Sinew Pain

How Chinese medicine differentiates general sinew (tendon and ligament) pain — broader than Tendon Injury already covered, which is specifically about acute injury — 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. Sinew pain with joint deformity, marked swelling, or that doesn't improve needs medical evaluation before assuming a simple pattern.

General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for sinew pain — 9 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

Point	Key action
G.B.-34	Promotes the smooth flow of Liver-Qi. Benefits the sinews.
SP-10	Cools Blood. Invigorates Blood and eliminates stasis.
L.I.-4	Removes obstructions from the channel. Moves Qi and Blood.
LR-3	Subdues Liver-Yang. Promotes the smooth flow of Liver-Qi.
G.B.-20	Expels exterior Wind. Extinguishes interior Wind. Clears Heat.
ST-36	Benefits Stomach and Spleen. Tonifies Qi and Blood.
SP-6	Strengthens the Spleen. Nourishes Blood and Yin.
BL-20	Tonifies Spleen and Stomach. Resolves Dampness.
L.I.-11	Clears Heat and cools Blood.

The Four Patterns

↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.

1. Qi and Blood Stagnation View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Fixed, stabbing pain in a specific tendon or ligament, worsens at night and with pressure, tightness around the area, irritability.

Tongue: Dark purple body with stasis spots. Pulse: Wiry and choppy.

Treatment principle: Invigorate Blood, dispel stasis, unblock the channels, move Qi.

G.B.-34 ↑ SP-10 ↓ L.I.-4 ↓ LR-3 ↓

Note: moxa applicable on G.B.-34 only. Direct match with this site's own Liver-Blood-stasis slide via the well-established dark/purple stasis-spot-tongue marker.

2. Wind-Damp

Clinical manifestations: Pain moves joint-to-joint, heaviness/soreness in the limbs, worsens with damp/windy weather, morning stiffness easing with movement, wind aversion.

Tongue: Normal/pale body, white greasy coating. Pulse: Floating and soggy.

Treatment principle: Dispel Wind, dry Dampness, unblock the channels.

G.B.-20 ↓ ST-36 ↑

Note: moxa applicable on ST-36. This generic Wind-Damp Bi-syndrome picture has no matching slide anywhere on this site, related to the well-established Wind-Cold-Damp absence — no pattern link is given here; points still link fine individually.

3. Qi and Blood Deficiency

Clinical manifestations: Dull lingering ache improving with rest, fatigue/weakness, pale complexion, numbness/tingling, cold extremities, worsens with exertion.

Tongue: Pale body, thin coating, may show teeth marks. Pulse: Fine and weak.

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

ST-36 ↑ SP-6 ↑ BL-20 ↑

Note: moxa applicable throughout. This site's decks have no combined Qi-and-Blood-deficiency slide (confirmed absent many times before), so no pattern link is given — points still link fine individually.

4. Painful Obstruction Due to Damp Heat in Channels

Clinical manifestations: Red, hot, swollen joints, pain relieved by cold, heavy aching, thirst, irritability/restlessness.

Tongue: Red body, possibly swollen, yellow greasy coating. Pulse: Slippery and rapid.

Treatment principle: Clear Heat, dry Dampness, resolve obstruction.

L.I.-11 ↓ G.B.-34 ↓ ST-36 ↑

Note: moxa applicable on ST-36 only. This is the generic Damp-Heat-in-channels Bi-syndrome picture, already confirmed absent as a standalone slide on this site many times over — no pattern link is given here; points still link fine individually.

Related conditions

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

+91 99083 14510