Wrist-ankle acupuncture in treatment of chronic laryngitis based on “yang transforms qi, yin constitutes form”

Chronic laryngitis is a kind of chronic inflammation of larynx characterized primarily by hoarseness. Its main pathological mechanisms involve insufficiency of yang for transforming qi and the internal production of phlegm-damp, or inadequacy of yin for constituting forms and yin deficiency of lung and kidney. The team applies wrist-ankle acupuncture under the guidance of the theory, "yang transforms qi, yin constitutes forms". The key operational principle of acupuncture is to stimulate the sites pertaining to yang when yang is deficient, while stimulate the sites pertaining to yin when yin is insufficient. The needles are inserted along the running direction of meridians that are distributed through the wrist joints. The therapeutic effect is determined by the changes of pulse conditions. When the needling technique of "yang transforms qi" is adopted, Yanglao (SI6) and Jiexi (ST41) on the left are selected; and when the needling technique of "yin constitutes form" is employed, Tongli (HT5) and Taixi (KI3) on the right are used commonly. The two needling techniques of wrist-ankle acupuncture are combined in treatment to ensure the satisfactory therapeutic effect on chronic laryngitis.