Dead blood rib-side pain

Rib-side pain caused by locally lodged static blood. Dead blood rib-side pain is usually attributable to liver-spleen qì stagnation or enduring illness entering the network vessels causing stasis obstruction. Sometimes it is attributed to blood stasis due to knocks or falls. Dead blood rib-side pain is characterized by stabbing pain of fixed location in the ribs that refuses pressure and that gets worse at night. There may also be a glomus lump, constipation and hard black stool. The pulse is usually sunken and rough.

Medicinal therapy: Dispel stasis and free the network vessels. Use Origin-Restorative Blood-Quickening Decoction (复元活血汤 fù yuán huó xuè tāng) or Stasis-Precipitating Decoction (下瘀血汤 xià yū xuè tāng). For evil repletion and right vacuity, add blood-supplementing or qì-boosting medicinals.

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on LR, TB, and SP. Select SP-21 (Great Embracement, 大包 dà bāo), TB-6 (Branch Ditch, 支沟 zhī gōu), LR-3 (Supreme Surge, 太冲 tài chōng), GB-40 (Hill Ruins, 丘墟 qiū xū), BL-17 (Diaphragm Transport, 膈俞 gé shù), SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo), and GB-34 (Yáng Mound Spring, 阳陵泉 yáng líng quán). Needle with drainage or bleed with a three-edged needle. For pronounced pain, add ouch points (阿是穴 ā shì xué). For repletion of evil and vacuity of right, add BL-20 (Spleen Transport, 脾俞 pí shù), CV-17 (Chest Center, 膻中 shān zhōng), and ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ).