Six Qi as per TCM Guide · Sunrays Acupoint treatment protocols
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the Six Qi are the principal environmental energies that influence health and disease. When in harmony, they support physiological function; when excessive or when a person’s defensive qi (wei qi) is weak, these same forces become pathogenic — called the Six Excesses .
Six Qi: Wind, Cold, Heat/Fire, Dampness, Dryness, Summer Heat. We will try to explain each Qi in clinical terms with some practical protocols for patient care.
1. Wind (风)
Nature: Yang, mobile, sudden, and changeable. Wind is known as the “leader of 100 diseases” because it often accompanies other pathogens and opens the way for them to invade the body.
Clinical characteristics
- Sudden onset and moving symptoms (e.g., migrating pains).
- Often enters via nose, mouth, skin, or the neck.
- May present with headaches, sneezing, itching, or tremors.
Examples
Sunrays Acupoint protocol (Wind patterns)
- Points: LU7, LI4, GB20, BL12
- Modalities: gentle acupuncture + moxa on DU14/BL12 where indicated; flash cupping on upper back (3–5 min)
- Adjunct: neck warm compress + guided breathing
- Oil Massage: Apply warm oil + upper back → gentle upward strokes. For Wind-Heat (fever, sore throat)
- LI11 – Clear heat
- DU14 – Reduce fever
- SJ5 – External wind-heat
- LU10 – Sore throat
- LV3 + LI4 (Four Gates) – Move liver qi
- GB34 – Tendons
- DU20 – Vertigo control
- Avoid exposure to strong fans / coolers directly on the neck.
- Improve sleep cycle (regular bed/wake times, sleep hygiene).
Steam therapy: Tulsi + ajwain steam is useful (non-TCM add-on).
For Internal Liver Wind (dizziness, tremors)2. Cold (寒)
Nature: Yin, contracting, and slowing — cold causes constriction of the channels and stagnation of qi and blood.
Clinical characteristics
- Severe chills, aversion to cold, absence of sweating (in acute exterior cold).
- Sharp, fixed pain that improves with heat.
- Cold hands and feet, Painful periods (cold in uterus)
- Signs of internal cold: pale tongue, slow or deep pulse, loose stools, and cold limbs.
Examples
Sunrays Acupoint protocol (Cold patterns)
- Points: Ren4, Ren6, ST36, BL23, BL25
- Modalities: warming moxa on Ren4/6 and ST36; static cupping along BL meridian (8–10 min)
- Advice: avoid cold exposure; dietary warming (ginger, warm soups)
For Cold Attack (body aches, chills)
- BL12 – Wind gate
- DU14 – Warm yang
- ST36 – Boost immunity
- Ren4 + Ren6 (Moxa) – Warm interior
For Cold-Induced Back Pain
- BL23 – Kidney
- BL25 – Large intestine
- BL40 – Popliteal
Cupping
- Static cupping along entire BL meridian
- Duration: 8–10 minutes, medium suction
For Cold in Abdomen (diarrhea, cramps)
- ST25
- Ren12
- ST36
Warm moxa highly recommended.
3. Heat / Fire (热 / 火)
Nature: Strong Yang: rising, drying, and consuming body fluids. Heat may present as exterior (wind-heat) or as interior heat (organ fire, blood heat).
Clinical characteristics
- Fever, thirst, red face, restlessness, yellow tongue coating, rapid pulse.
- Can cause bleeding, skin eruptions, irritability, insomnia.
- Acid reflux, ulcers, eczema, Burning urine, Constipation
Examples
Sunrays Acupoint protocol (Heat patterns)
- Points: LI11, DU14, LU10, LV2, SP10
- Modalities: cooling acupuncture techniques, gentle cupping away from inflamed skin, topical cooling compresses
- Advice: cool fluids, avoid spicy/greasy foods, rest
- For Wind-Heat / Fever / Throat Pain
- LI11 – Top heat-clearing point
- LU11 – Throat
- SJ5 – Wind-heat release
- DU14 – Reduce fever
- For Liver Fire (anger, migraine)
- LV2 – Clears fire
- GB20 – Headache
- Taiyang point
- LI4
- For Skin Heat (acne, eczema)
- LI11, SP10 – Blood cooling
- BL40 – Blood heat
- Ashi cupping around affected area
4. Dampness (湿)
Nature: Yin, heavy, sticky, and turbid — dampness obstructs the middle burner (spleen/stomach) and is difficult to eliminate.
Clinical characteristics
- Heaviness, foggy thinking, poor appetite, sticky tongue coat, loose stools or sticky vaginal discharge.
- Edema or swelling, Sinus congestion, PCOS (TCM view: damp-phlegm), Urinary burning (damp-heat).
- Damp frequently combines with heat (damp-heat) or cold (damp-cold).
Examples
Sunrays Acupoint protocol (Damp patterns)
- Points: SP9, ST40, ST36, Ren12, Ren3 (for genitourinary damp)
- Modalities: cupping (dynamic on thighs/abdomen), electro-acupuncture, dietary therapy to reduce dairy/sugar
- Advice: reduce cold/damp foods; increase light cooked vegetables, ginger tea, and movement
- For Dampness Affecting Digestion
- SP9 – Drain damp
- ST40 – Phlegm point
- Ren12 – Stomach
- ST36 – Spleen qi booster
- For Damp-Heat (UTI, leucorrhea)
- SP9 + SP6
- Ren3
- LV5
- For Damp Joint Pain
- GB34 – Tendons
- BL60
- Local cupping
- Moxa (if damp-cold)
- Cupping
- Dynamic cupping on thighs, hips, abdomen
- Flash cupping for edema relief
5. Dryness (燥)
Nature: Dryness consumes fluids and primarily affects the lungs and skin. It is often seen in autumn or with constitutional yin deficiency.
Clinical characteristics
- Dry cough, dry mouth and throat, dry skin, constipation, scanty urine, dry nasal passages.
- Often worse in dry seasons or with environmental exposures (heating, air-conditioning).
Examples
Sunrays Acupoint protocol (Dryness patterns)
- Points: LU9, LU7 + KI6, Ren17, SP6
- Modalities: gentle acupuncture with nourishing methods, mild oil cupping, dietary support for fluids (pear, honey, soups)
- Advice: humidifier use in dry season; avoid excessive heating/air conditioning
- For Dry Cough / Lung Dryness
- LU9 – Nourish lung
- LU7 + KI6 – Moisten dryness
- Ren17 – Open chest
- For Skin Dryness / Eczema
- SP6, SP10 – Blood & yin nourishment
- LI11
- Local oil cupping (very mild suction)
- For Constipation from Dryness
- LI4, LI11
- ST25
- SJ6 – Moves bowels
6. Summer Heat (暑)
Nature: Seasonal extreme Yang — intense heat often combined with dampness and fluid depletion.
Clinical characteristics
- Profuse sweating, thirst, fatigue, dizziness, faintness, nausea, loose stools in severe cases.
- Often occurs during hot months or with prolonged sun exposure.
Examples
Sunrays Acupoint protocol (Summer Heat patterns)
- Points: LI11, DU14, PC6, ST36, SP9
- Modalities: cooling acupuncture technique, fluid replacement guidance, gentle cupping away from blistered skin
- Advice: oral rehydration, shade and rest, light cooling foods (watermelon, cucumber)
- For Heatstroke / Overheating
- LI11 – Clear heat
- PC6 – Nausea
- DU14 – Fever
- ST36 – Restore energy
- For Summer Heat + Dampness (nausea, diarrhea)
- SP9 – Damp
- Ren12 – Digestion
- PC6 – Nausea
- ST25 – Diarrhea
Treatment Principles
At Sunrays Acupoint, treatment follows a structured approach:
- Assess: Detailed intake—season, exposure history, tongue and pulse, symptom pattern.
- Differentiate: Exterior vs interior; primary Qi involved; combined patterns (e.g., wind-cold, damp-heat).
- Treat: Select acupuncture points, cupping style (static, dynamic, flash), moxibustion, manual therapy, and lifestyle/diet advice.
- Reassess: Monitor response at session and plan follow-ups (usually 1–3 sessions for acute exterior; 6–12 for chronic patterns).
Step-by-step Sunrays Acupoint Clinic Protocol (Acute Wind-Cold upper respiratory)
- Intake & vitals: onset, fever pattern, sweating, neck stiffness.
- Pulse/tongue: tight pulse, thin white tongue coat.
- Treatment: LU7 + LI4, GB20; moxa on DU14 if cold predominates.
- Cupping: flash cupping on upper back to mobilize the exterior (2–4 minutes).
- Home care: warm fluids, avoid cold exposure, simple ginger decoction for 2–3 days.
Step-by-step Sunrays Acupoint Clinic Protocol (Chronic Spleen Damp)
- Intake: chronic heaviness, poor appetite, sticky stools, history of damp exposure.
- Pulse/tongue: slippery pulse, greasy tongue coating.
- Treatment: ST36, SP9, ST40, Ren12; consider electroacupuncture on ST36 etc.
- Cupping: dynamic cupping on abdomen and thighs to promote lymphatic flow and move damp (5–8 minutes).
- Diet/lifestyle: eliminate dairy and excessive sweets, increase movement and dry-warm foods (ginger, rosemary), follow-up 1–2x weekly.
Note: Protocols are individualized. Contraindications — pregnancy (avoid abdominal/lumbar cupping), open skin infections, severe bleeding disorders, and patients on high-dose anticoagulants.
FAQs
Q: Can multiple Qi act together?
A: Yes — combined patterns (e.g., Wind-Heat, Damp-Heat, Cold-Damp) are common and require combined strategies (expel exterior + clear heat, strengthen spleen + drain damp, etc.).
Q: How quickly do patients respond?
A: Acute exterior patterns often improve in 1–3 sessions; chronic internal patterns may take several weeks to months with lifestyle changes and repeated treatments.
Q: Is cupping safe for all conditions?
A: Cupping is safe when done by trained practitioners. Avoid on open wounds, varicose veins, infected skin; use caution with anticoagulants and severe anemia.
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