Limp lumbus and knees

Also lack of strength in the lumbus and knees. Insufficient power in the lumbus and knees to perform normal movements, in severe cases, called limp or weak wilting lumbus and knees, severely restricting movement. Limpness of the lumbus and knees, especially limpness of the lumbus, often accompanies aching of the lumbus, hence the combined terms limp aching lumbus and knees and aching lumbus and limp knees. Such conditions are attributed to liver-kidney vacuity, cold-damp, or damp-heat (or combinations of liver-kidney vacuity with cold-damp or damp-heat); they differ from simple aching lumbus, which is mostly due to kidney vacuity.

Patterns

Liver-kidney vacuity (肝肾虚 gān shèn xū) patterns involve persistent aching lumbus or lumbar pain with cold kneesand may be slightly relieved by rest and exacerbated by taxation. Other signs include cold extremities, fear of cold and desire for warmth, tinnitus, deafness, long voidings of clear urine, frequent urination, sloppy stool or diarrhea, hair loss, loosening of the teeth, shortness of breath, general fatigue and lassitude of spirit exacerbated by physical strain, pale tongue, and a deep fine pulse. In severe cases, there may be seminal emission and impotence.

Medicinal therapy: Nourish liver blood and supplement kidney qì using Dipsacus Pill (续断丸 xù duàn wán).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on BL and GV. Main points for all patterns: BL-23 (Kidney Transport, 肾俞 shèn shù), GV-3 (Lumbar Yáng Pass, 腰阳关 yāo yáng guān), BL-40 (Bend Center, 委中 wěi zhōng), and BL-57 (Mountain Support, 承山 chéng shān); For liver-kidney vacuity, add BL-18 (Liver Transport, 肝俞 gān shù), BL-52 (Will Chamber, 志室 zhì shì), KI-3 (Great Ravine, 太溪 tài xī), and LR-3 (Supreme Surge, 太冲 tài chōng), needling with supplementation.

Cold-damp (寒湿 hán shī) limp aching lumbus and knees is associated with cold, heaviness, or pain, exacerbated by yīn-type cold rainy weather and relieved by warmth, and associated with a normal tongue with white fur and a fine sunken pulse that may be moderate.

Medicinal therapy: Eliminate dampness and free impediment using Dampness-Eliminating Impediment-Alleviating Decoction (除湿蠲痹汤 chú shī juān bì tāng). When the liver and kidney have been damaged in enduring conditions, the method should be to boost the liver and kidney, supplement qì and blood, strengthen the lumbus and knees, and dispel cold-damp using formulas such as Pubescent Angelica and Mistletoe Decoction (独活寄生汤 dú huó jì shēng tāng).

Acumoxatherapy: To the main points given above, add GV-4 (Life Gate, 命门 mìng mén) and SP-9 (Yīn Mound Spring, 阴陵泉 yīn líng quán), needling with even supplementation and drainage and adding moxa.

Damp-heat (湿热 shī rè) patterns are marked by limp wilting lumbus and knees prevent long standing and walking, and in some cases there may be redness and swelling. Other signs include short voidings of reddish urine, constipation, yellow, possibly slimy tongue fur, and a rapid, possibly stringlike pulse. Damp-heat conditions are often observed in wilting (wěi) and leg qì patterns.

Medicinal therapy: Treat repletion pattern with Mysterious Two Pill (二妙丸 èr miào wán), Pain-Assuaging Decoction (拈痛汤 niān tòng tāng), or Chinese Angelica Pain-Assuaging Decoction (当归拈痛汤 dāng guī niān tòng tāng).

Acumoxatherapy: To the main points given above, add SP-9 (Yīn Mound Spring, 阴陵泉 yīn líng quán), LI-11 (Pool at the Bend, 曲池 qū chí), and LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), needling with drainage. BL-40 (Bend Center, 委中 wěi zhōng) can be pricked to bleed; for damp-heat occurring in vacuity-repletion complexes, needle these points with even supplementation and drainage, and needle BL-23 (Kidney Transport, 肾俞 shèn shù), BL-18 (Liver Transport, 肝俞 gān shù), BL-60 (Kunlun Mountains, 昆仑 kūn lún), and KI-3 (Great Ravine, 太溪 tài xī) with supplementation.