Gastric pain can be said to be a common problem for most people nowadays. Irregular diet, frequent consumption of raw and cold food, and regular drinking are important causes of gastric pain. In order to solve the problem of gastric pain, besides paying more attention in daily life, it can also be relieved through acupressure massage.
Causes of Gastric Pain
1. Diet-induced stomach injury
The stomach is responsible for receiving and digesting food and its energy relies on harmonizing and descending. Therefore, the occurrence of gastric pain is closely related to improper diet. If the diet is irregular, overeating, and damaging the spleen and stomach, resulting in stagnant food and hindered gastric energy, it will cause gastric pain.
2. Mental stress
When a person is stressed, anxious, or angry, their negative emotions can spread from the cerebral cortex to the autonomic nervous system, directly causing gastrointestinal dysfunction.
3. Abuse of medication
Because of busy work, some office workers take painkillers for stomach pain, which is wrong and can worsen the condition. Painkillers have a direct stimulating effect on the gastric mucosa and can promote gastric acid secretion, causing strong stimulation on the mucosa and ulcers, exacerbating gastritis.
4. Acute gastritis
The onset of acute gastritis is often sudden. Acute gastritis caused by bacterial or toxin-contaminated food usually occurs a few hours after ingestion and generally does not exceed 24 hours.
Dietary Remedies for Gastric Pain
1. Hot water
The idea of "drink more hot water" often mentioned by people is not completely without reason. When experiencing gastric pain, whether it is chronic gastritis or stomach being affected by cold, drinking hot water can provide significant relief.
2. Hot water bottle
Sometimes gastric pain is caused by the stomach being affected by cold. In this case, using a hot water bottle to warm the stomach can alleviate the pain when feeling a warm sensation. If there is no hot water bottle, a hot towel or wrapping a towel around a hot water bottle can have the same effect.
3. Congee and rice soup
Even with gastric pain, it is still important to eat. However, spicy, greasy, or hard-to-digest foods should be avoided. Instead, choose light and easy-to-digest foods such as soups and congee. It is also helpful to add a little baking soda to the food.
4. Vitamin C-rich fruits
Vitamin C can regulate gastric acid secretion and protect the stomach. Eating a small amount of fruits rich in vitamin C or taking vitamin C tablets can be beneficial.
Massage Treatment for Gastric Pain
1. Rubbing the back and waist for pain relief: Based on the bladder meridian route on the back, use both palms to rub and press the acupoints from the diaphragm to the Sanjiao acupoint, paying attention to the focus on local areas.
2. Shaking and tapping the acupoints: Use the base of the palm to exert force and shake the palm with the wrist joint as the fulcrum, stimulating the liver, spleen, stomach, and Sanjiao acupoints. The pressure should be moderate, and the shaking frequency should be uniform.
3. Tui Na massage on the spine: Use both hands' thumbs and index fingers to repeatedly massage along the Du meridian route from top to bottom (from Dazhui acupoint to Mingmen acupoint), performing 10 rounds of up and down massage.
4. Rubbing the upper abdomen to dispel cold: Use one palm to repeatedly rub the upper abdomen, with a fast frequency to make it warm. Then, switch to palm rubbing for the upper area.
5. Pressing and rubbing the abdomen to disperse accumulation: Use the thumbs of both hands to alternate pressing and massaging the Ren meridian and both sides of the stomach meridian route. Use both palms to rub the upper area from top to bottom and use both palms to knead the abdomen in a circular motion.
6. Rubbing and shaking to relieve stagnation: Based on the palm-wave rubbing of the abdomen, use multiple fingers to pinch and shake the abdominal muscles to create a trembling motion.
7. Pressing and rubbing the Yangming meridians to clear heat: Use the thumb or the space between the thumb and index finger to rub the forearm and lower leg segments of the Yangming meridians, with a focus on the Hegu acupoint on the hand and the Zusanli acupoint on the foot.
