Heart impediment

A disease of the heart characterized by pain and suffocating oppression and caused by stasis obstruction of the heart vessels. Plain Questions (素问 sù wèn) states, Heart impediment is stoppage in the vessels... The stoppage may actually be due to either a) an inadequate warming and propulsion of the blood as a result of insufficiency of yáng qì or b) an obstruction of the heart vessels by static blood forming when internal phlegm turbidity impedes blood flow. Signs of heart impediment include dull pain and oppression in the area anterior to the heart, which is attributed to impaired yáng qì perfusion or obstruction of the network vessels by phlegm stasis (blood stasis resulting from the presence of phlegm). Attacks are characterized by gripping pain in the heart (angina pectoris), green-blue or purple complexion, cold limbs, and a faint fine pulse verging on expiration, indicating severe obstruction of heart qì and heart yáng. Heart palpitation, fearful throbbing, lassitude of spirit and lack of strength, and shortness of breath are general signs of heart qì vacuity between attacks.

Biomedical correspondence: coronary or other heart disease.

Medicinal therapy: Nourish the heart and dispel the evil, quicken the blood and free the vessels. Use Heart-Supplementing Elixir (补心丹 bǔ xīn dān) or a combination of Pulse-Engendering Powder (生脉散 shēng mài sǎn) and Spleen-Returning Decoction (归脾汤 guī pí tāng). If obstruction is pronounced, use Coronary No.2 (冠心二号 guàn xīn èr hào) to quicken the blood, rectify qì, and transform stasis.

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on CV, back transport points, HT, PC, and SP. Select BL-15 (Heart Transport, 心俞 xīn shù), BL-20 (Spleen Transport, 脾俞 pí shù), BL-17 (Diaphragm Transport, 膈俞 gé shù), BL-14 (Reverting yīn (jué yīn) Transport, 厥阴俞 jué yīn shù), CV-14 (Great Tower Gate, 巨阙 jù què), CV-6 (Sea of Qì, 气海 qì hǎi), CV-17 (Chest Center, 膻中 shān zhōng), HT-7 (Spirit Gate, 神门 shén mén), PC-6 (Inner Pass, 内关 nèi guān), PC-4 (Cleft Gate, 郄门 xī mén), SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo), and ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ). Needle with even supplementation and drainage. Compare chest impediment.