Waist as if girthed with rope

The sensation that the waist is bound tight with a cord or rope. Waist as if girthed with rope is attributable to disease of the girdling dài vessel or to liver channel damp-heat.

Patterns

Qì binding in the girdling vessel (气结带脉 qì jié dài mài) causes pain in the sinews and flesh around the waist and in the lumbus. There may be no other signs but these, and the tongue and pulse may be normal.

Medicinal therapy: Use Liver-Regulating Powder (调肝散 tiáo gān sǎn).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on GIV, LR, CV, and PC. Select GB-26 (Girdling Vessel, 带脉 dài mài), CV-6 (Sea of Qì, 气海 qì hǎi), PC-6 (Inner Pass, 内关 nèi guān), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), and LR-3 (Supreme Surge, 太冲 tài chōng); needle with drainage.

Liver channel damp-heat (肝经湿热 gān jīng shī rè) signs include scorching stabbing pain in the skin, exacerbated by friction. The patient is afraid to move, and in severe cases is afraid to breathe deeply, cough, or sneeze; however, the pain may be relieved by pressure. In addition, there are signs of liver channel damp-heat such as rib-side pain, bitter taste in the mouth, red face, tinnitus, reddish urine possibly with painful voidings, constipation, yellow tongue fur that may be thick and slimy, and a stringlike, possibly rapid pulse.

Medicinal therapy: Clear and drain liver channel damp-heat with Gentian Liver-Draining Decoction (龙胆泻肝汤 lóng dǎn xiè gān tāng).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on GB, LR, SP, and BL. Select GB-34 (Yáng Mound Spring, 阳陵泉 yáng líng quán), GB-43 (Pinched Ravine, 侠溪 xiá xī), LR-2 (Moving Between, 行间 xíng jiān), SP-9 (Yīn Mound Spring, 阴陵泉 yīn líng quán), BL-40 (Bend Center, 委中 wěi zhōng), BL-37 (Gate of Abundance, 殷门 yīn mén); and GB-31 (Wind Market, 风巿 fēng shì); needle with drainage.

Point selection according to signs: For rib-side pain, add LR-14 (Cycle Gate, 期门 qī mén), GB-24 (Sun and Moon, 日月 rì yuè), and TB-6 (Branch Ditch, 支沟 zhī gōu). For tinnitus, add TB-17 (Wind Screen, 翳风 yì fēng), GB-2 (Auditory Convergence, 听会 tīng huì), and TB-3 (Central Islet, 中渚 zhōng zhǔ). For constipation, add BL-25 (Large Intestine Transport, 大肠俞 dà cháng shù), ST-37 (Upper Great Hollow, 上巨虚 shàng jù xū), CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct, 中脘 zhōng wǎn), and CV-6 (Sea of Qì, 气海 qì hǎi).