Acupuncture & Moxibustion
Acupuncture & moxibustion is
a unique therapy of China. It is a kind of treatment
curing inner diseases from outside, and is used to treat
various illnesses based on the theories of channels
and vital points with applications of specific techniques.
Based on the diagnosis and therapy of traditional Chinese
medicine, the doctor can find out the pathogeny of illnesses,
distinguish the features of diseases, determine which
channel and viscera the pathological change belongs
to, and identify which type the illness belongs to (inner
or outer; cold or heat; insufficiency or excessiveness),
and finally make the diagnosis. Then, the doctor can
prescribe the corresponding acupuncture to prevent and
cure the diseases by dredging channels, regulating vigor
and sap, balancing Yin and Yang, and harmonizing the
functions of the viscera.
Acupuncture & moxibustion
iatrology was first described in the Yellow Emperor's
Internal Canon of Medicine two thousand years ago. It
has prevailed in China and other countries all over
the world since then.
Massage
I. Introduction
The treatment that acts on the
skin and muscle of the body technically by hands and
fingers is called massage.
According to Records of the Historian
in China, Bianque, a famous physician in Qin Dynasty
(221-206BC), had cured Prince Guo's Shi Jue Zheng (deathlike
faint disease) by using massage. From the Qin Dynasty
till now, massage has had a history of more than two
thousand years. The oldest monograph on massage should
be the Yellow Emperor's Canon of Massage (in ten volumes),
but it's a pity that the book had lost. Massage was
also mentioned in the Yellow Emperor's Internal Canon
of Medicine. In ancient times, Chinese was able to treat
various diseases with massage, such as limb paralysis,
debility, faint, moist disease, chill and fever, etc.
There are so many advantages of
massage, for example, it is easy to learn, convenient
to practice, economical, and an alternative for medicine
as well. Massage plays a role of analeptic as well as
sedative, respectively, for it can either make people
refreshed or calm down.
It is relatively safe for general
chronic diseases or overly weak patients, because massage
is propitious to circulation and metabolism. As to children
who are inconvenient to take medicine, massage could
boost up the constitution and function of the children's
body. Regarding some complicated diseases, this method
could be used cooperatively with acupuncture and medication.
However, as to some acute or hyperpyretic infections,
or organs having pathological changes such as typhoid,
pneumonia, pulmonary tuberculosis and so on, massage
only has supporting effects. Patients having serious
or acute diseases such as tumor, acute suppurative appendicitis,
intestinal perforation, cholecystitis due to bilis duct
ascarid etc. should get nosocomial first aid.
For married women with sudden intense
pains at lower abdomen, who have had menoschesis for
about two months, it is suggested to immediately send
them to hospital in order to determine whether ectopic
pregnancy or any other acute diseases exist.
II. Indications and Contraindications
of Massage
Indications
Wrick, joint disarticulation, strain
of lumbar muscles, amyotrophy, migraine, fore and back
headache, trifacial neuralgia, inter-rib neuralgia,
femoral neuralgia, sciatica, waist & back neuralgia,
arthralgia (including shoulder, elbow, wrist, knee,
ankle, toe); facial neural paralysis, facial muscle
spasm, gastrocnemius spasm; muscle pain due to rheumatism,
including muscle pain inshoulder, back, waist, knee,
etc., as well as acute or chronic rheumatic arthritis,
gall of joint synovium, ankylosis, etc.
Other indications include neurogenic
vomiting, dyspepsia, habitual constipation, gastroptosis,
chronic gastritis, insomnia, spermatorrhea, dysmenorrhea
and neurosis as well, all of which can be treated through
massaging.
Contraindications
Various acute infections, acute
osteomyelitis, tuberculous arthritis, infective dermatosis,
eczema, scald by water or fire, cutaneous ulcer, tumor
and all kinds of sore, as well as menses and pregnancy
of more than five months, acute peritonitis, acute purulent
peritonitis, acute appendicitis, weakness because of
long-term sickness or senility and serious cardiovascular
disease.
III. Categories and Techniques
The massage is usually classed
into two categories. One is called active massage or
self-massage, which is a method of health care by massaging
oneself. The other is passive massage, which is used
by doctors as massage therapy. The frequently used techniques
of massage include pressing, rubbing, bunting, seizing,
kneading, pinching, quivering and beating. However,
the above techniques are not used alone but usually
cooperatively.
Pressing
The pressing is fingertip or fingerplate
rising and falling rhythmically on proper position of
the patient's body, which usually can be done by one
hand or both hands.
Generally, one-hand or two-hand
pressing is applied below ribs or on abdomen in clinic.
While on back or other muscle-thick parts, one-hand
pressing with added pressure is applied, that is, the
right hand presses the finger back of the left hand
placing on the body with gentle strength and vice versa.
Rubbing
Rubbing means touching -- touching
softly on the proper part of the patient's body with
the finger or palm, which is often used cooperatively
with pressing and bunting. There are one-hand rubbing
used for upper limbs and the shoulder end, and two-hand
rubbing used for the chest.
Bunting
Driving in force ahead is called
bunting. Clinically, two frequent methods include one-hand
and two-hand bunting. Bunting and rubbing cannot be
separated and often are utilized together because rubbing
is involved in bunting. Bunting and rubbing should be
used on muscle-thick parts, such as arms and legs.
Seizing
Seizing is taking up the skin of
proper part slightly with fingers.
The usually used method in clinic
is one-hand seizing on legs or muscle-thick places.
In case of sudden choke with chest jam like asphyxia
due to tenderness and exasperation, one-hand seizing
could be applied. Concretely, at the joint part of the
shoulder and the back above clavicle, the doctor should
grab the muscle and then set down, repeat twenty times
at a speed of twice per second and take a rest, then
repeat twenty times again. After that, breath will become
regular gradually.
Kneading
Kneading means that the doctor
keeps the hands touching patient's skin and rotates
slightly, which is sorted to one-hand kneading and two-hand
kneading. Fingers are usually used at some small part
such as temples, while palm used at larger parts, e.g.
the back. There is one-hand kneading with added pressure
also, for example, pressing right hand on the left hand
back keeping on the patient's calf and carrying out
one-hand kneading with added pressure on the midleg.
Two-hand kneading could be done
on the calf of the patient. Kneading can clear up blood
stasis and harmonize the circulation of blood, so it
is quite effective to cure partial pain.
Pinching
Nipping shin and muscle with fingers
at proper parts is called pinching, which is similar
with seizing carried out with full force. However, the
force is stressed on fingers when pinching, while the
seizing is much more forceful. Pinching is a fundamental
technique of massage and is usually applied cooperatively
with kneading.
Actually, pinching acts accompanied
with the effect of finger squeezing. As a result of
squeezing muscle slightly, activity of skin and muscle
tendon improves, moreover, circulation of blood and
lymph ameliorates. Simple pinching can easily remove
cold and dissolve gores, while forceful pinching can
treat pains of muscle, tendon and joint caused by cold
and moist.
Quivering
Quivering, as one of the massage
techniques, means vibrating and trembling quickly, hastily
and equably. The preferable speed is 10 times per second,
or 600 times per minute.
Quivering cannot be separated from
movement, thus quivering is also called as vibrating.
Single-finger quivering means vertically
pointing at the patient's pain point with the thumb,
and then vibrating with the force of wrist, resulting
in dithering of the thumb. Another kind of quivering
is called two-finger quivering, which is done by wrist-shaking
after placing thumb & forefinger, or forefinger
& middle finger, on the patient's pain point or
eyebrow.
Beating
Beating is also called knocking,
which is usually applied after kneading and rubbing.
It can also be carried out alone when necessary.
When carrying out beating, the
strength must be well-situated. Only suitable application
could relax the patient, otherwise it will result in
uncomfortable experience.
Generally, both hands are used
when beating, and the frequently used methods are side-palm
chopping, flat-palm patting, across fist knocking and
upright fist knocking, etc.
1. Side-Palm Chopping
Both palms Stand side to side,
with the thumb upward and the little finger downward.
Moreover fingers should have about one centimeter distance
from each other. Following the fall of palms with shut
fingers, raise hands with separate fingers. Raise and
lay down both hands in turn.
2. Flat-Palm Patting
Put both palms on the muscle, and
tap rhythmically in turn.
3. Across Fist-Knocking
Make a fist with hand-back upward
and thumbs against each other, moreover loose with a
little space between fingers and the palm. Knock across
with both fists in turn. This method is usually used
on muscle-rich parts, such as waist, leg and shoulder.
4. Upright Fist Knocking
Make an upright fist with thumb
upside and little finger downside. Loose with a little
space between fingers and the palm. This is usually
used on the back and the waist.
Four methods of beating mentioned
above are mostly utilized on muscle-rich parts, e.g.
neck, shoulder, back, waist, thigh and crus. Knock gently
at first, put on some force slowly, and then lose force
gradually. The force here will never be extremely heavy.
Anyhow, it is the most important to make patients feel
comfortable. As to the speed of beating, it should be
generally slow at the beginning and then fast. Two times
per second at the beginning, and gradually increase
to six or eight times per second.
It should be emphasized that no
matter which method to use, no great force should be
used at the beginning, and strengthening gradually.
In order to comfort the patient, falling palms should
be not only with force but also flexibility. Generally,
knocking for one or two minutes, or three minutes at
most, is enough. In very few cases, beating time could
be prolonged or shortened according to the degree of
the illness. Beating can be carried out after or along
with other massage techniques.
IV. Attention
1. Before massage, trim nails and
wash hands with hot water, and pick off any hindrance
to massage such as rings.
2. Make sure to be kindly, solemn
and careful. Explain patients' condition patiently to
win their cooperation.
3. Arrange proper posture of the
patient and the doctor. Particularly, the patient's
pose should be not only comfortable but also convenient
for the doctor's operation.
4. Massage should be suitably gentle
or heavy. Observe the patient's expressions at any moment
so as to make the patient feel comfortable.
5. Proper duration is 20~30 minutes
each time and 12 times make up a period of treatment.
6. Do not massage the patient immediately
when he or she is in a rage such as intense anger, happiness,
fear and sadness.
7. Do not massage the patient immediately
after overeating. It is much proper to practice massage
2 hours after meal.
8. If the patient falls asleep
during the massage, the doctor should cover the patient
with a towel to prevent him from getting a cold. Be
careful to the room temperature, and do not massage
against wind.
Recipes
Influenza
Influenza is an acute respiratory
infection caused by influenza virus. The pathogen has
three types, i.e. Type A, B and C, and is transmitted
via droplets of moisture in the breath. Influenza has
strong infectivity and variation property, producing
new sub-types ceaselessly. A lot of people are liable
to be infected by influenza, so it usually breaks out
like an epidemic.
Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes mellitus is one of the
systematic chronic metabolic diseases with genetic background.
Its basic pathogenesis is the secretion deficiency of
insulin, which leads to the metabolic disorder of sugar,
fat and protein. High blood sugar and glycosuria are
its two clinical characters. Diabetes mellitus is one
of the most popular diseases harmful to human beings.
It occurs at any age, with 50-70 as its incidence peak.
Diabetes mellitus is called Xiaoke in Chinese traditional
iatrology.
Acne
Cuochuang (acne), also known as
Fenci, is a chronic inflammation of sebaceous gland
of hair bursa. It often occurs on the face, the chest
and the back of young people. Its main lesions are papilla,
pustule, cyst, black acne and scar. The endocrine disorder
is the main factor that causes the disease, especially,
the interaction among the excessive secretion of male
hormone, sebum functions and microbe in hair bursas.
Also, its occurrence is related to zinc deficiency in
the developmental stage and the genetic factor.
Source: www.chinaculture.org
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