Traditional Tuina herbal preparations can be allocated to the areas or points using the right procedures. These preparations are designed to protect the skin, decrease friction, and bolster the healing benefits of massage by means of their pharmaceutical actions. The chosen herbal preparations will depend on the type of disease. For example, in the treatment of an exterior syndrome, sudorific ingredients are oftentimes helpful; an herbal preparation that stimulates circulation may be used in treating blood stasis.
Herbal remedies with hot or warm qualities will be helpful in the treatment of cold syndromes. Likewise, remedies for of a cold nature might be required when addressing heat syndromes. This medicinal system follows a logical procedure.
The suitability of each remedy and its other attributes such as dampness, dryness, lubricant, and concentration must also be taken into account.
After a Tuina massage session, it’s basically unnecessary to cleanse these preparations quickly away since their effectiveness can last for up to a couple of hours. Based on the kinds of dosage, they may be categorized as formulas made with water, juice, vinegar, alcohol, honey, oil, powder; or as medicated plaster, decoction, pill, et al.
Juice formulations
Juice formulations are usually undiluted juices extracted from uncooked fresh substances. By just adding a small amount of distilled water, they can be converted into water formulations.
Egg White
Break the eggs first and segregate the whites. Egg white attributes are salty, sweet, and placid. The egg white may be utilized to moisten the skin, strengthen Stomach-Spleen, alleviate pain, and lessen swelling. It can be an ideal treatment for gingivitis, toothache, scrofula, parotitis, sore throat and other such conditions when administered to the sides of the neck and cheeks. Egg white combined with cactus pulp will augment the benefits. To treat infantile malnutrition, and children’s fever and cough, you may locally apply to the chest or abdomen. When applied locally, it can help quell dry itch and pain caused by pus-generating skin infections and poxes.
Lotus (Lian Fang, nucifera, nelumbo,)
Select tender and thick lotus plants and squeeze them out to obtain the juice. Its attributes are cold and sweet. The juice can be utilized to boost production of body fluids, expel heat, treat stasis, and cool blood. The juice is greasy and slippery and commonly used to treat aliments in children including infections and poxes that generate pus plus skin itching and dryness.
Dandelion (Pu Gong Ying, Taraxacum mongolicum)
Wash a bunch of dandelion with water and then extract the juice by crushing the plant. Its attributes are bitter, sweet and cold. It can cleanse evils, dispel heat, eliminate stagnations, and lessen swelling. When administered to the nape and neck, it can help remove carbuncles, scrofula, and cellulitis. It may treat and prevent the pain and swelling of acute mastitis when administered to the breast and chest. When locally applied, it heals skin infections that produce pus.
(Gua Lou, Trichosanthes kirilowoo)
Peel away the Snakegourd skin, throw away the seeds, and extract the juice from the fruits by crushing it. The attributes of snakegourd are cold and sweet. It can help remove stagnation, treat phlegm, and moisten the large intestine, lung, and skin. When administered to Tanzhong, Huagai, and Rugen, snakegourd can address cough related to Phlegm-Heat and treat stiffness in the chest, choking pain and swollen breasts. When locally administered, it can be effective for chapped feet and hands, and can relieve pain due to boils.
Human Milk
While fresh cow’s milk is considered a good substitute for human milk, it may still contain allergens that can cause a lot of problems for certain people. Human milk qualities are gentle and sweet and have properties that can reinvigorate a weakened person, facilitate qi, moisten dryness, dispel heat, nourish blood, augment the Five Yin Organs, and boost the activities of the gastrointestinal tract, among many others.
Human milk was used in ancient societies as a way to treat illnesses in children. It was utilized to address conjunctivitis, lachrymal excess, and tics resulting from pathogenic wind infiltration. It’s commonly administered to the Yintang, which is the area between the eyes. It can treat stomach pain, weak flatulence, enuresis and diarrhea in children when it’s applied to the navel (lower abdomen). When it’s applied locally to the skin, human milk can alleviate the itching and pain caused by dryness or chapping on the skin. Human milk can be used as a medium massage, to expel heat from the blood and reenergize a weakened constitution.
Swine bile (not used any longer)
Fresh pig bile was the best way of tapping into the energies of bile. The preparation was dried, ground in water, and may be used to replace chicken bile, which is still utilized in some regions in China. Fresh pig bile has cold and bitter qualities that were used to ease the bowels, expel heat, eliminate stagnation and reduce swelling. It may relieve stomach distension, constipation, and jaundice when administered to Shenque. It can also help treat hypertension and dizziness, when it’s administered on Yongquan with kneading and rubbing action.
Water Chestnut (Eleocharis tuberosa)
Clean and rinse the chestnuts, then crush them into pieces and extract the juice. Its qualities are slightly cold and sweet. Water Chestnut is used to boost eyesight, dispel heat, remove phlegm and eliminate stasis. Its juice is greasy and slippery and commonly used in children’s massage. Mass in the stomach, fever associated with spleen deficiency, and other children’s diseases may be addressed by administering the juice to the stomach and forearms along with acupoint massage.
Lotus Leaf (Nelumbo nucifera, He Ye)
Ground the lotus to obtain out the juice. Attributes are astringent, bitter and placid. It elevates and diffuses clear yang, eliminate Summer-Heat, halt stop bleeding and treat stasis. Lotus leaf is mostly used on the back and stomach to treat purpura, pox, rubella, etc.
Scallion (Cong Bai, Allium fistulosum)
Wash the stalks of the Chinese scallions than grind them to extract its essence or juice. The attributes of Scallion are warm and pungent which can communicate Yang, promote perspiration, and stimulate regular urination. Kneading and grasping the nose, Dazhui and Fengchi, with scallion juice on the fingers may effectively address ailments such as headache, the common cold, and stuffy nose, among others. Administering scallion juice to the lower stomach and Shenque may alleviate dysuria, stomach pain, and other symptoms. Adults may find thick scallion juice suitable. Lightly diluted scallion juice can be more appealing to the taste for children
Ginger (Sheng Chang, Zingiber officinale)
To extract the juice, ground the ginger into pulp. It has slightly warm and pungent qualities and may help remove cold, warm the middle warmer, disperse the external, and halt vomiting. Ginger can help treat stiff neck, the common cold, dyspnea, stiff neck, headache and cough caused by fluid and phlegm retention when administered to the nape and neck, and acupoints such as Diashui, Fengchi, and Fengmen among others. Diarrhea, stomach painand distention and vomiting can be addressed by application to Shangwan, Jiuweo, Xiawan, and Shongwan among others.
Garlic (Da Suan, Allium sativum)
Remove the peelings from the garlic cloves and ground them to obtain the juice. Garlic juice attributes are warm and pungent. It can stimulate the abdomen, heat the middle warmer, and kill bacteria. When administered on Feishu and Tanshong, garlic can help treat the convulsive coughing and common colds. It can also be effective in stopping itching and minimize swelling especially when it’s locally kneaded and rubbed on rash or tinea.
Peppermint (Bo He, Mentha haplocalyx)
To obtain peppermint juice, ground the stalks and leaves. Its attributes are cool and pungent. Peppermint is used to expel heat, clear wind, remove pathogenic elements from the External, and alleviate depressed energy. It can resolve Wind-Heat infiltration, stuffy nose, headache, toothache associated with Wind-Fire, sore throat, etc. more so when applied to the forehead at Yingxiang, Taiyang, Tiantu and Jiache.
Patchouli (Agastache rugosa)
To extract the juice, ground the stalks and leaves. Attributes are slightly warm and pungent. Patchouli is used to eliminate dampness, expel summer-heat, harmonize the middle warmer and stimulate vital energy. It can help cure headache caused by dizziness and sunstroke due to dampness adhesion especially when applied to Shenting, Yintang, Fengfu, Taiyang, and Fengshi. Vomiting, nausea, heaviness in the chest and fullness of sensation may be addressed by kneading and rubbing into the upper stomach. When locally applied, patchouli may halt itching caused by rubella or mosquito bites.
| Ni Nan Gilbert is a licensed acupuncturist in Bellmore, NY with certification in Chinese Herbology and over 16 years experience in traditional Chinese medicine. |