What Acupoints Should Be Used for Diarrhea?

Diarrhea is a relatively common phenomenon. There are many causes of diarrhea, such as food that is not fresh or unhygienic, gastroenteritis, and poor gastrointestinal health. During diarrhea, it is recommended to consume light and easy-to-digest foods. Additionally, moxibustion can be used to improve symptoms by stimulating specific acupuncture points. Let's explore which acupuncture points are effective for treating diarrhea.

1. Tianshu (ST25): This point is located in the middle of the abdomen, on both sides of the navel. It is primarily used to treat constipation, abdominal distension, diarrhea, pain around the umbilicus, ascites, intestinal paralysis, indigestion, nausea, and vomiting.

2. Neiguan (PC6): This point is located on the palm side of the forearm, 2 cun above the wrist crease, between the palmaris longus tendon and the radial flexor carpi tendon. It is used to treat conditions such as heartache, palpitations, chest tightness and shortness of breath, hiccups, stomach pain, insomnia, morning sickness, carsickness, arm pain, headache, eye congestion, nausea and vomiting, chest and rib pain, epigastric pain, angina pectoris, menstrual pain, hiccups, diarrhea, and mental disorders.

3. Dachang Xiahe (ST44): This point is located on the anterior lateral aspect of the lower leg, 6 cun below the lateral knee crease, one finger-width from the anterior border of the tibia. It treats digestive system diseases such as appendicitis, gastroenteritis, diarrhea, dysentery, hernia, constipation, and indigestion, as well as motor system diseases like sequelae of cerebrovascular disease, paralysis or spasms of the lower limbs, and knee joint pain and swelling.

4. Xiaochang Xiahe (ST41): This point is located on the anterior lateral aspect of the lower leg, 9 cun below the lateral knee crease, one finger-width from the anterior border of the tibia. It treats digestive system diseases such as acute and chronic enteritis, acute and chronic hepatitis, and pancreatitis, as well as nervous system diseases like epilepsy, mental illness, and intercostal neuralgia. Additionally, it treats motor system diseases like paralysis and spasms of the lower limbs.

Moxibustion can be used as an adjuvant treatment for diarrhea. Depending on the symptoms, additional acupuncture points may be added. For example, points such as Hegu and Dazhui may be used for cases with wind-cold symptoms, while Liangmen and Xuanji may be added for cases involving food intoxication. For cases with damp-heat symptoms, Yinlingquan and Dazhui may be used. The moxibustion technique involves using moxa sticks or moxibustion boxes to gently stimulate the acupuncture points, with each point being treated for 15-20 minutes at a time. A course of treatment typically consists of 7 days, with women advised to stop during menstruation. Recommended moxibustion devices include 3-hole or multi-hole boxes for the abdomen and single-hole or portable devices for the limbs.

When treating diarrhea, it is important for patients to rest in bed, drink plenty of water, and consume fluids such as fruit juice, lotus root starch, rice soup, and egg soup to replenish fluids lost during the acute phase. Foods that can cause bloating, such as beef, should be avoided, and sucrose intake should be reduced. Additionally, it is crucial to maintain good food hygiene practices.