Liver-Fire

Key Insight

emotional stress, anger, resentment, repressed anger or frustration

Physical connection
Physical Symptom
Illnesses

Psych (excess)
Psych (deficient)

Related Principle
More specific principle
Full (excess)
Type
Lesson

Look for

Red tongue, redder on the sides, dry yellow coating, Full-Wiry- Rapid pulse

Questions to ask
A Red tongue with redder sides and a dry yellow coating would be enough to diagnose Liver-Fire
Pulse
Full (Shi)Wiry (Xian)Rapid (Shu)
Pulse position
Middle—Liver

Liver-Fire often derives from long-standing Liver-Qi stagnation: when Qi stagnates for a long time, it ‘implodes’ and gives rise to Heat, which can then trans- form into Fire.

Liver-Yang rising could also transform itself into Liver-Fire, especially when there are dietary aetiologi- cal factors

Clinical manifestations

Irritability, propensity to outbursts of anger, tinnitus, deafness, temporal headache, dizziness, red face and eyes, thirst, bitter taste, dream-disturbed sleep, constipation with dry stools, dark-yellow urine, epistaxis, haematemesis, haemoptysis, Red tongue, redder on the sides, dry yellow coating, Full-Wiry- Rapid pulse

Treatment summary

LIV-2 Xingjian, LIV-3 Taichong, GB-20 Fengchi, Taiyang, GB-13 Benshen, LI-11 Quchi, G.B.-1 Tongziliao, G.B.-9 Tianchong, G.B.-8 Shuaigu, G.B.-6 Xuanli, SP-6 Sanyinjiao, LIV-1 Dadun

Treatment

Principle of treatment: clear the Liver, drain Fire. Acupuncture

Points: LIV-2 Xingjian, LIV-3 Taichong, GB-20 Fengchi, Taiyang, GB-13 Benshen, LI-11 Quchi, G.B.-1 Tongziliao, G.B.-9 Tianchong, G.B.-8 Shuaigu, G.B.-6 Xuanli, SP-6 Sanyinjiao, LIV-1 Dadun.

Method: reducing method, no moxa. Explanation

  • – LIV-2 is the main point to use: it is specific to drain Liver-Fire.
  • – LIV-3 drains the Liver.
  • – GB-20 drains Liver-Fire and subdues ascending

    • Liver-Qi. A very important point to use in case of

    eye problems or headaches caused by Liver-Fire.

  • – Taiyang (extra point) clears Liver-Fire and is

    • used for temporal headache.

  • – GB-13 subdues ascending Liver-Yang and calms

    • the Mind.

  • – L.I.-11 clears Heat.
  • – G.B.-1, G.B.-9, G.B.-8 and G.B.-6 are important

    • local points for Liver-Fire ascending to the head

    to be used only if there are headaches.

  • – SP-6 is used to nourish Yin, which will help to

    • drain Fire.

  • – LIV-1 clears the Liver and subdues rising

    • Liver-Yang and Liver-Fire.

    Full-versus Empty-Fire

    Full-Fire

    Red face and eyes, a pronounced feeling of heat, a dry mouth, a bitter taste, constipation, scanty dark urine, thirst, mental agitation, dark purple spots under the skin (macules), blood in cough, vomit, urine, stools, epistaxis, Red tongue with dry yellow coating, Full-Rapid pulse

    Empty-Fire

    Night sweating, a feeling of heat in the chest, palms and soles, red cheekbones, a dry mouth, afternoon feeling of heat, a Red tongue without coating and a Floating-Empty and Rapid pulse