Jīnbì: Tendon Obstruction-Illness and Nèijīng Acupuncture

Bì (痺, obstruction-illness) is considered one of the key pathological presentations in the classical era of Chinese medical development. Understanding the impact of thermal irregularities in various tissue matrices, and how to appropriately intervene and treat their manifestations, became the bedrock of Hàn-era medicine (206 BCE - 220 CE). Within the pages of the Huángdì Nèijīng (黃帝內經 Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic) we are presented with a multitude of pathological scenarios, where the interaction between normal physiological activity and pernicious influences leads to very specific diseases and their required needling interventions. This paper will explore how cold as a pathogen impacts and obstructs the tendinous structures of the bodily landscape, and the three distinct acupuncture needling techniques of cuìcì (焠刺), huīcì (恢刺) and guāncì (關刺) that are related to its treatment.