Logout 📊 Admin
🏠 Home

Postpartum Depression

How Chinese medicine differentiates postpartum depression, the five 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. Postpartum depression needs medical and psychological support; acupuncture is a complementary, not a replacement, approach. Seek immediate help if there are thoughts of self-harm or harming the baby.
General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for postpartum depression — 11 key points, used across most of the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

PointKey action
LR-3Subdues Liver-Yang, promotes the smooth flow of Liver-Qi, invigorates Blood.
L.I.-4Expels exterior Wind, stops pain, removes obstructions from the channel.
SP-6Strengthens the Spleen, resolves Dampness, nourishes Blood and Yin.
HE-7Calms the Mind and opens the Mind's orifices. Nourishes Heart-Blood.
BL-15Calms the Mind, nourishes the Heart, regulates Heart-Qi and invigorates Blood.
ST-36Benefits Stomach and Spleen, tonifies Qi and Blood.
Du-20Raises Yang. Lifts the Mind. Benefits the Brain.
ST-40Resolves Phlegm and Dampness throughout the body.
P-6Opens the chest, moves Qi and Blood, calms the Mind.
Ren-22Resolves Phlegm. Benefits the throat and voice.
SP-10Cools Blood, invigorates Blood and eliminates stasis.
The Five Patterns

reinforcing   reducing   even method — technique below follows standard Excess/Deficiency treatment principle for each pattern, not tied to a specific point-by-point source.

1. Liver-Qi Stagnation View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Frequent sighing; distension along the chest and rib-side; irritability; mood swings; breast tenderness; poor appetite; emotional constraint; brought on by the emotional and hormonal upheaval of the postpartum period, stress, or suppressed feelings; eased by emotional release, gentle movement, or a calmer routine.
Tongue: Normal or slightly dark, red or slightly purple sides, thin white coating. Pulse: Wiry, like a taut guitar string.
Treatment principle: Course the Liver and resolve constraint, nourish Blood, strengthen the Spleen and harmonize digestion.
Soothe Liver
Support
Note: no moxa.

2. Heart-Blood Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Palpitations, a racing heart; insomnia with vivid dreams; poor memory; a pale complexion; being easily startled; anxiety; dizziness; brought on by blood loss during delivery, chronic overwork, or a long illness consuming Heart-Blood; eased by rest, sleep, and nourishing food.
Tongue: Pale, may be slightly thin, thin white coating. Pulse: Fine, Weak, especially at the left front (Heart) position.
Treatment principle: Nourish Heart-Blood, calm the Shen (spirit), strengthen the Spleen to generate Blood.
Note: moxa applicable.

3. Heart and Spleen Qi and Blood Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Poor appetite with bloating; loose stools; mental fatigue and overthinking; a pale complexion; palpitations with insomnia; forgetfulness; poor concentration; sadness; brought on by blood loss during delivery, sleep deprivation, or the physical demands of early motherhood depleting Heart and Spleen; eased by rest, nourishing food, and support from others.
Tongue: Pale, puffy, tooth-marked, thin white coating. Pulse: Fine, Weak, empty at the left Cun, soft at the right Guan.
Treatment principle: Tonify Qi, nourish Blood, strengthen the Spleen, calm the Heart and settle the Shen.
Note: moxa applicable.

4. Qi-Phlegm

Clinical manifestations: A sensation of a lump in the throat; oppression in the chest and upper abdomen; mental fog; difficulty concentrating; overthinking; irritability with sighing; symptoms that worsen with emotional stress; brought on by suppressed emotion or chronic stress congealing Qi and fluids into Phlegm; eased by emotional release and gentle movement.
Tongue: Normal pink-red, slightly swollen, white greasy or slippery coating, thicker at the root and centre. Pulse: Wiry, Slippery, Wiry at the left Guan, Slippery throughout.
Treatment principle: Move Qi and dissipate nodules, descend Qi, resolve Phlegm, smooth Liver-Qi, support Spleen function.
Note: no moxa. No deck slide on this site has a standalone Qi-Phlegm/plum-pit-throat pattern, so no pattern link is given here.

5. Blood Stagnation View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Fixed, stabbing lower abdominal pain; dark, clotted lochia with poor flow; a dark or purplish complexion or lips; pain that worsens at night; emotional numbness or flatness; brought on by retained lochia, a difficult delivery, or long-standing untreated stagnation; eased by gentle movement and warmth.
Tongue: Dark purple with possible stasis spots, distended dark sublingual veins, thin white coating. Pulse: Choppy or Wiry.
Treatment principle: Invigorate Blood and dispel stasis, move Qi and alleviate pain, open the chest and disperse stagnation.
Note: no moxa.
Related conditions

Spot an error, or have more to add? Send it to admin on WhatsApp and it'll be corrected/added here.