Lung and Large Intestine Syndromes
The lungs are situated in the chest. They connect with the throat and open into the nose. Their main physiological functions are dominating qi (vital energy), controlling respiration, maintaining the smoothness of different vessels, and regulating water flow. The skin and hair are important indicators of their health. The lung meridian communicates with the large intestine meridian creating an exterior and interior relationship between these two organs. The two organ systems influence each other closely.
The lung and large intestine create an exterior and interior relationship
The lungs are vulnerable organs. When exogenous evils enter the body through the mouth, nasal or body surface, they are always affected first leading to different syndromes of lung.
| Lung syndromes | Meridians for the major acupoints | Recommended techniques |
| Wind-cold retention in lungs | The lung and large intestine meridians | Reducing needling techniques, and combine with moxibustion if necessary |
| Heat retention in lungs | The lung and large intestine meridians | Reducing needling techniques, or use "pricking" needles to draw small amount of blood from certain acupoints |
| Turbid phlegm obstructing lungs | The lung, spleen and stomach meridians | Reducing needling techniques |
| Heat damaging lung yin | The lung and kidney meridians, and also the back transport point | Reinforcing needling techniques; do not use moxibustion |
| Qi deficiency of lungs | The lung and spleen meridians and also the back transport points | Reinforcing needling techniques, combine with moxibustion if necessary |
| Localized symptoms along the course of the lung meridian, e.g. shoulder pain, muscular spasm of the front arms | The lung meridian and its connecting points | Use a combination of acupuncture and moxibustion |
| Heat irritating the lung meridian causing nasal bleeding and pain in the throat and windpipe | The lung and large intestine meridians | Reducing needling techniques; blood-letting method if necessary |
| Large intestine syndromes | Meridians for the major acupoints | Recommended techniques |
| Cold retention in the large intestine | The alarm points and the lower sea points of the large intestine | A combination of acupuncture and moxibustion |
| Toxic heat retention in the large intestine | The large intestine and stomach meridians, specially the alarm points and the lower sea points of the large intestine | Reducing needling techniques |
| Chronic and persistent diarrhea | The spleen, stomach, Governor Vessel and Conception Vessel meridians | Combining use of acupuncture and moxibustion |
| Excess pathogens in large intestine (constipation) | The stomach and large intestine meridians | Reducing needling techniques; do not use moxibustion |
| Localized symptoms along the course of the large intestine meridian e.g. pain and weakness of the back arm | The large intestine meridian | Reducing needling techniques; combine with moxibustion if necessary |
The lung and large intestine create an exterior and interior relationship
