Acute and chronic bronchitis refers to inflammation of trachea and bronchia due to various factors. The main clinical symptoms are cough, expectoration and asthma. Acute and chronic bronchitis pertains to the conceptions of cough, cough and dyspnea as well as phlegm and fluid-retention in TCM. The cause of this disease is either ex-ogenous or endogenous. Exogenous cause refers to attack by wind, cold, heat and dryness that lead to non-convey-ance of pulmonary qi, failure of body fluids to distribute and obstruction of the trachea by sputum. Endogenous cause refers to dysfunction of the lung, spleen and kid-ney. Lung asthenia results in failure of pulmonary qi to convey and descend; dysfunction of the spleen leads to ac-cumulation of dampness into phlegm which attacks the lung; kidney asthenia brings about dysfunction of qi and upward adverse flow of qi; or invasion of liver fire into the lung leads to consumption of body fluid by lung heat. Acute bronchitis is usually of sthenia syndrome, while chronic bronchitis is usually of asthenia syndrome or syn-drome with asthenia in root and sthenia in branch.
Prescription: Feishu ( BL 13 ), Lieque ( LU 7 ), Tiantu (CV 22) and Taiyuan (LU 9).
Modification: For wind-cold encumbering the lung, Fengchi (GB 20) and Hegu (LI 4) are added; for wind-heat attacking lung, Dazhui (GV 14) and Quchi (LI 11) are added; for dry-heat impairing lung; Chize (LU 5) and Waiguan (TE 15) are added; for retention of phlegm and dampness in the lung, Zusanli (ST 36) and Fenglong (ST40) are added; for liver fire scorching lung, Xingjian (LR 2) and Yuji (LU 10) are added; for asthenia of lung and kidney yin, Shenshu (BL 23 ), Gaohuang (BL 43) and Taixi (KI 3) are added; for asthenia of spleen and kidney yang, Pishu (BL 20), Shenshu (BL 23), Guanyuan (CV 4) and Zusanli (ST 36) are added; for blood in sputum, Kongzui (LU 6) is added; for night sweating, Yinxi (HT 6) is added; for dropsy of face and limbs and dysuria, Yin-lingquan (SP 9) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) are added.
Performance: Needling techniques are selected according to the nature of the syndromes. For the treat-ment of wind-cold encumbering the lung, retention of phlegm and dampness in the lung and asthenia of spleen and kidney yang, Back-Shu acupoint can be needled with the addition of moxibustion or cupping, Guanyuan (CV 4) and Zusanli (ST 36) can be moxibusted. For acute bronchi-tis, the treatment is given once or twice a day; for chronic bronchitis, the treatment is given once every 1 - 2 days.
Prescription: Lung (C014), Spleen (C013), Kidney (C010), Trachea (CO16), Ear Shenmen (TF4), Adrenal Gland (TG2p) and Antitragic Apex (AT1,2,4i).
Performance: Each time 2 - 3 acupoints are selected and needled with filiform needles. For acute bronchitis, the needling is done with strong stimulation; while for chronic bronchitis, the needling is done with moderate stimulation. The needles are manipulated once every 5-10 minutes. Or ear-pressure with Wangbuliuxingzi (Semen Vaccariae) is used.
