Hemiplegia

Paralysis of one half of the body. Hemiplegia is the result of wind stroke and is observed in all wind stroke visceral patterns, bowel patterns, and channel patterns usually in conjunction with deviated eyes and mouth. It is traditionally attributed to a) debilitation of provisioning and defense, vacuity of the vessels, and evil qì (wind, cold, dampness, phlegm, or static blood) exploiting the vacuity and entering; b) qì vacuity; or c) kidney vacuity with insufficiency of essential qì.

Medicinal therapy: Nourish the blood and dispel wind; warm the channels and free the network vessels; boost qì and quicken the blood; supplement the kidney and boost essence. Applicable formulas include the following: Large Gentian Decoction (大秦艽汤 dà qín jiāo tāng), Major Network-Quickening Elixir (大活络丹 dà huó luò dān), Yáng-Supplementing Five-Returning Decoction (补阳还五汤 bǔ yáng huán wǔ tāng), Eight-Gem Decoction (八珍汤 bā zhēn tāng), and Rehmannia Drink (地黄饮子 dì huáng yǐn zi).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on points of the hand and foot yáng brightness (yáng míng) LI and ST, supported by points of the greater yáng (tài yáng) and lesser yáng (shào yáng). Main points: LI-15 (Shoulder Bone, 肩髃 jiān yú), LI-11 (Pool at the Bend, 曲池 qū chí), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), TB-5 (Outer Pass, 外关 wài guān), GB-30 (Jumping Round, 环跳 huán tiào), GB-34 (Yáng Mound Spring, 阳陵泉 yáng líng quán), ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ), ST-42 (Surging Yáng, 冲阳 chōng yáng), and BL-60 (Kunlun Mountains, 昆仑 kūn lún). In the early stages, needle both sides. One of the following three methods can be used.

1. First drain the unaffected side, then supplement the affected side.
2. Needle or moxa the two sides alternately.
3. Needle only the affected side, using a medium stimulus. In enduring cases, apply moxa on both sides to supplement.

Selecting points according to affected area:

• For paralysis of the upper limbs, add TB-14 (Shoulder Bone-Hole, 肩髎 jiān liáo), TB-4 (Yáng Pool, 阳池 yáng chí), and SI-3 (Back Ravine, 后溪 hòu xī).
• For paralysis of the lower limbs, add GB-31 (Wind Market, 风巿 fēng shì), ST-33 (Yīn Market, 阴巿 yīn shì), and GB-39 (Suspended Bell, 悬钟 xuán zhōng).
• For hypertonicity of the elbow, add PC-3 (Marsh at the Bend, 曲泽 qū zé) and LU-5 (Cubit Marsh, 尺泽 chǐ zé). For hypertonicity of the wrist, add PC-7 (Great Mound, 大陵 dà líng).
• For hypertonicity of the knee, add LR-8 (Spring at the Bend, 曲泉 qū quán), KI-10 (Yīn Valley, 阴谷 yīn gǔ).
• For hypertonicity of the ankle, add KI-3 (Great Ravine, 太溪 tài xī) and KI-6 (Shining Sea, 照海 zhào hǎi).
• For hypertonicity of the fingers, add Eight Evils (八邪 bā xié), and SI-3 (Back Ravine, 后溪 hòu xī) joining PC-8 (Palace of Toil, 劳宫 láo gōng).
• For hypertonicity of the toes, add Eight Winds (八风 bā fēng) and KI-1 (Gushing Spring, 湧泉 yǒng quán).
• For deviation of the mouth, add TB-17 (Wind Screen, 翳风 yì fēng), ST-4 (Earth Granary, 地仓 dì cāng), ST-6 (Cheek Carriage, 颊车 jiá chē), BL-2 (Bamboo Gathering, 攒竹 zǎn zhú), and ST-2 (Four Whites, 四白 sì bái).
• For stiff tongue and sluggish speech, add CV-23 (Ridge Spring, 廉泉 lián quán), Gold Liquid and Jade Humor (金津玉液 jīn jīn yù yè), and HT-5 (Connecting Lǐ, 通里 tōng lǐ).

See wind stroke.

Etymology

Chin 半 bàn, half; 身 shēn, body; 不 bù, not; 遂 suì, follow (conscious direction).