Acupuncture for Cough - Treatment

Protocols
Below you will find some of the more common tcm diagnoses and acupuncture treatment
protocols for acute and chronic cough and related issues. There are many ways to treat this
condition with Eastern Medicine and our presentation is only one of many possible options.

Etiology & Pathology:

o Exterior Conditions - More Acute

Wind-Cold

Wind-Heat

Wind-Damp

Wind-Dry

Interior Conditions - More Chronic

LU/KD Deficiency

SP Yang Deficiency

LV Fire effecting the LU

Differentiation:
o

Wind-Cold

Signs & Symptoms:

Patient may have: chills and fever (w/chills predominating),

aversion to cold, headache, stuffy nose, clear mucus, choking
cough.

Tongue: Thin white coating

Pulse: Floating, tight (indicates cold predominates)

Treatment Protocol:

Release the Exterior

Expel the Wind

Circulate LU Qi

Warm the Cold

Treatment Points:

Main Points:

UB 12 - expel wind.

UB 13 - LU Back Shu point.

LU 7 - Release exterior, expel wind, circulate LU useful in conjuction with UB 12 as listed above.

LU 9 - alleviate cough, circulate LU.

Secondary Points:

Wind-Heat

GB 20, GV 16 a/or LI 4 - useful if body aches a/or

head/neck tension is present.

Signs & Symptoms:

Patient may have: fever, sore throat, thirst, cough with sputum.

Tongue: Thin yellow coating

Pulse: Floating, fast

Treatment Protocol:

Expel the Wind-Heat

Release the Exterior

Circulate LU Qi

Treatment Points:

UB 12 - expel wind.

UB 13 - LU Back Shu point.

LU 10 - expel heat in the LU.

TH 5 - release the exterior in cases of wind-heat, LI 4 is more

for wind-cold.

Wind-Damp

Signs & Symptoms:

Patient may have: Profuse mucus, heavy/loose/thick cough,

feelings of heaviness in the body.

Tongue: Greasy, thick coating

Pulse: Floating, slippery

Treatment Protocol:

Expel Wind

Resolve Dampness

Circulate the LU Qi

Treatment Points:

LU 7 - expel wind, circulate LU Qi.

SP 5 - Dispersion & Jing-River Point - often used for cough

and throat disorders to resolve dampness.

SP 9 - Resolve dampness.

CV 12 - ST Front Mu Point, resolve dampness.

Wind-Dry

Signs & Symptoms:

More likely in the fall or in warm/dry climates.

Patient may have: Dry cough w/o sputum, dry mouth, nose &
throat.

Tongue: Red tip, dry

Pulse: Floating

Treatment Protocol:

Expel Wind

Moisten and Circulate the LU

Treatment Points:

Main Points:

UB 12 - Expel wind.

UB 13 - LU Back Shu point.

LU 9 - Moisten LU.

KD 7 - directs fluids upwards towards the LU.

Secondary Points:

CV 12 a/or SP 6 - to aid the ST in the production of

body fluids.

LU/KD Deficiency/Dryness

Signs & Symptoms:

Patient may have: Unproductive cough, scanty/no sputum, yin

deficiency signs (afternoon fever, night sweats, mallor flush,
heat in the 5 palms), possibly coughing blood as in TB.

Tongue: Red, no coating

Pulse: Thin, rapid

Treatment Protocol:

Moisten LU

Nourish Yin

Descend LU Qi

Treatment Points:

Main Points:

KD 3, UB 13 & UB 23 - used together to nourish the

Yin of the KD/LU.

LU 5 - clear LU empty-heat, descend LU Qi.

Secondary Points:

LU 6 & UB 17 - used together to alleviate coughing

Blood.

UB 43 - for patients with severe deficiencies.

SP Yang Deficiency

Signs & Symptoms:

Patient may have: Poor appetite/digestion, fullness in the

epigastric area, fatigue, bodily weakness, cold extrememties,
pale face, cough w/profuse sweating.

Tongue: Empty/Soft (w/deficiency) or Slippery (w/excess

phlegm-damp)

Pulse: Pale, swollen, greasy tongue coating

Treatment Protocol:

Tonify SP

Transform Phlegm

Alleviate Cough

Treatment Points:

Main Points:

UB 20 with ST 36 - Needle & Moxa to tonify SP.

UB 13 - LU Back Shu point, alleviate cough.

CV 12 with ST 40 - Transform phlegm, alleviate

epigastric area tension.

Secondary Points:

May want to tonify KD Yang as it is the root of SP

Yang.

Moxa/Needle either:
CV 4 & CV 6 or
UB 23 & GV 4

LV Fire effecting the LU

Signs & Symptoms:

Patient may have: coughing possibly blood-tinged, costal pain,

irritability.

Tongue: Red w/yellow coating

Pulse: Wiry, rapid

Treatment Protocol:

Expel LV Heat

Alleviate Cough

Treatment Points:

LV 2 - Expel LV heat.

LV 14 - Expel LV heat, resolve stagnation.

GV 34 - Aid LV 2, alleviate costal pain.

UB 13 with LU 5 - used together to expel LU heat and descend

the LU Qi.

The information on our site is drawn from our own lecture notes and clinical experience. The
following lecture notes were consulted within this section:

St. John, Meredith: New England School of Acupuncture, Etiology and Pathology
Lecture Notes
Valaskatgis, Peter: New England School of Acupuncture, Etiology and Pathology
Lecture Notes