Rib-side pain occurring when the lung is affected by an evil. Patterns in which lung evil rib-side pain may occur include cold evil assailing the lung, water-rheum collecting internally, or evil heat scorching the lung. Lung evil rib-side pain is accompanied by cough, panting, and copious phlegm. In cold patterns, there is ejection of thin foamy phlegm-drool, low fever or absence of fever (heat effusion), and tight stringlike pulse. Heat patterns are characterized by expectoration of fishy-smelling phlegm, red facial complexion, intense internal heat, and rapid pulse.
Medicinal therapy: Cold patterns are treated by effusing sweat and expelling rheum with formulas such as Minor Black Dragon Decoction (小青龙汤xiǎo qīng lóng tāng); heat patterns are treated by clearing heat and flushing phlegm with Thousand Gold Pieces Phragmites Decoction (千金苇茎汤qiān jīn wěi jīng tāng).
Acumoxatherapy: For cold patterns, select GB-20 (Wind Pool, 风池 fēng chí), BL-12 (Wind Gate, 风门 fēng mén), LU-7 (Broken Sequence, 列缺 liè quē), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), TB-5 (Outer Pass, 外关 wài guān), LR-14 (Cycle Gate, 期门 qī mén), TB-6 (Branch Ditch, 支沟 zhī gōu), GB-34 (Yáng Mound Spring, 阳陵泉 yáng líng quán); needle with drainage, using moxa if necessary. For heat patterns, select GB-20 (Wind Pool, 风池 fēng chí), GV-14 (Great Hammer, 大椎 dà zhuī), LU-5 (Cubit Marsh, 尺泽 chǐ zé), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), LI-11 (Pool at the Bend, 曲池 qū chí), TB-5 (Outer Pass, 外关 wài guān), TB-6 (Branch Ditch, 支沟 zhī gōu), GB-34 (Yáng Mound Spring, 阳陵泉 yáng líng quán), and LU-11 (Lesser Shang, 少商 shào shāng); needle with drainage and prick LI-1 (Shang Yáng, 商阳 shāng yáng) to bleed.