In ancient Chinese medicine, although there is no specific literature on weight loss, the theories of spleen and stomach digestion and qi and blood provide a theoretical basis for understanding the principles of obesity from a physiological and pathological perspective. Overeating fatty and sweet foods can lead to the accumulation of fats in the body or the formation of phlegm-dampness, both of which are related to the functioning of the spleen and stomach.
Traditional Chinese medicine methods for health and weight loss are effective for simple obesity, but currently there are no proven methods for genetic obesity.
Cupping therapy:
1. Symptoms of excessive yang in the body include obesity, excessive appetite, red face, greasy tongue coating, and slippery and rapid pulse.
Treatment: Clearing the stomach and reducing fire.
Acupoints: Hunger point, Stomach Shu, Lung Shu, as well as Yangchi, Sanjiao Shu, and other points.
Procedure: Cupping therapy should be combined with auricular pressure. Pressing the hunger point (the middle point in front of the earlobe, below the outer nose) can reduce appetite and relieve stomach distension, which is an effective acupoint for weight loss. Cupping therapy on Lung Shu is beneficial for the dispersion of nutrients throughout the body since the lungs play a crucial role in the distribution of qi. Yangchi, Sanjiao Shu, and Stomach Shu points are closely related to the digestion, absorption, and distribution of food, and these acupoints can help alleviate hunger and other reactions associated with weight loss methods.
2. Symptoms of phlegm-dampness obstruction include obesity, excessive sleepiness, easy fatigue, poor appetite, tastelessness, decreased menstrual flow or amenorrhea in women, and seminal emission in men. The tongue may be swollen with tooth marks, and the pulse may be deep or slippery.
Treatment: Transforming dampness and resolving phlegm.
Acupoints: Auricular points such as Endocrine and Adrenal Gland, and body points like Sanjiao Shu and Spleen Shu.
Procedure: Apply pressure to the Endocrine and Adrenal Gland points on the ear to regulate the endocrine system through the central nervous system. Cupping therapy combined with body points can be applied for 15-20 minutes to strengthen the spleen, eliminate dampness, and transform phlegm.
The methods of traditional Chinese medicine for weight loss are based on the theory of meridians and organs, and they often utilize purging methods to suppress appetite or regulate the excessive functioning of the spleen and stomach to achieve weight loss. It is important to acknowledge the psychological and suggestive effects of these therapies, as they play a role in motivating patients to consciously control their food intake through actions performed during hunger or before meals, and also trigger regulation responses in the hypothalamic feeding center.
