Poor Concentration

How Chinese medicine differentiates poor concentration in adults — distinct from Poor Memory's forgetfulness and pediatric ADHD already covered — the three 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. Sudden-onset difficulty concentrating, especially with other neurological symptoms, needs medical evaluation before assuming it is a simple pattern.

General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for poor concentration — 7 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

Point	Key action
HE-7	Calms the Heart and anchors the Mind.
P-6	Nourishes Heart Blood and opens the chest.
ST-36	Tonifies Spleen and Stomach Qi.
SP-6	Strengthens the Spleen and nourishes Blood.
DU-20	Clears the brain and lifts the spirit.
KI-3	Tonifies Kidney Yin and Essence, strengthens the brain's foundation.
LR-3	Subdues rising Liver Yang and calms restlessness.
ST-40	Transforms Phlegm, clears Phlegm-Heat obstruction.

The Three Patterns

↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.

1. Heart and Spleen Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Mental fog and forgetfulness, fatigue and physical exhaustion, poor appetite with bloating, pale or sallow complexion, insomnia with vivid dreams, palpitations.

Tongue: Pale, tender body with teeth marks, thin white coating. Pulse: Fine, weak, possibly choppy, weak at left Cun and right Guan.

Treatment principle: Tonify Spleen Qi and nourish Heart Blood to anchor the Mind.

HE-7 ↑ P-6 ↑ ST-36 ↑ SP-6 ↑ DU-20 ⊥

Note: moxa applicable on tonifying points. This site's Spleen- and Heart-Blood deficiency slide is the closest match.

2. Kidney and Liver Yin Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Restless, irritable mind that cannot settle, dry eyes and blurred vision, night sweats and hot palms/soles, dizziness and tinnitus, lower back soreness, insomnia with vivid dreams.

Tongue: Red, thin body with cracks, little or no coating, dry surface. Pulse: Fine, rapid, possibly wiry, weak at left Chi and Guan.

Treatment principle: Nourish Liver and Kidney Yin, clear deficiency heat.

KI-3 ↑ LR-3 ↓ DU-20 ⊥ HE-7 ↑

Note: no moxa. Direct match, reusing the well-established Kidney-and-Liver-Yin-deficiency slide.

3. Phlegm-Fire Harassing the Heart View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Mental restlessness and agitation, thick yellow sticky phlegm in throat, chest oppression and fullness, flushed face and bitter taste, insomnia with disturbing dreams.

Tongue: Red body, swollen with a red prickly tip, thick yellow greasy coating. Pulse: Slippery and rapid, forceful at left Cun.

Treatment principle: Clear Heat and transform Phlegm to remove the obstruction clouding the mind.

ST-40 ↓ HE-7 ↓ DU-20 ⊥ P-6 ↓

Note: no moxa. Direct name match with this site's own Phlegm-Fire-harassing-the-Heart slide.

Related conditions

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