Intercostal nerves are constituted by the anterior branches of the spinal nerves from the second to the eleventh thoracic vertebrae. Intercostal neuralgia refers to a syndrome of pain on the intercostals thoracic regions. It belongs to the conception of thoracodynia and hypochondriac pain in the traditional Chinese medicine. Its etiological factors include mental irritation, invasion of exogenous pathogen and traumatic injury. The main diseased regions are distribution of liver and the gallbladder meridians.

For the depressed emotion or liver's impairment due to anger lead to the stagnation of liver and gallbladder qi, or the meridians are blocked by the stagnant blood, so these areas pain for the stagnation. Or the body fluid and the phlegm retention or sudden pain and contusion caused the stagnation of the stagnant blood in the collaterals, so that hypochondriac pain happened. The therapeutic method of acupuncture on this disease is to disperse stagnated hepato qi, promote blood circulation to remove meridian obstruction, and clear heat and eliminate dampness.