Professor Lian Yulin' s Clinical Experience on Acupuncture and Moxibustion
                                                                Written by Yanbing Translated by Hu Xiaohua

Li, Female, 55 years old.
Edema pain of double knee joints for 1 year, has aggravated for half of a month.
Edema pain of double knee joints due to overwork one year before, the doctor was suspicious of gonarthritis, but articular cavity punctures reported normal. The patient has used herbal external washing, the symptoms improved slightly. The pain had aggravatedd for half of a month, difficult to walk, and then asked Professor Lian for treatment. The patients could not squat and go up and down stairs, Edema pain of double knee joints, reddish knee joints slightly, higher temperature of the knees. Tenderness on joint space of medial of knee joints significantly, limited activity of the knees, double floating patella test (+), X-ray showed double joint space was narrow, hyperosteogeny of the joints’edge.
It was diagnosed degenerative osteoarthritis on the first visit. Professor Lian used “peripheral surrounded needling around the knees’ to gain good effect.
This method adopted three-round surrounded needling.
① Surrounded needling of patella was the first cycle.
Internal and external knees’side, (1 Cun on the above of Neixiyan(EX LE4) and Dubi (ST35), depression on both sides of patellar ligament ), and 2 points on both sides of patellar ligament, deep needling 40~50 mm toward central knee joints, 12~20 mm shallow needling other points.
② Around Neixiyan(EX LE5) and Waixiyan (EX LE 4), 1 cm outside of the first cycle, was the second cycle. Deep needling 25~40 mm, half of a cycle on the lower edge of patella, Deep needling over 40 mm toward intra-articular.
③ The most external cycle was the third cycle around swelling knee joints, the third cycle was only suitable for the severe patients. Without swelling, it wass unnecessary to use the third cycle.
All above surrounded needling need twisting reducing method, it was effective if the patient felt sensation of soreness and distension. Auxiliary points were selects ST36, GB34, SP10, Liv.7. Combining with moxibustion. Severe swelling, blood-letting puncture was used. 12 times one session, 2-3 sessions in total. After the first session, swelling alleviated obviously. After the third session, range of motion of the knees increased, skin temperature was normal. The patient could squat and go up and down stairs.
Comments:
Degenerative osteoarthritis is a chronic injury diseases, the pathological changes lie in degenerative change of articular cartilage, soft tissue inflammation, blocking collaterals, which pertains to Bi-syndrome in TCM. Syndrome differentiation is deficiency of liver and kidney, insufficient qi and blood, wind-cold-damp pathological factors attack body inducing stagnation of qi and blood, root deficiency and branch excess. The unique point of Professor Lian in using the method of surrounded needling is deep and forward of the needle when manipulating. Too sallow is not effective, while too deep can aggravate pain. Using warning method can promote local blood circulation, exiting meridian qi, improving the permeability of vascular wall, which can cure local inflammation.
2. Acne case
Li, Female, teacher, Feb. 28, 2006 first visited. More than 1-year facial papule and pustule.
Examination: facial papule, pustule and nodules, cheeks were severe. Flush red skin, sensation of greasiness, red tongue with thin yellow fur.
TCM diagnosis: acne (wind-heat type).
Western medicine diagnosis: Acne.
Treatment: Professor Lian used the method of pricking of “skin selected points”, combining with herbs.
① Selected points of skin: above back and scapular region on both sides, convex skin, duller than normal skin color.
Method: prostrate, fully exposed back, routine disinfection, fixed the pricking point by left hand, fast pricking by right hand, just like a dragonfly skimming the surface of the water. Extruded 3-5 drops, 5-10 drops every time, once or twice every week, twelve times one session.
② Oral herbs: Modifying Pipa Qingfei Yin.
Ingredients: Loquat leaf, Scutellaria, Coptis Chinensis, Phellodendron, Patrinia villosa, Honeysuckle, Saposchnikovia divaricata, Angelica sinensis, White peony root, Dabei,, Trichosanthin, Cortex Lycii, fresh Glycyrrhiza, decocted, and asked her to keep face clean. After 2-session treatment, no new inflammatory papule was onset. 2-month treatment, pustule and nodules reduced. After the third month, all of the symptoms disappeared. The patient was asked to insist on taking herbs in order to consolidate the effect.
Comments:
The pathological changes of Acne is androgen increasing in the body, sebaceous gland increases more secretion, sebum is failed to discharge and accumulate in modern medicine In TCM, it is Feifeng Acne which caused by wind-heat in Lung meridian. Most of the patients have corresponding reacting points on the back. Professor Lian uses pricking method to dredging collaterals, antiphlogistic and detoxification, clear heat. And combining with herbs of heat-clearing and detoxifying can make the treatment easier.