Acupuncture point selection for urticaria: Xuehai (SP10), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Quchi (LI11), and Hegu (LI4)

Urticaria is commonly characterized by sudden-onset wheals, erythema, and itching, with lesions that may appear and resolve rapidly. Symptom severity and recurrence are often influenced by emotional stress, temperature changes, dietary factors, and immune status. In acupuncture practice, treatment strategies typically extend beyond addressing surface skin symptoms alone, and instead consider the coordinated regulation of blood-level activity, immune responses, and skin microcirculation. For this reason, Xuehai (SP10), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Quchi (LI11), and Hegu (LI4) are frequently combined as a point set that integrates internal regulation with external skin manifestations.

Xuehai (SP10) is commonly used to modulate blood-level activity and is often selected when urticaria is recurrent or accompanied by marked erythema and itching. Sanyinjiao (SP6), a major intersection point of the lower limb, is frequently included to support systemic regulatory capacity, particularly when symptoms fluctuate with constitution, stress, or physiological cycles. Quchi (LI11) and Hegu (LI4) are often applied to address inflammatory skin reactions and pruritus, especially during acute flare-ups characterized by redness, warmth, and intense itching.

Rather than aiming solely to suppress symptoms, this combination seeks to establish a more stable interaction between immune activity, blood-level regulation, and cutaneous expression, thereby reducing the frequency and intensity of recurrent episodes.

Treatment frequency in clinical practice