Lichen Planus

How Chinese medicine differentiates lichen planus, the four 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. Oral erosions, nail changes, or lesions that don't resolve should be assessed medically alongside any acupuncture care.

General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for lichen planus — 11 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

Point	Key action
SP-10	Cools Blood, invigorates Blood and eliminates stasis.
BL-17	Invigorates and cools Blood, nourishes Blood, tonifies Qi and Blood.
SP-6	Strengthens the Spleen, resolves Dampness, nourishes Blood and Yin.
ST-36	Benefits Stomach and Spleen, tonifies Qi and Blood.
L.I.-11	Clears Heat and cools Blood, resolves Dampness.
Du-14	Clears Heat, regulates Nutritive and Defensive Qi.
KI-3	Tonifies the Kidneys (Yin and Yang), benefits Essence.
Ren-6	Tonifies Qi and Yang, raises sinking Qi.
BL-20	Tonifies Spleen and Stomach, resolves Dampness, nourishes Blood.
LR-3	Subdues Liver-Yang, promotes the smooth flow of Liver-Qi, invigorates Blood.
ST-40	Resolves Phlegm and Dampness, subdues rebellious Qi.
SP-9	Regulates the Spleen, resolves Dampness.

The Four Patterns

↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.

1. Heat in the Blood

Clinical manifestations: Bright red or purplish papules; burning or itching sensation; sudden onset and rapid spread; thirst with desire for cold drinks; feeling of heat, worse at night; restlessness and irritability; flushed cheekbones.

Tongue: Red body with red spots or prickles, thin yellow dry coating. Pulse: Rapid, often wiry or slippery, forceful.

Treatment principle: Cool the Blood and purge Fire to calm the skin eruption.

Clear Heat, cool Blood

SP-10 ↓ BL-17 ↓ SP-6 ↓ L.I.-11 ↓ Du-14 ↓

Harmonize

ST-36 ⊥

Note: no moxa. No deck on this site has a standalone \"Heat in the Blood\" category, so no pattern link is given here.

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

Clinical manifestations: Recurrent purplish-red patches; night sweats; dry mouth and throat, worse at night; heat in the palms, soles and chest; low-grade afternoon fever; flushed cheekbones; constant fatigue.

Tongue: Red, thin, dry, with cracks and little or no coating. Pulse: Fine (thready) and rapid.

Treatment principle: Nourish Yin and subdue Empty-Fire to cool the Blood.

Nourish Yin

KI-3 ↑ SP-6 ↑

Cool Blood

SP-10 ↓ L.I.-11 ↓

Note: no moxa. Direct match with Kidney-Yin deficiency, Empty-Heat blazing — malar flush, night sweats and five-palm heat are shared.

3. Qi not controlling Blood View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Pale or dull-purple spots that come and go; constant fatigue and lack of energy; poor appetite and loose stools; shortness of breath and reluctance to speak.

Tongue: Pale, puffy body with teeth marks, thin white coating. Pulse: Fine (thin), weak, especially at the right Guan position.

Treatment principle: Tonify Spleen-Qi and nourish Blood to strengthen the body's capacity to hold Blood within the vessels.

ST-36 ↑ SP-6 ↑ Ren-6 ↑ BL-20 ↑

Note: moxa applicable. Direct match with Spleen not controlling Blood — \"blood spots under the skin\" is a named symptom there.

4. Damp-Heat in the Liver Channel View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Painful, burning oral erosions; bitter taste in the mouth; thick yellow greasy tongue coating; genital itching or lesions; irritability and heaviness; dark, scanty urine; a feeling of fullness in the ribs.

Tongue: Red body with redder sides, thick yellow greasy coating, denser at centre and root. Pulse: Wiry, slippery, rapid.

Treatment principle: Clear Heat and drain Dampness from the Liver and Gallbladder while cooling the Blood.

LR-3 ↓ ST-40 ↓ SP-9 ↓

Note: no moxa. Direct match with Damp-Heat in the Liver — the deck slide explicitly names \"genital papular or vesicular skin rashes and itching\" among its listed symptoms.

Related conditions

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