Ligament Injury

How Chinese medicine differentiates ligament injuries — disruptions of Qi and Blood flow through the sinews — into the four patterns you'll actually meet in practice, and the points for each. Distinct from this site's own Tendon Injury page. 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 joint that is unstable, deformed, or that you cannot bear weight on needs prompt medical evaluation (a complete ligament tear may need imaging or surgery) before assuming a simple pattern.

General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for ligament injury — 9 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.
SP-6	Strengthens the Spleen. Nourishes Blood and Yin.
G.B.-34	Promotes the smooth flow of Liver-Qi. Resolves Damp-Heat. Benefits the sinews.
ST-36	Tonifies Qi and Blood. Tonifies the Stomach and Spleen.
REN-6	Tonifies Qi and Yang. Raises sinking Qi.
BL-20	Tonifies Spleen and Stomach. Resolves Dampness. Lifts Spleen-Qi.
BL-12	Expels external Wind. Regulates Nutritive and Defensive Qi. Strengthens the back.
BL-23	Tonifies the Kidneys and nourishes Kidney-Essence. Strengthens the lower back.
BL-40	Clears Heat and cools Blood. Removes obstructions from the channel.
KI-3	Tonifies the Kidneys (both Yin and Yang). Strengthens the lower back and knees.

The Four Patterns

↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.

1. Blood Stagnation View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Fixed, stabbing pain unresponsive to position changes, nighttime pain worsening, pain intensified by direct pressure, dark purple bruising at the injury site, firm localized swelling.

Tongue: Dark purple body with stasis spots, distended dark sublingual veins, thin white coat. Pulse: Choppy, or wiry if Qi stagnation is also present.

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

SP-10 ↓ SP-6 ↓ G.B.-34 ↓

Note: no moxa. Direct match with this site's own Liver-Blood-stasis slide.

2. Qi and Blood Deficiency

Clinical manifestations: Dull, lingering pain persisting after injury, general weakness and easy fatigue, slow healing trajectory, pale complexion with dizziness, numbness or tingling in the limbs.

Tongue: Pale body, possibly thin with teeth marks, thin white coating. Pulse: Fine and weak, lacking force.

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

ST-36 ↑ SP-6 ⊥ REN-6 ↑ BL-20 ↑

Note: moxa applicable throughout. This site has no combined Qi-and-Blood-deficiency slide, a gap confirmed absent many times over — no pattern link is given here; points still link fine individually.

3. Wind-Cold-Damp

Clinical manifestations: Pain worsens markedly in cold-damp or windy weather, heaviness and aching sensation in the injury, stiffness especially in the mornings or after rest, swelling without redness or heat, cold aversion and wind sensitivity.

Tongue: Pale or slightly swollen body with white greasy coating and moist surface. Pulse: Moderate or slow, often tight, may be soggy if Dampness predominates.

Treatment principle: Disperse Wind, drain Dampness, alleviate pain.

BL-12 ↓ BL-23 ↑ G.B.-34 ⊥ BL-40 ↓

Note: moxa applicable on BL-23. This site has no organ-nonspecific Wind-Cold-Damp Bi-syndrome slide, a gap confirmed absent many times over — no pattern link is given here; points still link fine individually.

4. Kidney and Liver Yin Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Dull aching pain worsening with overuse, improving with rest, soreness and weakness of the lower back and knees, night sweats with heat in the palms/soles/chest, dry eyes with blurred vision, dizziness and tinnitus.

Tongue: Red, thin body with cracks, little to no coating, dry surface. Pulse: Fine, rapid, wiry, weak at the left Chi position.

Treatment principle: Nourish Kidney Yin, benefit Essence and fill the Marrow.

KI-3 ↑ SP-6 ⊥ G.B.-34 ⊥ BL-23 ↑

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

Related conditions

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