Bone impediment

Impediment (bì) patterns characterized by pronounced joint signs such as pain and swelling. The bones feel heavy and difficult to lift and there is aching pain in the bone and marrow. It is attributed to wind-cold-damp that seizes vacuity and invades the bones. Distinction is made between repletion and vacuity patterns. Repletion patterns are treated with Five Impediments Decoction (五痹汤 wǔ bì tāng) with extra tiger bone (Tigris Os, 虎骨 hǔ gǔ) and the addition of pubescent angelica (Angelicae Pubescentis Radix, 独活 dú huó), quilled cinnamon (Cinnamomi Cortex Tubiformis, 官桂 guān guì), achyranthes (Achyranthis Bidentatae Radix, 牛膝 niú xī), astragalus (Astragali Radix, 黄芪 huáng qí), and fish poison yam (Dioscoreae Hypoglaucae seu Semptemlobae Rhizoma, 萆薢 bì xiè). Vacuity patterns are treated with Minor Life-Prolonging Decoction (小续命汤 xiǎo xù mìng tāng).

Acumoxatherapy: Select BL-11 (Great Shuttle, 大杼 dà zhù) as the main point.

• For repletion patterns, select points according to pattern (wind, cold, dampness, or complications). See wind impediment; cold impediment; damp impediment.
• For vacuity patterns, apply the basic treatments for impediment patterns, and needle with supplementation and moxa at points such as BL-23 (Kidney Transport, 肾俞 shèn shù), CV-4 (Pass Head, 关元 guān yuán), GV-4 (Life Gate, 命门 mìng mén), KI-3 (Great Ravine, 太溪 tài xī), and SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo).

See impediment for selection of points according to location.