Tuberculosis (TB) in acupuncture

 

Pulmonary Tuberculosis -  MTB, or TB (short for tubercle bacillus) is caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It's a very powerful infection that might to spread from the lungs to other parts of the body through the blood or lymph system.

The primary stage of TB usually doesn't cause symptoms. When symptoms of pulmonary TB occur, they may include:

• Cough (usually cough up mucus)
• Coughing up blood
• Excessive sweating, especially at night
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Unintentional weight loss

Other symptoms that may occur with this disease:

• Breathing difficulty
• Chest pain
• Wheezing

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine,  this infectious disease is a deficiency pattern of various different kinds:

Lung Yin deficiency

Treatment principle: Nourish Lung Yin, remove bacteria, relieve cough.

Acupuncture –  Hand taiyin, foot yangming, foot shaoyin,*LU9 (yuan), *KI3, LU1 and BL13, BL43, ST36 and SP6 (tonify mother)

Yin deficiency – KI 6 

Fire – KI 2, LR 2 (ying-spring) 

Yin and Qi deficiency – BL 20, 21, Ren 6 

Yin and Yang deficiency – Moxa Ren 4 

cough Phlegm – LU 5 

cough blood – LU 6 (xi-cleft), BL 17 (blood influential)

tidal fever – LU 5, 10 (purge Fire)  

night sweat – HT 6, KI 7  

Lung Yin deficiency Fire 
  
Lung Jing Luo are damaged, cough blood more, more dryness and heat symptoms, tidal fever, afternoon malar flush, Tongue without coating, red geographic.

Acupuncture LU 9 (yuan), LU 1 & BL 13 (mu/shu), KI 3 (Yin), LU 10 (deficiency Heat), LU 6 (xi-cleft, bleeding), HT 6 (night sweats)

Lung Qi and Yin deficiency 

Treatment principle: Strengthen Spleen and Lung

Acupuncture – hand and foot taiyin, moxa, LU 9, BL 13, 43 (Qi), SP 6, ST 36, Ren 17 (regulate Lung Qi)  

poor appetite – BL 20, 21  

Yin and Yang deficiency

Clinical manifestations: Blood-flecked sputum, coldness, diarrhea, night sweating.

Tongue pale and geographic - Rapid pulse and empty

Treatment principle: nourish Yin and Yang. 
 
Acupuncture – hand taiyin, foot shaoyin and yangming, Moxa, LU 9 (yuan), BL 13, 43, 23, Ren 4, KI 3,ST 36, Ren 17

Alternative treatment methods

• Ear acupuncture: LU, SP KI, endocrine, Shenmen, with electro or points injection.
• Acupuncture injection: TB points 3.5 cun bilateral to Du 14, and LU 1, BL 13.  Inject B1 and/or antibiotics