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Varicose Veins

How Chinese medicine differentiates varicose veins, 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. Sudden leg swelling, redness, or warmth needs medical evaluation to rule out a blood clot before acupuncture is considered.
General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for varicose veins — 7 key points, used across the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

PointKey action
ST-36Benefits Stomach and Spleen, tonifies Qi and Blood.
SP-6Strengthens the Spleen, resolves Dampness, nourishes Blood and Yin.
SP-10Cools Blood, invigorates Blood and eliminates stasis.
LR-3Subdues Liver-Yang, promotes the smooth flow of Liver-Qi, invigorates Blood.
L.I.-11Clears Heat, resolves Dampness, cools Blood.
BL-40Clears Heat and cools Blood. Removes obstructions from the channel.
SP-9Regulates the Spleen, resolves Dampness, opens the Water passages.
The Four Patterns

reinforcing   reducing   even method.

1. Qi Deficiency causing Blood Stagnation

Clinical manifestations: Heaviness and fatigue in the legs worsening by day's end; a dull aching or distending pain; visibly bluish or slightly purplish distended veins; a pale or sallow complexion; symptoms worsen with prolonged standing, cold exposure and stress.
Tongue: Pale with a purplish tinge, possible stasis spots, teeth marks. Pulse: Deep, Fine or weak, Choppy.
Treatment principle: Tonify Spleen-Qi and invigorate Blood to restore the upward propulsion of Blood against gravity.
Tonify Qi
Invigorate Blood
Note: moxa applicable on the Tonify-Qi point. No deck on this site combines Qi deficiency with local venous Blood stagnation as its own picture, so no pattern link is given here.

2. Blood Stagnation

Clinical manifestations: Fixed, stabbing leg pain; dark purple or bluish tortuous veins; pain intensifies at night and with pressure; dark circles under the eyes.
Tongue: Purple or dusky with stasis spots, distended sublingual veins. Pulse: Choppy or Wiry.
Treatment principle: Invigorate Blood, dispel stasis, move Qi and alleviate the pain from blockage-like pooling.
Note: no moxa. This site's \"Liver-Blood stasis\" slide is gynecological/hepatic-framed with no leg-vein content, so no pattern link is given here.

3. Painful Obstruction due to Damp-Heat in the Channels

Clinical manifestations: Red, hot, swollen varicose veins; burning or throbbing pain along the vessels; a heavy leg sensation; pain worsens with warmth and improves with cold; thirst and irritability.
Tongue: Red, possibly swollen, yellow greasy coating. Pulse: Slippery, Rapid.
Treatment principle: Clear Heat and dry Dampness from the lower limbs to reduce inflammation and swelling.
Note: no moxa. No deck on this site has a joint/limb Painful Obstruction category, so no pattern link is given here.

4. Painful Obstruction with Qi and Blood Deficiency

Clinical manifestations: Dull, lingering leg pain worsening with activity; cold limbs, especially in cold weather; profound fatigue and weakness; a pale complexion with poor appetite; numbness or tingling in the legs.
Tongue: Pale, often thin, teeth marks, thin white coating. Pulse: Fine, weak, possibly Slow.
Treatment principle: Tonify Qi and nourish Blood to rebuild vessel strength and warmth.
Note: moxa applicable. No deck on this site combines a generic Qi and Blood deficiency pattern, so no pattern link is given here.
Related conditions

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