Facial pain

Pain in any part of the face. Facial pain usually occurs in episodes and is acute. Patterns include wind-heat, wind-cold, liver depression transforming into fire, and blood stagnation and blood stasis.

Patterns

Wind-heat (风热 fēng rè) possibly with phlegm is marked by periodic pain that may be burning or stabbing, associated with a sensation of heat and exacerbated by heat. It usually affects one side of the face, and occasionally the upper or lower half of the face. Wind-heat may be complicated by phlegm obstructing the network vessels, in which case there may also be dizziness, oppression in the chest, and numbness of the limbs.

Medicinal therapy: Course wind and disperse heat; flush phlegm and quicken the network vessels. Use Facial Pain No.1 Formula (面痛一号方 miàn tòng yī hào fāng).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on yáng brightness (yáng míng) and reverting yīn (jué yīn). Main points: ST-2 (Four Whites, 四白 sì bái), ST-7 (Below the Joint, 下关 xià guān), Greater yáng (tài yáng) (太阳 tài yáng), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), and LR-3 (Supreme Surge, 太冲 tài chōng). For wind-heat, add GB-20 (Wind Pool, 风池 fēng chí), TB-5 (Outer Pass, 外关 wài guān), and GV-14 (Great Hammer, 大椎 dà zhuī), needling with drainage.

Point selection according to sign: 1) For forehead pain, add BL-2 (Bamboo Gathering, 攒竹 zǎn zhú), GB-14 (Yáng White, 阳白 yáng bái), ST-8 (Head Corner, 头维 tóu wéi), and SI-3 (Back Ravine, 后溪 hòu xī). 2) For upper jaw pain, add SI-18 (cheekbone-Hole, 颧髎 quán liáo), ST-2 (Four Whites, 四白 sì bái), GB-3 (Upper Gate, 上关 shàng guān), and LI-20 (Welcome Fragrance, 迎香 yíng xiāng). 3) For the lower jaw, add CV-24 (Sauce Receptacle, 承浆 chéng jiāng), ST-6 (Cheek Carriage, 颊车 jiá chē), TB-17 (Wind Screen, 翳风 yì fēng), and ST-44 (Inner Court, 内庭 nèi tíng).

Wind-cold (风寒 fēng hán) causes severe pain that refuses cold. During bouts of pain the complexion may turn a somber-white. If the wind-cold is complicated by phlegm obstructing the network vessels, further signs include puffiness of the face and heavy head as if swathed (bag-over-the-head sensation).

Medicinal therapy: Course wind and disperse cold; flush phlegm and free the network vessels. Use Facial Pain No.2 Formula (面痛二号方 miàn tòng èr hào fāng).

Acumoxatherapy: To the basic points, add GB-20 (Wind Pool, 风池 fēng chí), TB-5 (Outer Pass, 外关 wài guān), and GV-16 (Wind Mansion, 风府 fēng fǔ), needling with drainage and adding moxa.

Liver depression transforming into fire (肝郁化火 gān yù huà huǒ) is another cause of facial pain that is easily distinguished from the wind-heat pattern by rib-side pain, irascibility, sighing, and unquiet sleep.

Medicinal therapy: Clear the liver and drain fire; flush phlegm and quicken the network vessels. Facial Pain No.3 Formula (面痛三号方 miàn tòng sān hào fāng).

Acumoxatherapy: To the basic points, add SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo), GB-34 (Yang Mound Spring, 阳陵泉 yáng líng quán), LR-2 (Moving Between, 行间 xíng jiān), and PC-8 (Palace of Toil, 劳宫 láo gōng), needling with drainage.

Blood vacuity and blood stasis (血虚血瘀 xuè xū xuè yū) is marked by severe continual pain of fixed location. There are general signs of qì vacuity such as scantness of breath, faint low voice, laziness to speak, and stasis speckles on the tongue.

Medicinal therapy: Supplement qì and quicken the blood; transform stasis and free the network vessels. Facial Pain No.4 Formula (面痛四号方 miàn tòng sì hào fāng).

Acumoxatherapy: To the basic points, add ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ), SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo), CV-6 (Sea of Qì, 气海 qì hǎi), and PC-6 (Inner Pass, 内关 nèi guān), needling with supplementation and adding moxa.