Moxibustion at Gaohuang (BL43) and Feishu (BL13) Can Help Lung Cancer (or Lung Metastasis) Patients Stop Coughing and Ease Wheezing

Gaohuang (BL43) is one of the common points of the Foot-Taiyang Bladder meridian. It lies below the spinous process of the 4th thoracic vertebra, 3 cun lateral (here "cun" refers to the acupuncture "body-inch"). This point is now commonly used to treat bronchial asthma, bronchitis, mastitis, and chronic consumptive diseases; it may be needled or moxibusted. Needling: oblique insertion 0.5–0.8 cun; warm moxibustion: 15–30 minutes each session.

Feishu (BL13) lies close to Gaohuang and is also a common point on the Foot-Taiyang Bladder meridian, located 1.5 cun lateral to the spinous process of the 3rd thoracic vertebra. Chinese medicine holds that needling or moxibustion at this point can tonify lung qi, drain heat and dispel wind, and nourish yin and clear the lung. So this point is often used to treat cough, panting, fullness in the chest, chest pain, spitting blood, night sweats, as well as itchy skin and acne. This point may be needled or moxibusted, and the method of operation is basically the same as for Gaohuang.

Patients with lung cancer or lung metastases often develop intractable cough and panting. Internal Chinese or Western medicine can hardly relieve the symptoms—cough, chest fullness, chest pain, and wheezing fullness—in a short time; only by combining moxibustion can the patient's clinical symptoms be eased. If the patient has complications such as pleural effusion, one may also moxibust the Shuifen (CV9) point at the same time.

Moxibustion is a physical therapy that patients and their families can perform at home; it is economical, practical, and has few side effects. Moxibustion combined with internal medicine can achieve more ideal therapeutic results. But relying purely on moxibustion to treat cancer is an unrealistic and high-risk undertaking.

The reason moxibustion at Gaohuang and Feishu can relieve the symptoms caused by lung disease may be that moxibusting these two points helps the patient resolve and expectorate phlegm.

Lung diseases such as bronchitis, bronchial asthma, lung cancer, and lung metastases often cause stubborn phlegm to block the respiratory tract. Gaohuang and Feishu lie close to the lung tissue; by moxibusting them, the patient's stubborn phlegm is resolved and can be expelled smoothly, and the airway becomes much more open. If one can simultaneously combine some internal decoctions or herbal teas, the cough-suppressing and panting-easing effect will be even better.

Chinese medicine holds that Feishu and Gaohuang can supplement lung qi. In fact, from the author's own experience, as long as the stubborn phlegm stuck to the bronchi is resolved, breathing becomes much easier, and the spirit and strength also clearly improve; this may explain why these two points have the action of supplementing lung qi.

For patients who cannot tolerate the smell of moxa smoke, the moxibustion method may be replaced by hot compresses. Years ago the author himself solved his own cough and asthma by applying heat to the large area of Gaohuang and Feishu on the shoulders and back, as well as to the corresponding position on the front of the chest over the lungs, together with moderate exercise.

Recently I have again used smokeless moxibustion (there is still some moxa smoke) on Gaohuang and Feishu, which once more relieved the recurrence of my cough and asthma caused by overwork. Because of this personal experience, I have a direct feel for the bodily changes brought by hot compresses or moxibustion at Gaohuang and Feishu. After moxibustion or hot compresses, coughing up phlegm is clearly much easier, and urine output also increases; the sticky phlegm is either coughed up or expelled through the urine.

Once the sticky phlegm is resolved, the airway naturally opens and the person feels much lighter. Chronic lung disease patients need about three months of moxibustion or hot compresses to basically resolve the problem. But later, if they encounter extreme environments or overwork, it may still recur; so preventing recurrence after illness is also very important.

In addition, moxibustion has its indications; obvious heat syndromes are not suitable for moxibustion. So whether for lung cancer or lung metastasis patients, or for patients with other respiratory diseases, when using this method to relieve cough and panting, it is necessary to consult the treating TCM physician.