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Twitching

How Chinese medicine differentiates muscle twitching into the five patterns you'll actually meet in practice, and the points for each. Distinct from this site's Eyelid Twitching, Muscle Spasm and Facial Tic pages. 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. Twitching with progressive weakness, muscle wasting, or twitching after a head injury or new medication needs a neurological assessment.
General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for twitching — 3 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

PointKey action
LIV-3Subdues Liver-Yang. Extinguishes interior Wind. Promotes the smooth flow of Liver-Qi.
G.B.-20Expels exterior Wind. Extinguishes interior Wind. Subdues Liver-Yang.
ST-40Resolves Phlegm and Dampness. Opens the chest and subdues rebellious Qi. Promotes the descending of Lung-Qi and stops cough.
The Five Patterns

↑ reinforcing   ↓ reducing   ⊥ even method.

1. Liver Wind from Liver Yang Rising View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Twitching or tremor of the hands, head or limbs; severe dizziness; throbbing headache; irritability; flushed face; stiff neck.
Tongue: Red, stiff or trembling, thin yellow coat. Pulse: Wiry, fine, possibly rapid.
Treatment principle: Calms the Liver, subdues Yang, extinguishes Wind and nourishes Yin.
LIV-3 ↓ G.B.-20 ↓ DU-20 ↓ G.B.-34 ↓
Note: no moxa.

2. Liver Wind from Liver Fire View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Sudden, forceful twitching; flushed face and red eyes; irritability; bitter taste; splitting headache; constipation with dark urine.
Tongue: Red with redder sides, stiff or trembling, dry yellow coat. Pulse: Wiry, rapid and forceful.
Treatment principle: Cools the Liver, extinguishes Wind and softens the sinews.
LIV-3 ↓ LIV-2 ↓ G.B.-20 ↓
Note: no moxa.

3. Liver Wind from Liver Blood Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Fine, persistent twitching of the hands and feet; numbness and tingling in the limbs; pale complexion; dizziness; blurred vision; brittle nails; scanty periods.
Tongue: Pale, thin, trembling, thin white coat. Pulse: Fine and wiry.
Treatment principle: Nourishes Liver Blood, softens and relaxes the sinews and brightens the eyes.
SP-6 ↑ LIV-3 ⊥ ST-36 ↑ BL-18 ↑ BL-17 ↑
Note: no moxa if there are dryness signs.

4. Wind-Phlegm

Clinical manifestations: Copious white frothy sputum; heavy, distending headache; chest stuffiness, nausea; dizziness.
Tongue: Normal or pale, swollen, tooth-marked, white greasy coat. Pulse: Wiry and slippery.
Treatment principle: Transforms Wind-Phlegm, stops spasm, strengthens the Spleen and resolves Dampness.
ST-40 ↓ G.B.-20 ↓ L.I.-4 ↓ LIV-3 ↓
Note: Mixed Deficiency/Excess. This site's decks have no Wind-Phlegm slide — no pattern link is given here.

5. Yin and Blood Deficiency

Clinical manifestations: Mild, persistent twitching or internal trembling; dry eyes; night sweats; heat in the palms, soles and chest; pale complexion with possible flushed cheeks; insomnia.
Tongue: Pale to pale-red, thin, dry with cracks, scanty or peeled coat. Pulse: Fine and rapid.
Treatment principle: Nourishes Yin and Blood, extinguishes Wind and subdues floating Yang.
SP-6 ↑ KI-3 ↑ SP-10 ↑ ST-36 ↑
Note: no moxa (Yin deficiency with heat signs). No combined Yin-and-Blood-deficiency slide exists — no pattern link is given here.
Related conditions
Eyelid Twitching Muscle Spasm Facial Tic

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Acupuncture-only reference — structure adapted (not text) from how other condition-lookup sites organize this kind of content. Let us know what to add or change.