Tendon Injury

How Chinese medicine differentiates general tendon and ligament injury — broader than Achilles Tendinitis and Wrist Tenosynovitis already covered — 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. A suspected tendon tear or rupture (sudden severe pain, loss of function, a palpable gap) needs prompt medical evaluation before assuming a simple strain.

General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for tendon injury — 10 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.
G.B.-34	Promotes the smooth flow of Liver-Qi. Benefits the sinews. Removes obstruction from the channel.
G.B.-20	Expels exterior Wind. Extinguishes interior Wind. Clears Heat.
DU-14	Clears Heat. Releases the Exterior and expels exterior Wind. Regulates Nutritive and Defensive Qi.
T.B.-5	Expels Wind-Heat. Clears Heat in the head. Removes obstructions from the channel.
ST-36	Benefits Stomach and Spleen. Tonifies Qi and Blood.
SP-6	Strengthens the Spleen. Nourishes Blood and Yin.
KI-3	Tonifies the Kidneys (both Yin and Yang). Benefits Essence.
BL-23	Tonifies the Kidneys and nourishes Kidney-Essence.
BL-18	Nourishes Liver-Blood. Brightens the eyes. Benefits the sinews.

The Four Patterns

↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.

1. Qi and Blood Stagnation View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Fixed, stabbing pain at the injury site, visible bruising, local swelling with distension, pain worsens with pressure.

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

Treatment principle: Invigorate Blood and dispel stasis while coursing the Liver and unblocking the collaterals.

SP-10 ↑ G.B.-34 ↑

Note: Direct match with this site's own Liver-Blood-stasis slide via the well-established dark/purple stasis-spot-tongue marker.

2. Wind-Cold-Damp

Clinical manifestations: Pain worsens in cold or damp weather, heaviness and aching, stiffness improves with warmth, swelling without redness, numbness or tingling.

Tongue: Pale or slightly swollen with white greasy coating. Pulse: Moderate or soggy, tight when Cold predominates.

Treatment principle: Dispel Wind-Dampness, relieve painful obstruction, supplement Liver and Kidneys.

G.B.-20 ↓ DU-14 ↓ T.B.-5 ↓ G.B.-34 ↑

Note: no moxa except where Cold predominates. This is the generic Wind-Cold-Damp Bi-syndrome picture, already confirmed absent as a standalone slide on this site — no pattern link is given here; points still link fine individually.

3. Qi and Blood Deficiency

Clinical manifestations: Dull lingering ache rather than sharp pain, general fatigue worsening after activity, pale complexion/lips/nails, muscle weakness around the injury, slow healing.

Tongue: Pale body with thin coating and possible teeth marks. Pulse: Fine and weak.

Treatment principle: Tonify Qi and nourish Blood to strengthen the Spleen's capacity to generate healing substances.

ST-36 ↑ SP-6 ↑ SP-10 ↑ G.B.-34 ↑

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. Kidney and Liver Yin Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Dull persistent soreness in the tendons, weakness in the lower back and knees, dry eyes and blurred vision, night sweats with heat in the extremities, dizziness or tinnitus, gradual onset from overuse or aging.

Tongue: Red body with cracks, thin, little or no coating, dry. Pulse: Fine and rapid, often wiry.

Treatment principle: Nourish Kidney and Liver Yin to restore tendon lubrication and provide foundational support.

KI-3 ↑ BL-23 ↑ BL-18 ↑ G.B.-34 ↑

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

Related conditions

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