Urinary Retention

How Chinese medicine differentiates urinary retention — distinct from Weak Urine Stream already covered, which is dribbling rather than blockage — the six 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. Acute or complete urinary retention (inability to pass any urine, with a painfully full bladder) is a medical emergency needing prompt catheterization — see a doctor immediately rather than attempting acupuncture first; the patterns below are for chronic or partial retention under ongoing medical supervision.

General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for urinary retention — 15 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

Point	Key action
BL-28	Regulates the Bladder. Resolves Dampness in the Lower Burner. Opens the Water passages.
REN-3	Resolves Dampness from the Lower Burner. Promotes the Bladder function of Qi transformation.
SP-6	Strengthens the Spleen. Resolves Dampness. Benefits urination.
SP-9	Regulates the Spleen. Resolves Dampness. Opens the Water passages. Benefits urination.
LR-3	Subdues Liver-Yang. Promotes the smooth flow of Liver-Qi.
BL-18	Resolves Damp-Heat. Moves Liver-Qi and eliminates stagnation.
BL-23	Tonifies the Kidneys and nourishes Kidney-Essence. Resolves Dampness and benefits urination.
DU-4	Tonifies Kidney-Yang and warms the Gate of Life (Ming Men). Expels Cold.
REN-4	Strengthens the Kidneys. Benefits Original Qi. Benefits the Bladder.
SP-10	Cools Blood. Invigorates Blood and eliminates stasis.
BL-13	Stimulates the diffusing and descending of Lung-Qi. Clears Heat.
LU-5	Clears Lung-Heat. Regulates the Water passages and benefits the Bladder.
ST-36	Benefits Stomach and Spleen. Tonifies Qi and Blood. Raises Yang.
REN-6	Tonifies Qi and Yang. Raises sinking Qi. Regulates Qi in the Lower Burner.
BL-20	Tonifies Spleen and Stomach. Resolves Dampness. Regulates the Intestines.

The Six Patterns

↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.

1. Damp-Heat in the Bladder View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Burning or stinging pain during urination, dark yellow or cloudy urine, lower abdominal fullness and pain, frequent urgent urination with scanty output, thirst with little desire to drink.

Tongue: Red body with yellow greasy coating. Pulse: Slippery and rapid.

Treatment principle: Clear Heat and drain Fire, promote urination and relieve stranguria.

BL-28 ↓ REN-3 ↓ SP-6 ↓ SP-9 ↓

Note: no moxa. Direct exact-name match with this site's own Damp-Heat-in-the-Bladder slide.

2. Liver-Qi Stagnation View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Sudden urinary blockage after emotional upset, distension in the lower abdomen and rib-sides, frequent sighing, irritability or mood swings, depression.

Tongue: Normal or slightly dark body, red or purple sides, thin white coat. Pulse: Wiry.

Treatment principle: Soothe the Liver and regulate Qi, restore smooth downward flow to open the Bladder.

LR-3 ↓ BL-18 ↓ SP-6 ↓ SP-9 ↓

Note: no moxa. Direct exact-name match with this site's own Liver-Qi-stagnation slide.

3. Kidney-Yang Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Cold sensation in the lower back and knees, clear dribbling urine, worse in cold weather or at night, fatigue and low spirits, dribbling after urination.

Tongue: Pale, puffy, tender body with teeth marks and wet white coating. Pulse: Deep, slow, weak.

Treatment principle: Tonify Kidney-Yang, promote urination and reduce oedema, warm Yang and transform Qi.

BL-23 ↑ DU-4 ↑ REN-4 ↑ REN-3 ↑

Note: moxa applicable throughout. Direct exact-name match with this site's own Kidney-Yang-deficiency slide.

4. Blood Stagnation View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Urine stream thin or completely blocked, fixed stabbing pain in the lower abdomen, pain worse at night or with pressure, purplish tongue spots or dark distended sublingual veins.

Tongue: Purple or dusky body with stasis spots, distended dark veins, thin white coat. Pulse: Choppy or wiry.

Treatment principle: Invigorate Blood and dispel stasis, dissolve congealed accumulations, reopen Water passages.

SP-10 ↓ SP-9 ↓ SP-6 ↓ BL-28 ↓

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

5. Lung-Heat View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Sudden inability to urinate, cough with thick yellow phlegm, fever or body heat sensation, thirst desiring cold drinks, sore throat with redness and swelling.

Tongue: Red body, yellow dry coating, possibly prickly papillae on the front third. Pulse: Rapid.

Treatment principle: Clear Lung-Heat, restore the descending function, open the Water passages.

BL-13 ↓ BL-28 ↓ LU-5 ↓ SP-6 ↓

Note: no moxa. Direct exact-name match with this site's own Lung-Heat slide — the classic \"Lung as the upper source of Water\" teaching case, where Lung-Heat blocking the descending function stops the Bladder from opening.

6. Spleen-Qi Sinking View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Bearing-down sensation in the lower abdomen, weak urine stream with incomplete emptying, chronic fatigue and shortness of breath, poor appetite and bloating after eating, dizziness or lightheadedness.

Tongue: Pale, puffy, tender with teeth marks and thin white coating. Pulse: Weak, especially at the right guan position.

Treatment principle: Tonify the Middle and augment Qi, raise sunken Yang, lift sinking Qi to restore the lifting function.

ST-36 ↑ REN-6 ↑ BL-20 ↑

Note: moxa applicable throughout. Direct exact-name match with this site's own Spleen-Qi-sinking slide.

Related conditions

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