Discussion on the Multi-Dimensional Pathways of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Treatment for Brain Disease

From the perspective of Chinese medicine classics and traditional theories, this paper discusses the pathways of acupuncture-moxibustion treatment for brain diseases, providing a reference for constructing an acupuncture-moxibustion diagnosis and treatment system for brain diseases that aligns with the characteristics of Chinese medicine. First, it reviews the understanding of the brain and brain diseases by physicians throughout history, classifies the conditions included in modern Chinese medicine's scope of brain diseases, and defines the category of brain diseases in Chinese medicine. Based on Chinese medicine classics and the theories and practices of physicians from ancient to modern times, it elaborates on the meridian pathways, viscus pathways and body structure pathways for acupuncture-moxibustion treatment of brain diseases, which includes treatment based on the Governor Vessel, the Foot-Taiyang Bladder Meridian, the Foot-Yangming Stomach Meridian, and other meridians, treatment based on the heart, kidney, intestines, and other viscera related to the brain, and treatment based on the characteristics of the body structure related to the cranium and brain and the brain-orifice connection. Finally, it emphasizes the significance of these pathways in enriching the clinical methods of acupuncture-moxibustion for treating brain diseases and highlights the importance of establishing a syndrome differentiation and treatment system for brain diseases that reflects the unique features of acupuncture-moxibustion.