Trauma (Acute Physical Injury)

How Chinese medicine differentiates general acute physical trauma — bruising, contusion, or sprain — distinct from the specific Bruising and Tendon Injury pages 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 significant injury (suspected fracture, deep wound, head trauma, or any injury with severe pain, deformity, or loss of function) needs prompt medical evaluation before assuming a simple pattern.

General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for trauma — 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.
LR-3	Subdues Liver-Yang. Promotes the smooth flow of Liver-Qi. Invigorates Blood.
L.I.-4	Removes obstructions from the channel. Stops pain.
L.I.-11	Clears Heat and cools Blood. Removes obstructions and Heat from the channel.
ST-36	Benefits Stomach and Spleen. Tonifies Qi and Blood.
SP-6	Strengthens the Spleen. Nourishes Blood and Yin.
REN-6	Tonifies Qi and Yang. Tonifies Original Qi.
G.B.-34	Promotes the smooth flow of Liver-Qi. Benefits the sinews.
T.B.-5	Expels Wind-Heat. Removes obstructions from the channel.

The Four Patterns

↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.

1. Qi and Blood Stagnation View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Fixed, stabbing pain that worsens with pressure, dark purple bruising and swelling, a distending or tight sensation around the injury.

Tongue: Dark purple body with stasis spots, thin white coat. Pulse: Wiry and choppy.

Treatment principle: Invigorate Blood, dispel stasis, course the Liver, unblock the collaterals, promote Qi movement.

SP-10 ↓ LR-3 ↓ L.I.-4 ↓

Note: no moxa. Direct match with this site's own Liver-Blood-stasis slide via the well-established dark/purple stasis-spot-tongue marker.

2. Toxic-Heat Stagnation

Clinical manifestations: Local redness, swelling, burning pain, pus formation, high fever, intense thirst for cold drinks.

Tongue: Deep red body with prickly papillae, thick dry yellow coating. Pulse: Rapid, forceful, overflowing.

Treatment principle: Clear Heat, resolve toxicity, disperse Wind-Heat, reduce swelling.

L.I.-11 ↓ L.I.-4 ↓ SP-10 ↓

Note: no moxa. This is the by-now very well-established standalone-Toxic-Heat absence — no such slide exists anywhere on this site — so no pattern link is given here; points still link fine individually.

3. Qi and Blood Deficiency

Clinical manifestations: Persistent fatigue, slow wound healing, pale complexion, dizziness, poor appetite, numbness or tingling.

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

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

ST-36 ↑ SP-6 ↑ REN-6 ↑

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 With Wind-Cold-Damp

Clinical manifestations: Aching pain worsening in cold or damp weather, heaviness or numbness, stiffness with limited range of motion, swelling without redness.

Tongue: Pale, slightly swollen with teeth marks, white greasy coating. Pulse: Wiry and tight, or soggy.

Treatment principle: Dispel Wind-Dampness, tonify Qi, invigorate Blood, unblock the channels.

ST-36 ↑ G.B.-34 ↓ T.B.-5 ↓ L.I.-4 ↓

Note: moxa applicable on ST-36. 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.

Related conditions

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