Excessive sweating - another intrepretation

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At 08:55 AM 11/16/2006, " RIck Botto " <rickbotto wrote:

>I was wondering if there is any generic

acupuncture treatment for excessive sweating.

Only other symptom in this 50 year old healthy

male is urinary retention which is worse with

stress and actually caused him to use Uroxatal

for a while to relieve the symptoms. Acupuncture

treatments seemed to relieve the urinary symptoms, but not the sweating.

 

Points, again, by traditional function/action:

Ki-7 supports Kidney Yang, hence can

govern the sweat pores (opens or closes); also " disinhibits the bladder "

Ht-6 -- " secures the exterior [weiqi,

and the pores] " , and the heart is strongly

associated with sweat control classically.

SI-3 also " secures the exterior " , as

well as " freeing the the governing vessel " (it

was this I point, not an SJ point that I mentioned earlier)

LI-4 " resolves the exterior " , including

indication " sweating or the absence of it… "

 

Spontaneous sweating relates to failure of yangqi

to hold the pores closed, not " consolidating the

surface. " Ki-7 as well as Du-channel stimulates

yangqi. The back inner UB line of points is also

classically considered to be an extension of the

Du channel. Rick's treatment helped the yangqi

governing the bladder. The overactive bladder

sphincter Dx indicates a sinew channel / weiqi issue.

 

Ht-6 and SI-3 together are used traditionally for

profuse night sweating, and could be considered

for daytime sweating also. SI-3, of course,

relates to the Du-channel also, considered

" opening point " for the Du, at least from the

time of the Song era. These two also " clear and

quiet the spirit-disposition " , so may be useful

to mitigate stress. In fact, the case could be

made here for Ht/SI-UB(taiyang). Anecdotally, I

have noted men patients, both young and

middle-aged, who would sweat, especially at the

extremities, during / in reaction to acupuncture

treatment, due to an anxiety reflex (weiqi). I

can remember women mentioning excessive sweating only of the nighttime variety.

 

At the weiqi energetic level (the " exterior " ),

the factors of stress (chronic autonomic

response), the immune system, as well as the

sinew reflexive system all compete for the

yangqi. So this case could be seen as manifesting

yangqi insufficiency at the surface, potentially

taxing yuan or original yangqi over time, without

damage at the yingqi or zangfu level.

Strengthening the yangqi can also help astringe

the yin (fluid loss through sweat); perhaps also

via spleen yang. As Attilio alluded, weiqi is

generated by the stomach(/spleen) from the clear

fluids, and is propelled by the yangqi.

 

It's interesting the range of analytical

frameworks we bring to bear on this case. Some

see zangfu issues, some see 5-phase dynamics,

while my thought here is influenced by classical

channel energetics. Testament, I believe, to the breadth and flexibility of CM.

 

 

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