Pain in the upper part of the back, as distinct from lumbar pain (low back pain). The two main patterns are wind-cold and qì stagnation and blood stasis.
Patterns
Wind-cold (风寒 fēng hán) back pain is pain and stiffness in the back stretching into the nape, with inhibited movement of the shoulder blade, or heaviness and stiffness in the back with aversion to cold.
Medicinal therapy: Dispel wind and disperse cold using Notopterygium Dampness-Overcoming Decoction (羌活胜湿汤qiāng huó shèng shī tāng). Channel conductors such as saposhnikovia (Saposhnikoviae Radix, 防风fáng fēng) and notopterygium (Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix, 羌活qiāng huó) can be used according to the precise location of discomfort.
Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on GV, BL, and GB. Select GB-20 (Wind Pool, 风池 fēng chí), GV-16 (Wind Mansion, 风府 fēng fǔ), TB-5 (Outer Pass, 外关 wài guān), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), GV-26 (Human Center, 人中 rén zhōng), GV-12 (Body Pillar, 身柱 shēn zhù), GV-4 (Life Gate, 命门 mìng mén), GV-3 (Lumbar Yáng Pass, 腰阳关 yāo yáng guān), BL-60 (Kunlun Mountains, 昆仑 kūn lún), and BL-40 (Bend Center, 委中 wěi zhōng); needle with drainage and add moxa.
Qì stagnation and blood stasis (气滞血瘀 qì zhì xuè yū) back pain is most common in the elderly and in patients left weak after enduring disease and is marked by aching back pain with numbness in the elbow after waking from sleep, where discomfort is relieved by physical activity.
Medicinal therapy: Treat by boosting qì and nourishing the blood, assisted by quickening the blood. Use Impediment-Alleviating Decoction (蠲痹汤juān bì tāng) combined with Minor Network-Quickening Elixir (小活络丹xiǎo huó luò dān). The channel conductors given above may be used.
Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on GV, BL, CV, SP, and LR. Select CV-6 (Sea of Qì, 气海 qì hǎi), LR-3 (Supreme Surge, 太冲 tài chōng), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), BL-17 (Diaphragm Transport, 膈俞 gé shù), SP-10 (Sea of Blood, 血海 xuè hǎi), SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo), GV-26 (Human Center, 人中 rén zhōng), BL-43 (Gāo-Huāng Transport, 膏肓俞 gāo huāng shù), GV-12 (Body Pillar, 身柱 shēn zhù), GV-3 (Lumbar Yáng Pass, 腰阳关 yāo yáng guān), and BL-40 (Bend Center, 委中 wěi zhōng); needle with even supplementation and drainage or with supplementation, and add moxa.