🌿 Folk Prescriptions

【Overview】
Cough is a major symptom of lung-related diseases. Its causes include external pathogenic invasion leading to obstruction of lung qi and cough, or internal lung pathology, or diseases in other organs affecting the lungs and causing cough. Commonly seen in upper respiratory tract infections, acute/chronic bronchitis, bronchiectasis, and tuberculosis.
【Etiology and Pathogenesis】
(1) External Invasion: The lung governs qi and serves as the canopy of the five zang organs, connected to the throat and opening to the nose, externally linked to the skin and hair, responsible for respiration. When invaded by external pathogens, the lung’s defensive system is compromised, lung qi becomes obstructed and unable to disperse, losing its clarity and purity, thus triggering cough.
Different seasonal changes lead to different external pathogens, clinically classified into wind-cold cough and wind-heat cough.
(2) Internal Injury: Cough caused by dysfunction of the lung or diseases in other organs affecting the lung is termed internal injury cough. Common types include cough due to lung dryness and yin deficiency, where the lung loses its clarity and purity; spleen yang deficiency leading to phlegm accumulation, phlegm turbidity invading the lung and disrupting qi flow; liver qi stagnation transforming into fire, which scorches the lung (wood-fire injuring metal); and lung-kidney yin deficiency, where the lung loses its ability to disperse and descend, resulting in cough.
【Syndrome Differentiation and Treatment】
(1) External Cough
1. Wind-Cold
Principal Symptoms: Itchy cough, clear thin phlegm, chills, fever, no sweating, headache, nasal congestion, runny nose, thin white tongue coating, floating pulse.
2. Wind-Heat
Principal Symptoms: Yellow, sticky phlegm, unsatisfactory cough, thirst, sore throat, fever, possibly accompanied by headache, aversion to wind, sweating, thin yellow coating, floating rapid pulse.
Treatment Principle: Primarily select points from the Hand Taiyin and Yangming meridians. For wind-cold cough, use combined acupuncture and moxibustion; for wind-heat, use acupuncture only (no moxibustion) to promote lung dispersion and relieve exterior patterns.
Prescription: Lieque, Hegu, Feishu
Supplementary Points According to Syndrome: For cough with sore throat, add Shaoshang; for fever and chills, add Dazhui, Wai Guan.
Explanation: The lung governs the skin and hair and is paired with the large intestine. Selecting Lieque, the Luo point of the lung meridian, and Hegu, the Yuan point of the large intestine meridian, helps expel wind and pathogenic factors, promote lung dispersion, and relieve exterior patterns. Feishu, the back-shu point of the lung, regulates lung qi and enhances the effect of promoting lung dispersion and relieving exterior patterns. For sore throat, bleeding at Shaoshang clears lung heat. For fever and chills, Dazhui and Wai Guan help reduce fever and relieve exterior patterns.
(2) Internal Cough
1. Phlegm-Dampness Obstructing the Lungs
Principal Symptoms: Excessive cough with abundant white, sticky phlegm, chest and epigastric fullness, poor appetite, greasy white tongue coating, slippery pulse.
Treatment Principle: Primarily select back-shu points and points from the Foot Yangming meridian. Use a combination of reinforcing and reducing techniques, optionally adding moxibustion to strengthen the spleen and resolve phlegm.
Prescription: Feishu, Pishu, Zhongwan, Zusanli, Chize, Fenglong
Explanation: Feishu and Pishu tonify lung and spleen qi, enhancing lung dispersion and spleen transformation functions. Zhongwan and Zusanli strengthen the spleen and stomach to resolve phlegm-dampness. Chize clears lung heat to stop cough, Fenglong resolves phlegm and descends qi. Together, these points effectively strengthen the spleen, resolve phlegm, and stop cough.
2. Lung Dryness and Yin Deficiency
Principal Symptoms: Dry cough with little or no phlegm, or phlegm hard to expectorate, dry nose and throat, or sore throat, phlegm with blood streaks, or even hemoptysis, tidal fever, flushed cheeks, red tongue with thin coating, fine rapid pulse.
Treatment Principle: Primarily select back-shu and front-mu points of the lung. Use balanced reinforcing and reducing technique to nourish yin, moisten dryness, and calm lung qi.
Prescription: Feishu, Zhongfu, Lieque, Zhaohai
Supplementary Points According to Syndrome: For hemoptysis, add Kongzui, Gegu.
Explanation: Feishu and Zhongfu, as back-shu and front-mu points, nourish the lung and regulate qi. Lieque, the Luo point of the lung meridian, connects to the Ren meridian, clearing and moistening to stop cough. Combined with Zhaohai, which nourishes yin and generates body fluids to clear the throat. Kongzui, the郄 point of the lung meridian, treats acute conditions. Gegu, the blood meeting point, specializes in stopping bleeding. Together, these points nourish yin, moisten dryness, calm lung qi, and stop cough and bleeding.
【Other Therapies】
1. Auricular Acupuncture
Points: Lung, Trachea, Shenmen, Spleen
Method: Bilateral selection, moderate stimulation, retain needle for 10–20 minutes, once every other day; 10 sessions constitute one course. Also applicable: Wangbuliuxing seed application on auricular points.
2. Skin Needling
Points: Du meridian, bladder meridian along neck and back, sides of the throat.
Method: Light to moderate tapping, once daily, 10 sessions per course.