Heat is on as TCM gets to the point about winter diseases
Shot by Jiang Xiaowei. Edited by Sun Chao. Subtitles by Sun Chao and Wang Xinzhou.
Traditional Chinese medicine departments in local hospitals are carrying out dongbingxiazhi, TCM therapy in summer for diseases which afflict people in winter.
People with illness like asthma, coughs, bronchitis, throat pain, painful backs and knees, and rhinitis, which are likely to show more serious symptoms on cold days, are major patients for dongbingxiazhi.
A boy receives sanfutie for his asthma at Shanghai Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine.
According to TCM theory, summer is the best season to nourish the body and treat winter diseases. Therapies like acupuncture, tuina, moxibustion, acupoint injection and sanfutie are popular during dongbingxiazhi.
Sanfutie, a kind of plaster using TCM, is effective for children with poor appetites or respiratory diseases. Treatment can help improve their digestive functions, or help relieve the discomfort of illnesses such as asthma, bronchitis and arthritis in winter.
According to China's lunar calendar, sanfu refers to the hottest 30 to 40 days in a year, usually lasting from mid-July to mid-August. Sanfutie treatment is especially popular during this period.
"My grandson showed good effects after receiving sanfutie last year and we continue the therapy this summer," said a woman with a 6-year-old boy suffering asthma. "He had less outbreaks last winter."
During the process, medicated patches are placed on patients' back or belly at different acupuncture points for 15 to 20 minutes.
"Each sanfutie therapy lasts for four to six weeks in one summer," said Dr Xu Gang from pediatrics department of Shanghai Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine. "We suggest patients receive the treatment for at least three years, as it takes time for the therapy to build up immunity and take effects gradually.
"Most patients have positive responses after the treatment. Many patients said their winter diseases have less outbursts, while symptoms are less serious."
A doctor puts sanfutie on the belly of a boy.
Tuina and acupuncture departments also are crowed with patients.
"People usually have a strong Qi, or energy flow, in summer, while tuina can further boost their blood and energy circulation," said Dr Sun Wuquan, director of Yueyang Hospital's tuina department.
"While combining other TCM therapies, we can achieve better results. We target different acupoints to do tuina, which also can enhance the effects of other therapies like sanfutie.
"Treating winter diseases at the height of summer is a notion promoted in TCM, and it reflects the philosophy of preventing disease over treating it.
"Especially for children and people with weak immunity, it is an effective way with less side effects, as no oral medication is required."
A doctor conducts tuina for a baby at Shanghai Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine.
Another baby with tuina
Dr Zhou Liang from Yueyang Hospital's acupuncture department said dongbingxiazhi combines TCM treatment in line with the weather and people's body to achieve a harmonious status and a better treatment effect.
"Dongbingxiazhi targets people with Yang (heat) deficiency in TCM theory. They are likely to feel tired, more vulnerable to cold weather and can feel pain on their legs and knees in winter. Such people are usually in a stable condition in summer, because low temperatures are always a trigger to their symptoms. Our treatment is to boost their own Yang and vitality and build their own immunity against cold and winter diseases.
"Dongbingxiazhi doesn't only target children and elderly people. Young and middle-aged people also can have a try if they have symptoms like feeling tired or very cold in winter."
Acupuncture is widely used in dongbingxiazhi.
At the ear, nose and throat department of Shanghai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, patients with allergic rhinitis, chronic sphagitis and tinnitus are gathering to wait for acupoint injection, during which doctors inject liquid medicine into Tiantu acupoints.
Throat disease, pharyngitis, rhinitis and tinnitus are major diseases that acupoint injections target.
"Tiantu is an intersection point of Ren Channel, which starts from the lower abdomen and ends at orbits, running through the center of the body," said Wang Lihua from the hospital. "It is the center of Qi. Injecting this point can improve lung function and respiration.
"In addition to acupoint injection, we combine cupping, sanfutie and acupuncture together to enhance treatment effects. Patients with such treatment can have less outbreaks in winter.
"But TCM therapy is a slow and gradual process, which helps build up people's own Qi and blood circulation. So patients should be patient and have a healthy life style."
A man with a throat problem receives acupuncture.
A patient receives cupping at Shanghai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
