Diarrhea mainly affects LI.

Treatment

Common points for treating diarrhea:

• BL-25: LI Back-Shu point
• ST-25: LI Front-Mu point
• ST-37: LI Lower He-Sea point
• SP-6: Meeting point of the Three Yin of the Foot
• Add points to treat the cause

By Cold-Damp invasion

Cold blocks LI and SI. It is acute, Full pattern.

Causes

1. External pathogenic Cold/Damp invasion
2. Diet inadequate: excess of cold, raw foods

Symptoms

• Diarrhea is acute and abundant. Quite liquid or watery.
• Abdominal pain around the umbilicus. Pain relieves with heat.
• Abdominal distension, loss of appetite.
• Tongue normal, coating normal or thick
• Tense pulse

Treatment

Eliminate Cold and Damp. Moxibustion works very well.

• CV-12, CV-8, CV-6
• SP-9 eliminates Damp
• BL-20 Tonifies Spleen

By Damp-Heat

Type of infection. Full-Heat

Causes

1. Summer-Heat attacking LI
2. Diet: spoiled food

Symptoms

• Acute and abundant diarrhea with pasty, yellow, urgent stools.
• Burning sensation in the anus.
• Thirst, fever, dark and scant urine.
• Red tongue, thick yellow coating
• Rapid and slippery pulse

Treatment

Eliminate Damp-Heat. Cool

• GV-14, LI-11, LI-2, ST-39, SP-9, CV-12, CV-9

By Food accumulation

Also Full pattern. Ate too much quantity.

Symptoms

• Diarrhea after eating too much.
• Abdominal distension and pain that rejects palpation.
• Abundant stools with sour-putrid smell.
• Feels better after expelling stools.
• Belching
• Tongue normal
• Slippery pulse

Treatment

Eliminate accumulation in Yang Ming (LI and ST)

• CV-10, CV-12, ST-21

By Liver-Qi stagnation

Acute diarrhea associated with emotional changes. Liver-Qi blocked attacks S and LI.

Cause

Emotional.

Symptoms

• Diarrhea with emotional changes, in moments of nervousness. May alternate with constipation (irritable colon).
• Sensation of abdominal and costal distension
• Gas and abdominal pain
• Tongue normal
• Tense pulse

Treatment

Unblock Liver-Qi.

• LR-3, LR-14 or LR-13, CV-12, BL-20, BL-18

By Spleen/Stomach-Qi deficiency

Mild chronic diarrhea

Symptoms

• Mild chronic diarrhea, small quantity
• Undigested food in stools
• Fatigue, poor appetite
• Mild abdominal pain that relieves with heat and palpation
• Pallor
• Tongue swollen and pale with teeth marks
• Weak and fine pulse

Treatment

Tonify Spleen/Stomach-Qi

• BL-20, BL-21, ST-36, SP-3, CV-4, LR-13

By Spleen/Kidney-Yang deficiency

Mild chronic diarrhea and cold.

Symptoms

• Mild chronic diarrhea, small quantity
• Morning diarrhea
• Undigested food in stools
• Fatigue, poor appetite
• Cold in the body and in the abdomen
• Mild abdominal pain that relieves with heat and palpation
• Pain and weakness in lower back and knees
• Pallor
• Tongue swollen and pale with teeth marks
• Weak and fine pulse

Treatment

Tonify Spleen/Kidney-Yang. Moxibustion:

• BL-20, BL-23, GV-4, GV-20, CV-6, CV-8, KI-3, San Jiao Jiu