Elbow taxation

Also tennis elbow. Pain and weakness in the elbow joint, developing gradually, without any history of obvious injury. The pain sometimes stretches down the lower arm or up to the shoulder. Elbow taxation is exacerbated by rotating movement of the lower arm such as are performed when wringing a flannel. There is no obvious swelling, and despite the pain there is no impeded movement of the joints, although there is a pressure point at the humeral epicondyle. It arises through constant rotation of the lower arm and flexing of the wrist and elbow. It affects people such as carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and tennis players. Unlike sprains, which involve sudden damage to muscles and sinews, tennis elbow develops gradually through a combination of repeated strain and external contraction of wind and cold, which concentrate in the elbow joint. The condition is thus one of taxation damage to qì and blood or wind-cold contracting the vessels and sinew channels.

Biomedical correspondence: external humeral epicondylitis; radiohumeral bursitis; radiohumeral epicondylitis.

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on local points, selecting LI-11 (Pool at the Bend, 曲池 qū chí), LI-10 (Arm Three Lǐ, 手三里 shǒu sān lǐ), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), and the ouch point Tip of the Elbow (肘尖 zhǒu jiān); needle with drainage and add moxa. Tapping with a cutaneous needle until blood appears and cupping are methods that may be used.