Pneumonic cough, also known as "bronchopneumonia", is the most common type of pneumonia in children. It can occur throughout the year, but is more common in winter and spring, as well as during sudden changes in weather. The disease is often caused by weak lung qi, invasion of external pathogens, imbalance between the body's defense and the pathogen, upward reversal of lung qi, and obstruction of the airway. Based on the course of the disease, it can be divided into early stage (external cold and internal heat type), middle stage (phlegm-heat obstructing the lung type), and recovery stage (deficiency of the body's defense and lingering pathogen type). Let's take a look at the illustration of pediatric pneumonia cough massage below.
Massage for Early Stage Pneumonic Cough
Symptoms: Mainly manifested as external symptoms, sudden onset, fever, coughing with rapid breathing, flaring of the nostrils, X-ray examination shows increased lung markings and inflammatory changes, and there are wheezing sounds in the lungs upon auscultation. If it is caused by exposure to wind-cold, there is no sweating, no thirst, thin and white phlegm, thin white or greasy tongue coating, bluish fingertips, and a floating and tight pulse. If it is caused by wind-heat, there is sweating, thirst, little or yellow phlegm, shortness of breath, red face and lips, red throat, bluish fingertips, and a floating and slippery pulse.
Treatment principles: Expel lung cold, clear heat, and relieve cough.
Treatment method: Clear lung meridian, clear liver meridian, manipulate the inner Eight Trigrams, stimulate the Tianhe acupoint, clear stomach meridian, and massage the small horizontal lines on the palms.
Massage for Middle Stage Pneumonic Cough
Symptoms: Mainly characterized by wheezing, persistent fever, flaring of the nostrils, obstruction of phlegm and qi, difficulty breathing, restlessness, bluish complexion, severe cases may have vomiting and severe wheezing, open mouth with raised shoulders, high fever convulsions, red tongue with yellow coating, slippery and rapid pulse, bluish or stagnant fingertips, and dense fine wet wheezing sounds in the lungs, X-ray examination shows large patchy shadows.
Treatment principles: Clear heat, resolve phlegm, and relieve cough.
Treatment method: Clear lung meridian, clear liver meridian, withdraw the six fu organs, reverse the inner Eight Trigrams, and massage the small horizontal lines on the palms.
Massage for Recovery Stage Pneumonic Cough
Symptoms: Deficiency of the body's defense, residual pathogen, commonly seen as yin deficiency and lung-spleen qi deficiency, symptoms include pale complexion, fatigue, shortness of breath, low and weak cough, lingering low-grade fever, heat in the palms and soles, poor appetite, loose stools, red tongue with little coating, thin and weak pulse, and pale fingertips.
Treatment principles: Tonify spleen, nourish lungs, nourish yin, and clear residual heat.
Treatment method: Clear lung meridian, clear Tianhe acupoint, massage Shangma acupoint, tonify spleen meridian, massage Yiwo Feng acupoint, tonify kidney meridian, and massage Banmen acupoint.
Differentiation and Treatment of Pneumonic Cough with Massage
1. Cold predominant: Add Huangfengrudong, press Fengchi, massage Ershanmen, rub chest and back.
2. Heat predominant: Add Qingdachang, separate and massage Shanzhong, massage Tianzhu, separate and massage Lung Yu.
3. Severe heat and toxin: Add Qiaoshijingwang, press Jingning, clear the heart meridian, press Xiaotianxin, massage Shuidilaomingyue, separate and massage Shanzhong.
4. Vomiting: Add Qingwei.
5. Deficiency of the body: Add massage Shangma.
Care Do's and Don'ts for Pediatric Pneumonic Cough
1. Strengthen the body, prevent colds.
2. Actively prevent and treat rickets and malnutrition.
3. Avoid taking children to public places in winter and spring to prevent various infectious diseases.
4. For superficial pathogens, induce slight sweating, avoid cold exposure, and avoid using cold water to wipe or applying ice packs.
5. For severe cases, strengthen nursing care, closely monitor changes in the condition, and promptly rescue in case of critical symptoms.
