In the southern region, there are many people with chronic eczema, sometimes causing severe itching. Traditional Chinese medicine scraping therapy has good therapeutic effects on many conditions. Can eczema be treated with scraping therapy? What are the areas for scraping therapy for eczema?
Can eczema be treated with scraping therapy?
Eczema patients can use scraping therapy as an adjunct treatment, but be careful not to scrape the areas with chronic eczema to avoid local ulceration and infection.
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that eczema is often caused by spleen deficiency due to diet, spleen deficiency in transportation, invasion of damp-heat pathogen from external sources, or accumulation of dampness in the body, which transforms into heat over time and becomes stagnant, affecting the skin. Scraping therapy on specific meridians and acupoints can detoxify, clear heat, invigorate the spleen, and promote diuresis, which helps alleviate eczema symptoms.
Areas for scraping therapy for eczema
Method 1
Acupoints: Sides of the spine, shoulder area, C1-C7 and T1-T5 and their bilateral sides, or elbow area, palm area, or lumbar and sacrum and their bilateral sides, knee area, dorsal foot area. Areas surrounding the affected skin.
Method: Use scraping therapy. First, lightly scrape three lines on both sides of the spine (from C1 to the coccyx), lightly scrape 1-3 lines on the shoulder area until slight erythema appears, and then scrape around the affected area. Then scrape the affected area according to its location. For upper body lesions: focus on scraping C1-C7 and T1-T5 and their bilateral sides for 5 lines until petechiae appear, then scrape the elbow area and palm area; for lower body lesions: focus on scraping the lumbar and sacrum and their bilateral sides for 5 lines until petechiae appear, then scrape the knee area and dorsal foot area. Once a day, 10 times is one course of treatment.
Indications: Eczema (acute and chronic). It is frequently used in clinical practice and has excellent results. If combined with medication application to the affected area, the treatment effect is even better. Avoid scraping over skin lesions.
Method 2
Acupoints: Da Zhu, Feishu, Ganshu, Pishu, Shenshu, Jianyu, Qu Chi, Hegu, Shenmen, Xuehai, Yinlingquan, Zusanli, Sanyinjiao.
Method: Use scraping therapy. Sequentially scrape the above-mentioned acupoints until petechiae appear, once a day. For chronic eczema patients, after scraping, cupping and pricking therapy can be applied around the eczema.
Indications: Eczema. It can achieve satisfactory therapeutic effects and should avoid hot water and hot bath soap. Avoid scratching.
Method 3
Acupoints: Da Zhu, Feishu, Pishu, Qu Chi, Neiguan, Hegu, Zusanli, Sanyinjiao.
Method: Use scraping therapy. First, scrape the back at Da Zhu, Feishu, and Pishu, then scrape the forearm at Qu Chi, Neiguan, and Hegu, and finally scrape the lower leg at Zusanli and Sanyinjiao. Use purging method and scrape until petechiae appear. Once a day or every other day.
Indications: Eczema. It has been used with good effect.
Method 4
Acupoints: Divided into 3 groups: Group 1 includes Feishu, Qu Chi, Weizhong, Yinlingquan, Shenmen, and Da Zhu; Group 2 includes Dadu, Yinlingquan, Pishu, Zusanli, and Qu Chi; Group 3 includes Xuehai, Sanyinjiao, Zusanli, Qu Chi, Geyu, and Qiemeng.
Method: Use scraping and cupping therapy. In Group 1, first scrape Da Zhu on the neck, then scrape Feishu on the back, then scrape Qu Chi and Shenmen on the forearm, and cupping at Weizhong (bloodletting). Finally, scrape Yinlingquan on the inner side of the lower leg. Use purging method and cupping at Weizhong, scrape until petechiae appear. Once a day or every other day.
In Group 2, first scrape Feishu on the back, then scrape Qu Chi on the forearm, and finally scrape Yinlingquan, Dadu, and Zusanli on the lower leg. Use supplement and purging combined method, scrape until petechiae appear. Once every other day.
In Group 3, first scrape Geyu on the back, then scrape Qu Chi and Qiemeng on the forearm, and finally scrape Xuehai to Sanyinjiao on the inner side of the lower leg, and Zusanli on the outer side. Use supplement method, scrape until slight petechiae appear. Once every other day.
Indications: Eczema (Group 1 for damp-heat type, Group 2 for spleen deficiency and dampness type, Group 3 for blood deficiency and wind-dryness type). Differentiate treatment based on different types, with good results.
What does it mean if eczema appears after scraping therapy?
After scraping therapy, many people may find small blisters in the scraped area. These blisters are not eczema as eczema usually presents with itching and exudation.
Reasons:
The appearance of blisters after scraping therapy indicates excessive body dampness.
Patients have excessive wind-cold dampness and damp toxins in their body, with dampness being the most prominent. The appearance of blisters is a manifestation of evil qi being expelled. The size and number of blisters largely reflect the phlegm, fluid, and dampness in the body. Large and numerous blisters with a white color and no high skin temperature indicate a cold-damp pattern, while less noticeable blisters in smaller numbers with a slightly yellow or turbid color and higher skin temperature indicate a damp-heat pattern.
Solutions:
1. Small blisters will naturally heal. If the blisters are small, there is no need to puncture them, allowing them to heal naturally is better and will not affect daily life.
2. Large blisters should be punctured with a sterilized acupuncture needle. After puncturing the larger blisters, the fluid can be drained. For the wound after blistering, it can be covered with sterile gauze and changed regularly until it heals.
3. It is worth noting that the appearance of blisters after scraping therapy indicates excessive body dampness. In daily diet, it is advisable to add more diuretic and dampness-eliminating foods, such as red beans, coix seed, winter melon, etc. Pay attention to exercising regularly to sweat and eliminate excess water from the body, and exercise can also enhance the body's immune function.
What are the contraindications of scraping therapy?
Although scraping therapy can be used to treat various conditions, there are also precautions and contraindications.
1. Patients with bleeding tendencies should not use this therapy or should use it with caution. For example, patients with thrombocytopenia, allergic purpura, leukemia, etc., purging therapy should not be used, and supplement therapy or balanced supplement and purging therapy should be used instead.
2. In critically ill patients, such as acute infectious diseases, severe heart disease, immediate hospitalization for observation and treatment is necessary. If there are no other options, scraping therapy can be temporarily used for emergency treatment to buy time and treatment opportunities.
3. Newly occurring fractures should not be scraped, and scraping therapy should be performed after the fracture has healed. Scraping therapy should also be avoided on surgical scars for two months. Be cautious when scraping scars in patients after malignant tumor surgery.
4. Infectious skin diseases: such as abscess, furuncle, scar, ulceration, sexually transmitted skin diseases, and lumps on the skin with unknown causes should not be directly scraped.
5. Elderly, weak individuals, individuals on an empty stomach, and women during menstruation should avoid large-scale purging therapy on the lower abdomen, as well as scraping therapy on Yinlingquan, Hegu, and Zusanli acupoints on the face.
6. Individuals who have fear or allergies to scraping therapy should avoid using this therapy.
7. Pregnant women and women during menstruation should not have scraping therapy on the lower abdomen and acupoints such as Sanyinjiao, Hegu, and Zusanli. The scraping technique should be gentle, using supplement therapy.
Precautions for scraping therapy
Before scraping therapy
1. Scraping therapy requires exposed skin, and the sweat pores are open during scraping. If there is a wind-cold pathogen, the evil qi can directly enter the body through the open pores, affecting the therapeutic effect of scraping therapy and potentially causing new diseases. Therefore, choose a good treatment location before scraping therapy, with fresh and well-ventilated air, and pay attention to keeping warm and avoiding drafts. Minimize skin exposure.
2. Choose a comfortable position for scraping therapy to facilitate scraping and prevent dizziness during the process.
3. Strictly disinfect the scraping tools to prevent cross-infection. Before scraping, carefully inspect the scraping tools to avoid scraping the skin.
4. The hands of the therapist should also be disinfected.
5. Before scraping, explain the general knowledge of scraping therapy to the patient, eliminate their fear, and gain their cooperation to avoid dizziness during the therapy.
6. Avoid performing scraping therapy on patients who are excessively hungry, overly full, or overly tense.
During scraping therapy
1. The scraping technique should be firm and even, with a degree that the patient can tolerate, and stop when petechiae appear.
2. For infants, young children, and the elderly, the scraping technique should be gentle.
3. Do not blindly pursue petechiae and use excessive force or extend the scraping time. The amount of petechiae produced is influenced by multiple factors. Generally, blood stasis patterns produce more petechiae; excess patterns and heat patterns produce more petechiae; deficiency patterns and cold patterns produce fewer petechiae; excessive medication, especially the use of corticosteroids, hinder the appearance of petechiae; obese individuals and individuals with well-developed muscles produce fewer petechiae; yin meridians produce fewer petechiae than yang meridians; petechiae are less likely to appear in a low room temperature.
4. During the scraping process, frequently inquire about the patient's feelings. If there is dizziness, such as fatigue, dizziness, pale complexion, nausea, cold sweats, palpitations, cold limbs, or hypotension, unconsciousness, scraping should be immediately stopped. Comfort the patient and help them lie down, keep them warm, and provide warm water or sugar water. If the symptoms persist, gently press the angles of the scraping tool on the water channel acupoints, with light pressure to avoid edema after pressing. Use purging therapy on Baihui and Yongquan acupoints. After the patient's condition improves, continue scraping Neiguan and Zusanli acupoints.
After scraping therapy
1. After scraping therapy, sweating opens the pores and expels evil qi, which consumes part of the body's fluid. Therefore, after scraping therapy, drink a glass of warm water and rest for a while.
2. After scraping therapy, to prevent invasion by wind-cold pathogens, wait for the skin pores to close and return to their original state before taking a bath, usually about 3 hours.
3. For patients with complex and critical conditions, in addition to scraping therapy, other treatments should also be combined, such as medication, to avoid delaying the condition.
