Impediment

Also bi (Obs.).

1. Blockage, as in throat impediment.

2. Also wind-cold-damp impediment. Blockage of the channels arising when wind, cold, and dampness invade the fleshy exterior and the joints, and manifesting in signs such as joint pain, sinew and bone pain, and heaviness or numbness of the limbs. Plain Questions (素问 sù wèn, bì lùn) states, When wind, cold, and damp evils concur and combine, they give rise to impediment. Distinction is made between three pattern types, each of which corresponds to a prevalence of one of three evils.

Pattern Types

Wind impediment (风痹 fēng bì), also called moving impediment, characterized by wandering pain and attributed to a prevalence of wind;

Cold impediment (寒痹 hán bì), also called painful impediment, associated with acute pain and attributed to a prevalence of cold; and

Damp impediment (湿痹 shī bì), also called fixed impediment, characterized by heaviness and attributed to a prevalence of dampness.

Heat impediment (热痹 rè bì) occurs when the three evils transform into heat. Impediment is readily complicated by qì vacuity and blood vacuity.

See blood impediment; blood vacuity impediment; qì vacuity impediment. Other specific forms of bi include joint-running wind lì jié fēng; generalized impediment; flesh impediment; skin impediment; sinew impediment; bone impediment; vessel impediment.

Biomedical correspondence: arthritis; sciatica; spondylosis.

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment on points chosen according to patterns, local points, and points on the affected channel, supporting them with ouch points (阿是穴 ā shì xué). The main points are chosen according to the prevalence of wind, cold, dampness, heat, and complications; see wind impediment, cold impediment, damp impediment, and heat impediment. In addition to these, choose from the following points according to the affected area:

• Shoulder: LI-15 (Shoulder Bone, 肩髃 jiān yú), TB-14 (Shoulder Bone-Hole, 肩髎 jiān liáo), SI-10 (Upper Arm Transport, 臑俞 nào shù), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), TB-5 (Outer Pass, 外关 wài guān), and SI-3 (Back Ravine, 后溪 hòu xī).
• Elbow: LI-11 (Pool at the Bend, 曲池 qū chí), LU-5 (Cubit Marsh, 尺泽 chǐ zé), TB-10 (Celestial Well, 天井 tiān jǐng), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), and TB-5 (Outer Pass, 外关 wài guān).
• Wrist: TB-4 (Yáng Pool, 阳池 yáng chí), TB-5 (Outer Pass, 外关 wài guān), and LI-5 (Yáng Ravine, 阳溪 yáng xī). SI-4 (Wrist Bone, 腕骨 wàn gǔ). Spine: GV-26 (Water Trough, 水沟 shuǐ gōu), GV-12 (Body Pillar, 身柱 shēn zhù), GV-4 (Life Gate, 命门 mìng mén), and GV-3 (Lumbar Yáng Pass, 腰阳关 yāo yáng guān).
• Thigh: GB-30 (Jumping Round, 环跳 huán tiào), GB-29 (Squatting Bone-Hole, 居髎 jū liáo), GB-39 (Suspended Bell, 悬钟 xuán zhōng), GB-34 (Yáng Mound Spring, 阳陵泉 yáng líng quán), and BL-40 (Bend Center, 委中 wěi zhōng).
• Knee: Eye of the Knee (膝眼 xī yǎn), ST-34 (Beam Hill, 梁丘 liáng qiū), GB-34 (Yáng Mound Spring, 阳陵泉 yáng líng quán), SP-9 (Yīn Mound Spring, 阴陵泉 yīn líng quán), and GB-33 (Knee Yáng Joint, 膝阳关 xī yáng guān).
• Ankle: BL-62 (Extending Vessel, 申脉 shēn mài), KI-6 (Shining Sea, 照海 zhào hǎi), BL-60 (Kunlun Mountains, 昆仑 kūn lún), GB-40 (Hill Ruins, 丘墟 qiū xū), and ST-41 (Ravine Divide, 解溪 jiě xī).

3. Blockage affecting the bowels and viscera that may or may not be related to wind-cold-damp impediment. See heart impediment; liver impediment; spleen impediment; lung impediment; kidney impediment; bladder impediment.