In late autumn, it is especially important to be vigilant for the symptoms of "heat stagnation" in the body. This mainly refers to the fact that the "heat" in nature has not completely dissipated, but the weather has turned cool, and people have already put on thick clothes, which makes it easy for the pathogenic heat to invade and cause heat stagnation, leading to qi stagnation (symptoms include poor mental state, insomnia, sensation of foreign body in the throat, and panic, etc.). In the face of this condition, it may be helpful to regularly scrape and regulate the back.
The back is the location where the Bladder Meridian of the Foot-Taiyang runs. Scraping at this location has the effect of dispelling wind, cold, dampness, and heat, promoting blood circulation, detoxification, and resolving stasis. The position of the Bladder Meridian of the Foot-Taiyang is relatively easy to find on the back, with two branches located 1.5 inches and 3 inches away from the spine, respectively. The specific method of operation is as follows: starting from the Da Zhui point (the highest point of the neck when bowing), scrape repeatedly from top to bottom, from the inside to the outside, with a scraping length of 10-15 centimeters, and repeat the scraping about 30 times.
It is worth noting that when operating, the skin should be evenly coated with scraping oil or other media; hold the scraping board in your hand, and start with gentle and slow motions. As you adapt, gradually increase the strength and speed of the motions, but within a tolerable range. It is advisable to scrape in one direction, following the meridians, and focus on scraping at tender points and acupoints, aiming to induce sha (the appearance of red marks or "sha" on the skin). You can start by scraping the Governing Vessel and the Back-Shu points of the Bladder Meridian of the Foot-Taiyang (which are all located on the first side line of the back along the midline, 1.5 inches away from the Governing Vessel). Then, according to the condition, scrape the local Ah Shi points (which do not have a fixed position and can be identified by tenderness) to achieve better therapeutic effects. After scraping, it is best to drink some warm water and avoid bathing. It is normal to experience slight pain and itching in the local area for 1-2 days after scraping. Scraping is prohibited or should be done with caution for those who have a tendency to bleed, highly sensitive skin, extreme weakness, or severe heart failure.
