JI Laixi's experience of acupuncture and moxibustion for knee osteoarthritis

Abstract

In theory of TCM, the root cause of knee osteoarthritis (xibi) is the deficiency of liver and kidney, while the symptoms are involved with multiple damages of muscles, tendons and joints. The exogenous evil of wind, coldness, dampness and heat as well as the blood stasis usually block the meridians and collaterals, which cause the knee osteoarthritis. Professor JI Laixi selects acupoints based on syndrome differentiation, and treats both root cause and symptoms. He attaches importance to the ashi points, and takes pain as acupoints. He also treats the lower part of body using the upper acupoints, and treats knees through stimulating the low back. The basic acupoints include the affected Dubi (ST 35), Yinlingquan (SP 9), Yanglingquan (GB 34), Liangqiu (ST 34), Xuehai (SP 10), Xixia point (extral) and ashi point in the knees and waist. Fengchi (GB 20) and Geshu (BL 17) are added for the symptom of wind; Guanyuan (CV 4) is added for the symptom of coldness; Zusanli (ST 36) is added for the symptom of dampness; Quchi (LI 11) is added for the symptom of heat; Fenglong (ST 40) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) are added for the symptom of phlegm-stasis; Ganshu (BL 18) and Shenshu (BL 23) are added for the deficiency of the liver and kidney. The technical combination of acupuncture, including needle-knife, fire needle, bloodletting, regular acupuncture, TDP, are applied to regulate the patients' deficiency and excess using the nine-six reinforcing and reducing methods, and pay high attention to the mind regulation. Using this method, the efficacy is significant.