Sprain

Damage to the sinew and flesh, and blood vessels around the joints such as the shoulder, elbow, wrist, lumbus, hip, knee, and ankle joints, due to twisting, pulling, or knocks and falls. They are characterized by pain, by swelling, and by discoloration of the skin due to stasis and blockage. Red indicates damage to the skin and flesh; blue-green indicates damage to the sinews; purple indicates blood stasis. Slight local swelling and tenderness indicate mild injury. Pronounced swelling and difficulty in flexing the joint are signs of a severe sprain.

Medicinal therapy: Quicken the blood and transform stasis; soothe the sinews and free the network vessels. Use Sinew-Strengthening Blood-Nourishing Decoction (壮筋养血汤 zhuàng jīn yǎng xuè tāng).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on points in the affected area and at distant points on affected channels. Shoulder: LI-15 (Shoulder Bone, 肩髃 jiān yú) and TB-14 (Shoulder Bone-Hole, 肩髎 jiān liáo), and SI-9 (True Shoulder, 肩贞 jiān zhēn). Elbow: LI-11 (Pool at the Bend, 曲池 qū chí), SI-8 (Small Sea, 小海 xiǎo hǎi), and TB-10 (Celestial Well, 天井 tiān jǐng). Wrist: TB-4 (Yáng Pool, 阳池 yáng chí), LI-5 (Yáng Ravine, 阳溪 yáng xī), and SI-5 (Yáng Valley, 阳谷 yáng gǔ). Lumbus: BL-23 (Kidney Transport, 肾俞 shèn shù), GV-3 (Lumbar Yáng Pass, 腰阳关 yāo yáng guān), and BL-40 (Bend Center, 委中 wěi zhōng). Thigh and buttock: GB-30 (Jumping Round, 环跳 huán tiào), BL-54 (Sequential Limit, 秩边 zhì biān), and BL-36 (Support, 承扶 chéng fú). Knee: Eye of the Knee (膝眼 xī yǎn) ST-34 (Beam Hill, 梁丘 liáng qiū), and GB-33 (Knee Yáng Joint, 膝阳关 xī yáng guān). Ankle: ST-41 (Ravine Divide, 解溪 jiě xī), BL-60 (Kunlun Mountains, 昆仑 kūn lún), and GB-40 (Hill Ruins, 丘墟 qiū xū). Needle with drainage or prick to bleed with a three-edged needle.

Point selection according to signs:

1. Select contralateral points of corresponding location, i.e., for pain at TB-4 (Yáng Pool, 阳池 yáng chí) on the left wrist, needle TB-4 on the right wrist; for pain at BL-62 (Extending Vessel, 申脉 shēn mài) on the left ankle, treat BL-62 on the right ankle. If pain is not located on a channel, use corresponding ouch points (阿是穴 ā shì xué) on the opposite side.
2. Select same-name channel points of corresponding location e.g., for pain at a point on the left wrist, apply treatment at the corresponding point of the left ankle.

See point selection.