Bluish-Purple, with dark-swollen veins underneath it. Her pulse was Deep and Minute.
Diagnosis This pattern presents a combination of Liver-Yang rising and stasis of
Blood in the head. The headaches occurring along the Gall-Bladder
channel are a manifestation of Liver-Yang rising. The vomiting and
diarrhoea are due to Liver-Qi stagnation invading Stomach and Spleen
preventing the former from descending (hence vomiting) and the latter
from ascending (hence diarrhoea).
In this case, Liver-Yang rising derives from deficiency of Blood as
evidenced by the scanty periods, Pale tongue and Minute pulse.In addition, the long-standing headaches led to stasis of Blood in the
head, hence the stabbing nature of the pain and the Bluish-Purple tongue
with dark-distended veins underneath.Principle of treatment In this case it is possible to treat both the Root (deficiency of
Liver-Blood) and the Manifestation (stasis of Blood in the head and
rising of Liver-Yang). It is therefore necessary to nourish Liver-Blood,
move Blood and subdue Liver-Yang.
Acupuncture The main points used were T.B.-5 Waiguan, P-6 Neiguan, Ren-4
Guanyuan, LIV-8 Ququan, LIV-3 Taichong, SP-6 Sanyinjiao, G.B.-1
Tongziliao and SP-10 Xuehai.
Ren-4, LIV-8 and SP-6 were needled with reinforcing method to
nourish Liver-Blood. The other points were needled with even method
to move Blood and subdue Liver-Yang.Explanation Ren-4, LIV-8 and SP-6 were reinforced to nourish Liver-Blood.
T.B.-5 was chosen as a distal point to affect the Gall-Bladder channel
on the head and subdue Liver-Yang.P-6 was chosen to move Blood in the head.G.B.-1 was chosen as a local point to move Blood in the head.LIV-3 subdues Liver-Yang.SP-10 moves Blood.Herbal treatment The prescription chosen was a variation of Tao Hong Si Wu Tang
Prunus-Carthamus Four Substances Decoction mentioned above.
The only variations made to this prescription were increasing the dosage
of Chuan Xiong Radix Ligustici wallichii and adding Tian Ma Rhizoma