Stomach pain can be said to be the most common disease in our lives, especially for young people, improper diet and irregular eating times are the main factors causing stomach pain. In response to this, health experts suggest using traditional Chinese medicine foot baths combined with foot massage to treat various symptoms of stomach pain and discomfort.
【Traditional Chinese Medicine Foot Bath Remedies for Stomach Pain】
Remedy 1
15g Corydalis yanhusuo, 15g Cinnamon, 15g Evodia rutaecarpa, 15g Clove, 15g Raphanus sativus, 12g Frankincense, 12g Myrrh, 10g Artemisia argyi. Decoction foot bath for 30 minutes once a day. Suitable for stomach pain caused by cold or spleen and stomach deficiency-cold patterns.
Remedy 2
10g Alpinia officinarum, 15g Cyperus rotundus, 10g Citrus reticulata, 10g Bupleurum chinense, 15g Citrus medica, 10g Corydalis yanhusuo, 10g Trogopterus xanthipes, 10g Typha angustifolia. Decoction foot bath for 30 minutes once a day. Suitable for stomach pain after anger or liver depression and qi stagnation patterns.
Remedy 3
15g Curcuma aromatica, 12g Rheum palmatum, 10g Scutellaria baicalensis, 6g Mirabilite, 10g Gardenia jasminoides, 6g Cyperus rotundus, appropriate amount of ginger juice. Decoction foot bath for 30 minutes once a day. Suitable for stomach pain caused by excessive heat or excessive heart and stomach fire.
Remedy 4
10g Bupleurum chinense, 10g Angelica sinensis, 10g Paeonia lactiflora, 15g Poria cocos, 10g Atractylodes macrocephala, 5g Glycyrrhiza uralensis, 2g Mentha haplocalyx. Boil with 3000ml of water for 20 minutes, then soak the feet once a day. Suitable for stomach pain caused by liver depression and spleen deficiency.
【Foot Massage Techniques for Relieving Stomach Pain】
1. Gongsun Acupoint
Location: The front lower edge of the first metatarsal base, at the junction of red and white skin.
Method: Pinch and rub the Gongsun acupoint with the tip of your thumb 100-200 times, persist every day to improve abdominal pain.
Efficacy: Clinical studies have shown that stimulating Gongsun acupoint can promote gastrointestinal peristalsis, inhibit gastric acid secretion, and thus relieve stomach pain and improve gastrointestinal function.
2. Taibai Acupoint
Location: On the back edge of the head of the first metatarsal, at the junction of red and white skin.
Method: Persist in massaging for 3-5 minutes every day, pay attention to the strength during massage, and only apply moderate pressure to the acupoint.
Efficacy: Taibai acupoint has the functions of invigorating the spleen and stomach, regulating qi and transforming dampness. It is commonly used in the treatment of acute and chronic gastritis, acute and chronic enteritis, neurogenic vomiting, and indigestion.
【Precautions for Foot Baths】
1. Do not soak for too long
The recommended time is 15-30 minutes. During the foot bath, the blood circulation in the body accelerates and the heart rate increases. Soaking for too long can increase the burden on the heart.
In addition, because more blood will flow to the lower limbs, people with weak constitution may feel dizzy due to insufficient blood supply to the brain, and in severe cases, fainting may occur.
2. Water temperature should not be too high
The water temperature should be around 40℃. If the water temperature is too high, the blood vessels in the feet will easily dilate excessively, and more blood will flow to the lower limbs, which can cause insufficient blood supply to important organs such as the heart, brain, and kidneys.
3. Do not soak feet within half an hour after meals
After a meal, most of the blood in the body flows to the digestive tract. If you soak your feet in hot water immediately after a meal, the blood that should flow to the digestive system will instead flow to the lower limbs, which can affect digestion and absorption and lead to nutritional deficiencies.
4. Use a wooden basin for Chinese medicine foot baths
Many people use Chinese medicine foot baths for adjuvant treatment, but do not use metal basins such as copper basins. The chemical components in these basins are unstable and can react with tannic acid in Chinese medicine, forming harmful substances such as tannic acid iron, which greatly reduces the effectiveness of the medicine.
