Classica Sinica Medica

筋痺 简体 筋痹

jīn bì

Sinew obstruction

Also rendered: Sinew obstruction (this site; sinew rather than tendon, since the text's 筋 covers more than the modern tendon) · Sinew impediment (where the whole family of 痺 names is being rendered with impediment)

Pathology

Reviewed · 2026-09

At a glance

Pinyin
jīn bì
Simplified
筋痹
Literal
筋痺 jīn bì — the obstruction met in spring. The chapter's second list is not about agents but about seasons: the same three qi meet the body at a time of year, and the time of year decides which tissue answers. Spring belongs to the sinews, and so spring gives sinew obstruction.
Shuowen
《說文解字》：筋，肉之力也，从力从肉从竹；痺，濕病也，从疒畀聲。「筋」讀 jīn、**本篇4見**——**「以春遇此者，爲筋痺」1見、「筋痺不已」1見、「留連筋骨間」1見、「在於筋則屈不伸」1見**；「痺」讀 bì。「**筋痺不已，復感於邪，内舍於肝**」——**筋合於肝**，**是本篇「五藏皆有合」之例**。

In brief

The obstruction that comes of meeting the three qi in spring. Because the sinews are the tissue of spring and the liver is the store that the sinews are matched with, sinew obstruction that is not put right and meets evil again goes inward and lodges in the liver. In its own place it shows as an inability to bend and stretch.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
The graphs 筋、痺
筋者肉之力也，痺者濕病也
以春遇此者，爲筋痺 — Suwen 43
2
Why spring 以春遇此者
春氣在筋，故遇之則為筋痺
以春遇此者，爲筋痺 — Suwen 43
3
Where it goes inward 内舍於肝
筋與肝合，久而不去則舍於所合
筋痺不已，復感於邪，内舍於肝 — Suwen 43
4
The rule behind that 五藏皆有合
病久不去者，内舍於其合
五藏皆有合，病久而不去者，内舍於其合也 — Suwen 43
5
What it does in the limb 在於筋則屈不伸
筋病則屈伸不利
在於筋則屈不伸 — Suwen 43
6
How long it lasts 留連筋骨間者疼久
深入筋骨者，其疼久而不已
其留連筋骨間者疼久 — Suwen 43

Occurrences in the classics

Passages where the term does real work, with the original, pinyin and English on the same line.

Display
3 passages
Suwen 43 Suwen 43 · 痺論 Read in context →
歧伯曰：以冬遇此者，爲骨痺；以春遇此者，爲筋痺；以夏遇此者，爲脉痺；以至陰遇此者，爲肌痺；以秋遇此者，爲皮痺。 歧伯曰：以冬遇此者，为骨痹；以春遇此者，为筋痹；以夏遇此者，为脉痹；以至阴遇此者，为肌痹；以秋遇此者，为皮痹。
Qí bó yuē: yǐ dōng yù cǐ zhě, wéi gǔ bì; yǐ chūn yù cǐ zhě, wéi jīn bì; yǐ xià yù cǐ zhě, wéi mài bì; yǐ zhì yīn yù cǐ zhě, wéi jī bì; yǐ qiū yù cǐ zhě, wéi pí bì.
Qi Bo says: meeting it in winter gives bone obstruction; in spring, sinew obstruction; in summer, vessel obstruction; at ultimate yin — the late summer — flesh obstruction; in autumn, skin obstruction.
**「以春遇此者，爲筋痺」——**「筋」讀 jīn、**本篇4見**；**五痺以時分：冬骨、春筋、夏脉、至陰肌、秋皮**——**「至陰」「至」讀 zhì，此指長夏之時**，**非腹為至陰之義，亦非至陰穴**；**下文「筋痺不已，復感於邪，内舍於肝」**——**本篇「内」讀 nèi**，**「舍」讀 shě，止舍也**。
素問·長刺節論 Suwen 55 · 長刺節論 Read in context →
病在筋，筋攣節痛，不可以行，名曰筋痺，刺筋上爲故，刺分肉間，不可中骨也。 病在筋，筋挛节痛，不可以行，名曰筋痹，刺筋上为故，刺分肉间，不可中骨也。
Bìng zài jīn, jīn luán jié tòng, bù kě yǐ xíng, míng yuē jīn bì, cì jīn shàng wéi gù, cì fēn ròu jiān, bù kě zhòng gǔ yě.
Trouble in the sinews, with cramping of the sinews, pain in the joints and no power to walk, is called sinew obstruction. Make it the rule to reach the sinews: needle in the partings between the flesh, and do not strike bone.
「病在筋，筋攣節痛，不可以行，名曰「筋」讀 jīn「痺」讀 bì」——**本篇「筋痺」1見，讀 jīn bì**；**本目為第四十三篇所立（春遇三氣則為筋痺，不已則內舍於肝）**；**本篇之筋痺以「不可以行」為狀，其治「刺筋上為故，刺分肉間，不可中骨也」，候在「筋炅，病已止」**；「攣」讀 luán、**「筋攣」之攣讀 luán**；「行」讀 xíng、**「不可以行」之行讀 xíng**
素問·四時刺逆從論 Suwen 64 · 四時刺逆從論 Read in context →
少陽有餘，病筋痺脅滿；不足，病肝痺。 少阳有余，病筋痹胁满；不足，病肝痹。
Shào yáng yǒu yú, bìng jīn bì xié mǎn; bù zú, bìng gān bì.
When lesser yang is in surplus the disease is sinew obstruction and fullness in the flanks; when it is insufficient, liver obstruction.
「少陽有餘，病筋痺脅滿」——**少陽主筋，其氣有餘則行於表而病筋痺，其經行於兩脅故脅滿**；**下文脉濇則肝血不足，病積而時筋急、目痛**

Compounds built on this term

筋痺
jīn bì
sinew obstruction
本篇五痺之一，得之於春
以春遇此者
yǐ chūn yù cǐ zhě
meeting it in spring
五痺分時之例
内舍於肝
nèi shě yú gān
lodging inward in the liver
筋與肝合
屈不伸
qū bù shēn
bent and not stretched
筋痺在體之證

How it has been translated

Every rendering below is a decision about which reader is being addressed. There is no neutral option.

This sitesinew obstructionsinew is used throughout for 筋
Unschuldsinew blockagethe same construction
Wisemansinew impedimentimpediment for 痺

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-09

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