Common cold

1. A disease that is attributed to contraction of wind-cold or other untimely seasonal qì, and that forms an exterior pattern characterized by nasal congestion, runny nose, headache and distension in the head, pain in the joints, aversion to cold with heat effusion, and in some cases cough and sore throat.

NB: The term common cold is potentially confusing in the context of Chinese medicine where distinction is made between cold and heat patterns.

Medicinal therapy: Treat variously according to the nature the offending evil, severity of the condition, constitution of the patient, and climate. For wind-heat, course exterior and discharge heat with Lonicera and Forsythia Powder (银翘散 yín qiào sǎn) or Mulberry Leaf and Chrysanthemum Beverage (桑菊饮 sāng jú yǐn). For wind-cold, course the exterior and disperse cold with Schizonepeta and Saposhnikovia Toxin-Vanquishing Powder (荆防败毒散 jīng fáng bài dú sǎn).

Acumoxatherapy: For wind-cold, base treatment mainly on LU, LI, and BL. Select LU-7 (Broken Sequence, 列缺 liè quē), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), BL-12 (Wind Gate, 风门 fēng mén), and GB-20 (Wind Pool, 风池 fēng chí). Needle with drainage and, if necessary, moxa. For wind-heat, base treatment mainly on LU, LI and TB. Select LU-10 (Fish Border, 鱼际 yú jì), GV-14 (Great Hammer, 大椎 dà zhuī), LU-5 (Cubit Marsh, 尺泽 chǐ zé), LI-11 (Pool at the Bend, 曲池 qū chí), ST-44 (Inner Court, 内庭 nèi tíng), GB-20 (Wind Pool, 风池 fēng chí), and TB-5 (Outer Pass, 外关 wài guān). Needle with drainage or prick with a three-edged needle to bleed. For high fever, prick Ten Diffusing Points (十宣 shí xuān) to bleed.

Point selection according to signs:

• For runny nose and nasal congestion, add LI-20 (Welcome Fragrance, 迎香 yíng xiāng), GV-23 (Upper Star, 上星 shàng xīng), and Hall of Impression (印堂 yìn táng).
• For headache with distension in the head, add GV-20 (Hundred Convergences, 百会 bǎi huì), Greater yáng (tài yáng) (太阳 tài yáng), and SI-3 (Back Ravine, 后溪 hòu xī). See also headache for selection of points according to affected area. For cough, add BL-13 (Lung Transport, 肺俞 fèi shù) and LU-9 (Great Abyss, 太渊 tài yuān).
• For sore throat, add CV-22 (Celestial Chimney, 天突 tiān tú) and prick LU-11 (Lesser Shang, 少商 shào shāng) to bleed.

2. Wind damage.