When a child has a stomachache, parents will be very anxious. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the main causes of abdominal pain in children are external cold evil, injury from milk and food, spleen and stomach deficiency, and emotional stagnation. It can be classified into four types: cold accumulation, food stagnation, deficiency and cold, and qi stagnation. Parents can use corresponding massage techniques to help relieve their children's pain based on the different causes of abdominal pain.
Cold Accumulation Abdominal Pain
Children in this category often have external cold evil or a diet of cold food, which manifests as severe abdominal pain that reduces with warmth and worsens with cold. They may even experience cold sweats, cold hands and feet, and vomiting and diarrhea.
Massage technique recommendation: Rub the Fengchi acupoint (the depressed area in the middle of the back of the wrist), rub the Waiguan acupoint (between the second and third metacarpal bones on the back of the left hand), tonify the spleen meridian (outer edge of the thumb, from the tip to the base of the finger), rub the abdomen, and rub the Banmen acupoint (in the middle of the palm).
Food Stagnation Abdominal Pain
Children in this category often have a habit of overeating, which leads to stagnation in the middle burner, causing bloating and abdominal pain that worsens when pressed. They may also have poor appetite, bad breath, sour and smelly stools, constipation or diarrhea, restless sleep, and hot hands and feet.
Massage technique recommendation: Tonify the spleen meridian, push the four horizontal lines (located at the joint between the first finger of the palm, middle, ring, and little finger), clear the large intestine (outer edge of the index finger, from the base to the tip), rub the Zhongwan acupoint (4 inches above the navel).
Deficiency and Cold Abdominal Pain
Children in this category have a weak spleen and stomach, insufficient yang, or have been harmed by excessively cold medicines. They may have pale complexion, cold hands and feet, poor appetite, or abdominal distension and loose stools after eating.
Massage technique recommendation: Rub the Waiguan acupoint, clear and tonify the spleen meridian (outer edge of the thumb, from the tip to the base of the finger), tonify the kidney meridian (spiral surface of the palm of the little finger, push from the base to the tip), rub the Zusanli acupoint (four horizontal finger-widths below the outer knee).
Qi Stagnation Abdominal Pain
Children in this category often have a irritable temperament, which leads to poor circulation of qi and blood. They may experience obvious abdominal distension and pain.
Massage technique recommendation: Calm the liver (push along the distal phalanx of the index finger from the base to the tip), clear the large intestine, perform the Eight Trigrams movement (circle with the palm), rub the Banmen acupoint, push the four horizontal lines, and rub the abdomen.
Pay attention to diet hygiene in daily care, avoid eating too much cold food; pay attention to changes in weather, prevent exposure to external evils, and avoid cooling the abdomen; seek medical attention promptly for severe or persistent abdominal pain, and undergo necessary auxiliary examinations to facilitate differential diagnosis and timely treatment.
