Summer heatstroke is a common condition, and as a traditional Chinese medical treatment, gua sha is simple, convenient, and safe. So which part should be gua sha after heatstroke?
Which Part to Gua Sha After Heatstroke
1. Parts to Gua Sha After Heatstroke
Da Zhu, Xiong Jia Ji, Qu Ze, Nei Guan, Shen Que, Guan Yuan, Lao Gong, Yong Quan, Zhong Chong, Shi Xuan.
Acupoint selection:
(1) Da Zhu: Located in the depression below the spinous process of the 7th cervical vertebra. When selecting the acupoint, the patient should sit upright and lower the head. The acupoint is located at the lower end of the neck, in the depression below the spinous process of the 7th cervical vertebra. If the protruding bone is not very prominent, let the patient move the neck, and the immobile joint is the 1st thoracic vertebra, approximately level with the shoulder.
(2) Xiong Jia Ji: From the 1st thoracic vertebra to the 12th thoracic vertebra, 0.5 cun away from the side of the spinous process.
(3) Qu Ze: In the middle of the transverse crease of the elbow, on the ulnar side of the biceps brachii tendon.
(4) Nei Guan: 2 cun above the transverse crease of the wrist, between the tendon of the flexor carpi ulnaris and the tendon of the palmaris longus. It can also be located by going 3 transverse fingers above the transverse crease of the wrist, between the two tendons.
(5) Lao Gong: Slightly to the 3rd metacarpal bone between the 2nd and 3rd metacarpal bones. When making a fist and bending the fingers, it is located at the tip of the middle finger.
(6) Zhong Chong: The center of the fingertip of the middle finger.
(7) Shi Xuan: At the fingertip of all ten fingers, 0.1 cun from the free edge of the nail, a total of 10 acupoints on both hands.
(8) Shen Que: In the central depression of the navel. Guan Yuan: 3 cun directly below the center of the navel.
(9) Wei Zhong: The midpoint of the transverse crease of the popliteal fossa.
(10) Yong Quan: At the depression on the anterior part of the foot, one-third of the distance from the head end of the toe crease line connecting the 2nd and 3rd toes to the heel.
2. Method of Gua Sha After Heatstroke
Use a water buffalo horn gua sha board, and red flower oil as the medium. The gua sha method is direct scraping, and the technique is a purging method. First, scrape the Da Zhu and Xiong Jia Ji in the neck and upper back, and then scrape the Qu Ze and Nei Guan in the upper limb. Rub the Shen Que and Guan Yuan in the abdomen, and the Lao Gong in the hand. Scrape the Wei Zhong in the lower limb, and rub the Yong Quan in the foot. Gua sha points: Zhong Chong, Wei Zhong, and Shi Xuan (located at the fingertips of both hands).
Specific operation method:
(1) Apply red flower oil evenly to Da Zhu, Xiong Jia Ji, Qu Ze, Nei Guan, and Wei Zhong.
(2) Use the horn edge or corner of the gua sha board to scrape the smaller areas or depressions on the scraping area, until local bleeding points appear.
(3) Use thumb rubbing method for Shen Que, Guan Yuan, Lao Gong, and Yong Quan, until local soreness is felt.
(4) After strict disinfection of Zhong Chong, Wei Zhong, and Shi Xuan, use a sterilized small tri-edge needle to puncture until 5-7 drops of blood are released.
Note:
If the patient is in a state of confusion, they should first be awakened, and then gua sha treatment can be performed. The patient should drink a small amount of warm water before the procedure.
3. The Efficacy of Gua Sha
Gua sha has the function of relieving heat and clearing the mind, and is suitable for heatstroke. It is suitable for patients with symptoms such as headache, dizziness, chest tightness, nausea, vomiting, thirst, fever without sweating, restlessness, fatigue, and limb soreness. In severe cases, in addition to the above symptoms, patients may also have cold limbs, pale complexion, palpitations, shortness of breath, cold sweats all over the body, and in severe cases, they may have confusion, spasms of the gastrocnemius muscle, and limb convulsions.
Precautions After Gua Sha After Heatstroke
1. Precautions Before Gua Sha
1. Gua sha therapy requires exposed skin, and when gua sha, the skin's sweat pores are open. If exposed to wind and cold, the pathogenic qi can directly enter the body through the open pores, affecting the effectiveness of gua sha treatment and potentially causing new diseases. Therefore, before gua sha, it is necessary to choose a good treatment location with fresh and well-ventilated air, pay attention to keeping warm, and avoid wind. In summer, gua sha should not be performed in places with draft. Try to minimize the exposure of the skin.
2. Choose a comfortable gua sha position to facilitate scraping and prevent dizziness from scraping.
3. The gua sha tool must be strictly disinfected to prevent cross-infection. Before scraping, carefully check the gua sha tool to avoid scraping the skin.
4. The hands of the operator should also be disinfected.
5. Before scraping, explain the general knowledge of gua sha to the patient, eliminate their fear, and gain their cooperation to prevent dizziness from scraping.
6. Do not perform gua sha treatment on patients who are excessively hungry, full, or overly tense.
2. Precautions During Gua Sha
1. The scraping technique should be evenly applied force, and the force should be tolerable, until sha appears.
2. For infants, children, and the elderly, the scraping technique should be applied with light force.
3. Do not blindly pursue sha and use excessive force or extend the scraping time. The amount of sha is influenced by many factors. In general, blood stasis causes more sha; excess and heat conditions cause more sha; deficiency and cold conditions cause less sha; excessive medication, especially the use of hormone drugs, makes it difficult to produce sha; obese and muscular individuals are less likely to produce sha; sha is less likely to appear on the yin meridians compared to the yang meridians; sha is less likely to appear when the room temperature is low.
4. During scraping, frequently ask the patient about their feelings. If dizziness occurs, such as fatigue, dizziness, pale complexion, nausea, cold sweats, palpitations, cold limbs, or a drop in blood pressure, or if the patient becomes unconscious, scraping should be stopped immediately. Comfort the patient, help them lie down, keep them warm, and offer them warm water or sugar water. If the symptoms do not improve, lightly press the water groove point with the corner of the gua sha board to avoid swelling after pressing. Use purging scraping method on Bai Hui and Yong Quan. After the patient's condition improves, continue to scrape Nei Guan and Zu San Li.
3. Precautions After Gua Sha
1. Gua sha treatment opens the sweat pores and expels pathogenic qi, consuming some of the body's fluids. Therefore, after gua sha treatment, the patient should drink a cup of warm water and rest for a while.
2. After gua sha treatment, in order to avoid the invasion of wind and cold pathogenic qi, the skin pores need to close and return to their original state before bathing. Generally, this takes about 3 hours.
3. For patients with complex and severe conditions of heatstroke, in addition to gua sha treatment, other treatments should be used in combination, such as medication, to avoid delaying the condition.
Will Sha Appear Without Heatstroke?
Sha may also appear even without heatstroke.
After gua sha, if the skin turns red or there are purple or black spots or blisters, it is considered as sha, which is a clinical syndrome of blood stasis and toxicity reflected on the surface of the body. Many diseases can cause sha, so it is said that "any illness can produce sha."
In other words, even if there is no heatstroke, as long as the body is in an unhealthy or sub-healthy state, sha may still appear after gua sha.
How to Recover Quickly from Heatstroke
1. Move to a Cool and Ventilated Place
When a patient shows symptoms of heatstroke, such as chest tightness, dizziness, palpitations, weakness in the limbs, pale complexion, and feverish body, and there is no medication available, it is important to first move the patient away from the high-temperature environment to a cool and well-ventilated place for rest. Disperse the surrounding crowd if necessary, and open fans or air conditioners to create a cool environment.
2. Take First Aid Measures
After the patient is moved to a cool and ventilated environment, the patient's clothing should be untied promptly to ensure smooth breathing. If the patient is wearing too much clothing, they can remove it appropriately.
And it is necessary to promptly help the patient replenish fluids and electrolytes. If the patient is conscious, they can drink mung bean soup, light salt and sugar water, etc. It is important to avoid consuming too much at once and drink small amounts multiple times.
3. Physically Cool Down
Physical cooling can help the patient reduce body temperature and quickly relieve heatstroke when there is no medication available.
If the patient is outdoors, their clothes can be wetted with mineral water to cool them down; if indoors, a cold towel can be applied to the patient's forehead, or a wet towel can be used to wipe the patient's body. If conditions permit, rubbing the thighs, armpits, chest, and back with 30-50% alcohol can improve the patient's fever symptoms.
4. Seek Medical Treatment in Severe Cases
In severe cases of heatstroke, various complications can occur, such as cerebral edema, heart failure, acute renal failure, respiratory failure, and shock. Therefore, once a heatstroke patient is found to have symptoms such as high fever, coma, convulsions, etc., and there is no medication available, the patient's head should be turned back and placed in a lateral position to ensure smooth breathing. Immediately call for an ambulance and notify them to come.
