Lockjaw

Also incised wound tetany; tetanus. Tetany arising when an external injury or mouth sores permits the invasion of wind evil. Lockjaw begins with lack of strength in the limbs, headache, pain in the cheeks, clenched jaw, difficulty in turning the neck, and heat effusion and aversion to cold. Subsequently, there is a spasm of the facial muscles that creates the appearance of a strange grimace, tightly clenched jaw, stiff tongue, drooling, intermittent generalized spasm and arched-back rigidity. The pulse is rapid or tight and stringlike. Finally, speech, swallowing, and breathing all become difficult, and, in the worst cases, the patient dies of asphyxiation.

Biomedical correspondence: tetanus (lockjaw).

Medicinal therapy: Dispel wind and resolve tetany with formulas such as True Jade Powder (玉真散 yù zhēn sǎn) or Five-Tigers-Chasing-the-Wind Powder (五虎追风散 wǔ hǔ zhuī fēng sǎn).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on GV, BL, ST, and LI. Select GV-14 (Great Hammer, 大椎 dà zhuī), GV-16 (Wind Mansion, 风府 fēng fǔ), GV-8 (Sinew Contraction, 筋缩 jīn suō), GV-3 (Lumbar Yáng Pass, 腰阳关 yāo yáng guān), ST-7 (Below the Joint, 下关 xià guān), ST-6 (Cheek Carriage, 颊车 jiá chē), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), LI-11 (Pool at the Bend, 曲池 qū chí), BL-60 (Kunlun Mountains, 昆仑 kūn lún), LR-3 (Supreme Surge, 太冲 tài chōng), and BL-62 (Extending Vessel, 申脉 shēn mài); needle with drainage.

Point selection according to signs: For clenched jaw, add GV-26 (Water Trough, 水沟 shuǐ gōu) and CV-24 (Sauce Receptacle, 承浆 chéng jiāng). For arched-back rigidity, add GV-12 (Body Pillar, 身柱 shēn zhù), SI-3 (Back Ravine, 后溪 hòu xī), and GB-20 (Wind Pool, 风池 fēng chí). For convulsive spasm of the limbs, add LI-11 (Pool at the Bend, 曲池 qū chí) and GB-34 (Yáng Mound Spring, 阳陵泉 yáng líng quán). For hasty breathing, add LU-5 (Cubit Marsh, 尺泽 chǐ zé), PC-6 (Inner Pass, 内关 nèi guān), and CV-17 (Chest Center, 膻中 shān zhōng).

Etymology

Chin 破 pò, break; 伤 shāng, damage, injury; 风 fēng, wind. A wind (disease) due an injury involving break in the skin.