🌿 Folk Prescriptions

【Overview】
Edema refers to fluid retention within the body, overflowing into the skin and causing swelling in the head, face, eyelids, limbs, abdomen, back, or even the entire body. Edema is a manifestation of impaired overall qi transformation function, closely related to the lungs, spleen, kidneys, and triple burner. Depending on symptom presentation, it is classified into yang edema and yin edema, commonly seen in diseases such as nephritis, pulmonary heart disease, liver cirrhosis, nutritional disorders, and endocrine imbalances.
【Pathogenesis】
(1) External wind-dampness invades, settles in the lungs, impairing lung function of dispersion and descent, obstructing water pathways, causing fluid overflow into the skin and resulting in edema.
(2) Dietary excess and fatigue damage the spleen and stomach, impairing their transportation and transformation functions, causing dampness stagnation and spreading into the skin, leading to edema.
(3) Excessive sexual activity damages kidney essence, impairing its ability to transform qi and promote water movement, causing internal retention of dampness and fluid overflow into the skin, resulting in edema.
【Syndrome Differentiation and Treatment】
(1) Yang Edema
Principal Symptoms: Rapid onset; initial mild swelling of face and eyes, progressing to generalized swelling; more severe swelling above the waist, shiny skin, swollen scrotum, chest tightness, shortness of breath. Or chills without sweating, white slippery coating, floating tight pulse; or sore throat, thin yellow coating, floating rapid pulse.
Treatment Principle: Primarily select acupoints from the Lung and Spleen meridians. Use balanced reinforcing and reducing technique to promote lung dispersion, relieve exterior patterns, and diuretic action. After exterior pathogens subside, incorporate treatment principles for yin edema.
Prescription: Lieque, Hegu, Pianli, Yinlingquan, Weiyang
Explanation: Yang edema results from impaired lung dispersion and internal retention of dampness. Swelling above the waist requires inducing sweating; thus, Lieque and Hegu are selected to induce sweating and clear lung qi. Swelling below the waist requires promoting urination; hence, Pianli and Yinlingquan are chosen to promote urination and reduce edema. Weiyang, as the lower confluence point of the Triple Burner, regulates the qi transformation function of the Triple Burner to eliminate edema.
(2) Yin Edema
Principal Symptoms: Slower onset; swelling starting in the ankles, gradually spreading throughout the body; more severe swelling below the waist, indentation upon pressure that recovers slowly, dull skin, reduced urine output. Or accompanied by epigastric fullness, abdominal distension, poor appetite, loose stools, fatigue, greasy white tongue coating, slow weak pulse; or accompanied by lower back pain, leg soreness, cold intolerance, fatigue, pale tongue, white coating, deep fine weak pulse.
Treatment Principle: Primarily select acupoints from the Foot Taiyin and Shaoyin meridians. Use reinforcing technique with moxibustion to warm and supplement the spleen and kidneys, promoting diuresis and reducing edema.
Prescription: Pishu, Shenshu, Shui fen, Fulu, Guanyuan, Sanyinjiao
Explanation: Yin edema stems from spleen and kidney yang deficiency. Stimulating Pishu, Shenshu, and Fulu warms the vital yang of the spleen and kidneys, promoting qi transformation in the triple burner. Moxibustion at Shui fen promotes diuresis to reduce edema. Moxibustion at Guanyuan strengthens primordial qi and warms the lower jiao. Reinforcing Sanyinjiao strengthens the spleen, promotes dampness elimination, and facilitates urination.
【Other Therapies】
Auricular Acupuncture
Points: Lung, Spleen, Kidney, Triple Burner, Bladder, Cortex Suprarenalis
Method: Select 2–3 points per session, moderate stimulation, once every other day. Alternatively, use ear acupoint embedding therapy.