It is essential to clarify whether the meridians or zang-fu organs have been involved. If zang and fu organs have been involved, there can be two different categories: excess syndrome of apoplexy and collapse syndrome of apoplexy, and the former may be further divided into yin type and yang type. At the acute stage, the treatment should focus on the secondary symptoms. The principle should be eliminating pathogenic factors and the common methods are calming the liver to suppress pathogenic wind, clearing away heat and phlegm, dissipating phlegm to remove obstructions from the fu organs, promoting blood circulation to activate meridians and waking up the patient from unconciousness.

In the case of excess syndrome of apoplexy, it should be treated by eliminating pathogenic factors and waking up the patient from unconciousness, while in the case of collapse syndrome of apoplexy, supporting healthy qi to relieve collapse and restoring yin to revive yang should be adopted. At the stage of restoration and sequela, more often seen is deficiency complicated with excess. In this case, the treatment should focus on supporting healthy qi and emilinating pathogenic factors, for instance, the methods of nourishing yin and calming wind, replenishing qi and activating blood circulation are usually recommended.