglycemia, the six 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. Recurrent low blood sugar needs medical evaluation to rule out an underlying cause (medication, endocrine, or otherwise) before assuming it is purely a Spleen/Qi pattern issue. Loss of consciousness or confusion needs urgent care.

General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for hypoglycemia — 14 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

Point	Key action
ST-36	Benefits Stomach and Spleen, tonifies Qi and Blood.
BL-20	Tonifies Spleen and Stomach, resolves Dampness.
BL-21	Subdues rebellious Stomach-Qi, tonifies the Stomach.
SP-6	Strengthens the Spleen, nourishes Blood and Yin.
P-6	Opens the chest, moves Qi and Blood, calms the Mind.
Ren-12	Tonifies Stomach and Spleen, regulates Stomach-Qi.
Ren-4	Nourishes Blood and Yin. Strengthens the Kidneys and Original Qi.
KI-3	Tonifies the Kidneys (Yin and Yang), benefits Essence.
HE-7	Calms the Mind and opens the Mind's orifices, nourishes Heart-Blood.
KI-6	Nourishes Kidney-Yin, clears deficiency Heat.
KI-7	Tonifies the Kidneys, strengthens the lower back.
HT-6	Invigorates Heart-Blood, nourishes Heart-Yin and clears Empty-Heat, stops sweating.
LR-3	Subdues Liver-Yang, promotes the smooth flow of Liver-Qi, invigorates Blood.
BL-18	Nourishes and invigorates Liver-Blood.
Du-20	Raises Yang, benefits the Brain, restores consciousness.
ST-40	Resolves Phlegm and Dampness, subdues rebellious Qi.

The Six Patterns

↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.

1. Spleen and Stomach Qi Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Poor appetite, bloating after meals, loose or soft stools; shakiness and weakness when hungry; a pale sallow face; fatigue improving with rest.

Tongue: Pale, puffy body with tooth marks, thin white coating. Pulse: Weak, soft, empty at the right Guan position.

Treatment principle: Tonify the Middle and augment Qi, raise sunken Yang.

ST-36 ↑ BL-20 ↑ BL-21 ↑ SP-6 ↑ P-6 ⊥ Ren-12 ↑

Note: moxa applicable on the Tonify points. Direct match with Stomach- and Spleen-Qi deficiency.

2. Qi and Yin Deficiency

Clinical manifestations: Persistent fatigue; a dry mouth with little desire to drink; spontaneous daytime sweating; night sweats; heart palpitations; a warm sensation in the palms, soles, and chest.

Tongue: Red or pale-red body with thin/absent coating, dry surface with possible cracks. Pulse: Fine and weak, often rapid.

Treatment principle: Tonify Qi, generate fluids, nourish Yin.

ST-36 ↑ SP-6 ↑ Ren-4 ↑ KI-3 ↑

Note: moxa applicable on ST-36/Ren-4 only (Yin deficiency present). No deck on this site combines Qi and Yin deficiency into one slide, so no pattern link is given here.

3. Heart and Spleen Deficiency

Clinical manifestations: Palpitations or a racing heart when hungry; anxiety or easy startlement; poor memory and foggy thinking; poor appetite with bloating; loose or unformed stools; fatigue worse after skipping meals.

Tongue: Pale, tender, puffy with teeth marks, thin white coating. Pulse: Fine and weak, especially at the left Cun and right Guan positions.

Treatment principle: Tonify Qi, nourish Blood, strengthen the Spleen.

ST-36 ↑ SP-6 ↑ HE-7 ↑ BL-20 ↑

Note: moxa applicable. Matches Spleen- and Heart-Blood deficiency — palpitations, poor memory and a pale complexion are shared.

4. Empty-Heat caused by Yin Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Night sweats and afternoon heat; a dry mouth and throat with desire for small sips; heat in the palms, soles, and chest; irritability and difficulty sleeping; flushed cheekbones.

Tongue: Red, thin, dry with cracks and little/no coating. Pulse: Thready (fine) and rapid.

Treatment principle: Nourish Yin, clear deficiency Heat.

KI-3 ↑ SP-6 ↑ KI-6 ↑ KI-7 ↑ HT-6 ↑

Note: no moxa. Direct match with Kidney-Yin deficiency, Empty-Heat blazing.

5. Liver Wind Agitating Internally due to Liver Blood Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Fine trembling of the hands and feet; numbness or tingling in the limbs; dizziness and blurred vision; a pale or sallow complexion, worsening when hungry or after skipping meals.

Tongue: Pale, thin tongue that may tremble when extended, thin white coating. Pulse: Fine and wiry, especially at the left Guan position.

Treatment principle: Nourish Blood to extinguish internal Wind.

LR-3 ↑ ST-36 ↑ SP-6 ↑ BL-18 ↑

Note: moxa applicable. Direct match with Liver-Blood deficiency generating Wind — fine tremor, numbness/tingling of the limbs, dizziness and blurred vision are shared.

6. Turbid Phlegm Blocks the Orifices

Clinical manifestations: Clouded or confused consciousness; a rattling phlegm sound in the throat; slurred or impaired speech; heavy-headedness or a feeling the head is wrapped.

Tongue: Pale, swollen body with teeth marks, thick white greasy-slippery coating. Pulse: Slippery and wiry, especially slippery at the right Guan position.

Treatment principle: Open the orifices and revive consciousness, dispel Cold and eliminate turbidity.

Du-20 ↓ ST-40 ↓ P-6 ↓

Note: no moxa. No deck on this site has a Phlegm-blocking-the-orifices/Mind category framed around blood-sugar crashes, so no pattern link is given here.

Related conditions

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