It's another great day to study acupuncture points! Today we're talking about sore throat...

ACUPUNCTURE FACT:

KI-6 (照海 zhào hǎi) benefits the throat; for swelling and pain of the throat, dry throat, or difficulty swallowing.

KI-6 is located 1 cun below the medial malleolus, between the two ligamentous bundles.

EXPLANATION:

The Kidney channel has an internal pathway that ascends along the throat and connects to the root of the tongue, so that is why this point is able to treat throat issues.

Also, KI-6 has an action of tonifying Kidney yin and clearing deficiency heat. 

You can maybe remember the major points of the Kidney channel like this:

• KI-3: tonifies both yin and yang (source point)
• KI-6: tonifies yin (especially for the throat and eyes)
• KI-7: tonifies yang (especially for edema)

KI-6 is also the confluent point for the Yin Qiao Mai (Yin Motility Vessel) which also goes to the throat.

So KI-6 is especially useful for swelling, dryness, pain in the throat, and difficulty swallowing due to yin deficiency. This type of sore throat is chronic and lingering in nature, and worse at night and with tiredness.

But KI-6 has such an affinity for the throat that it can actually be used for any type of sore throat, whether it’s due to deficiency or excess. It can also be used for plum pit qi (sensation of something stuck in the throat and cannot be swallowed, usually associated with emotions).

BONUS FACT:

Another point with an affinity for the throat is LU-10. The Lung channel also ascends to the throat, and LU-10 is the Ying-Spring point, so it’s good for clearing heat. So LU-10 also treats sore throat.

CLINICAL APPLICATION:

Sore throat can be due to excess heat (such as external attack), or due to yin deficiency.

Sore throat due to yin deficiency usually presents with gradual onset, with or without fever, congested throat with intermittent pain or pain during swallowing, dry throat (worse at night), heat in the palms and soles, a red tongue without coat, and a thin, rapid pulse

What's happening here is, because yin is deficient, it is unable to ascend and moisten the throat. The other signs are all consistent with yin deficiency.

According to CAM, the point prescription for this situation is:

• KI-3, KI-6, LU-10, LU-7, REN-23, LI-18

As stated above, KI-6 and LU-10 both benefit the throat. Also, KI-6 + LU-7 are points to open the Yin Qiao Mai, which also ascends to the throat. REN-23 and LI-18 are local points for the throat.

Hopefully this acupuncture fact wasn’t too difficult to swallow!

Click the "Complete and Continue" button to go on to the next fact.

A Manual of Acupuncture, by Peter Deadman et al., Journal of Chinese Medicine Publications, 2007, pp. 344-345

Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion (3rd Edition), by Deng Liangyue et al., Foreign Languages Press, 2016, pp. 508-509