As spring approaches, the climatic characteristic is dominated by wind (feng).
The Huangdi Neijing states: “Wind is the beginning of all diseases.” “Especially during the spring season, the wind pathogen can invade the body through the skin, opening the pores, and particularly attacks the areas where yang qi gathers in the body, such as the back, head, and upper limbs. Let’s look at the following medical case:
Liang, male, 39 years old, date of consultation: 2021-01-18
Main complaint: Facial paralysis for 1 week.
Present illness history:The patient reports that one week ago, after drinking alcohol and being exposed to cold wind, he experienced disappearance of the right forehead lines, disappearance of the nasolabial fold, slight pain in the right ear, right eye unable to close with 3mm of white exposed, water flowing out while drinking, and the mouth corner tilted to the left, with normal taste. No numbness or weakness in limbs, no transient blackouts, no headache or vomiting. An MRI of the brain at another hospital showed no abnormalities, diagnosed as: “Peripheral facial nerve paralysis”, treated with “mecobalamin, vitamin B1” and other medications (details unspecified) with no significant improvement, thus he came for consultation.
Past medical history: Generally healthy.
Physical examination: Tongue dark, white coating, pulse wiry and thin. Right facial area slightly hard on palpation, significant tenderness at Fengchi (GB20) and Yifeng (SJ17).
Diagnosis: Facial deviation – wind-cold obstructing the collaterals syndrome
Prescription:
1. Wind egg therapy (on the affected side of the face)
2. Acupuncture treatment: bilateral Fengchi (GB20), Yifeng (SJ17), Xiakong (PC8), Taichong (LR3), Taixi (KD3), Zusanli (ST36), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Waiguan (SJ5), Hegu (LI4) on the left, Qianzheng (SI17), Qianliao (ST3), Yingxiang (LI20), Dicang (ST4), Chengjiang (CV24), Yangbai (GB14).
3. Mild moxibustion on bilateral Zusanli (ST36) and Yongquan (KD1).
On the same day after treatment, the patient was able to close his eyes, right ear pain disappeared, and the forehead lines and nasolabial folds were slightly more pronounced than before. Continued treatment with wind egg combined with acupuncture daily, by the third treatment, the forehead lines were symmetrical, the affected side’s eye blinked naturally, the nasolabial fold was symmetrical, but there was still a slight left deviation of the right lip. After three more treatments, he returned to normal, advised to avoid wind and cold, and adjust diet and emotions.
Commentary
Why was the patient’s effect so rapid? In addition to acupuncture unblocking the meridians, dispelling wind and eliminating pathogens, alleviating facial nerve edema, it is also related to the use of wind egg to quickly eliminate the wind pathogen.
“Facial deviation” is a term in traditional Chinese medicine, equivalent to modern medicine’s facial nerve paralysis.
The Zhuzhen Yuanhou Lun states: “Facial deviation is due to deficiency of the body receiving wind, with wind entering the muscles around the mouth.”
“The muscles of the foot yangming are above the mouth, and their muscles are deficient, allowing wind to invade, causing the meridians to become tense and unregulated, hence the facial deviation.” It can be seen that the ancients believed this condition was often due to collateral vacuity receiving wind.
Traditional Chinese medicine believes: “When the righteous qi is present within, evil cannot invade.” This means that if one’s resistance is strong, even if there are adverse external factors, one can remain safe.
From the patient’s tongue diagnosis, before treatment, the patient’s tongue edges were red, with a thin yellow coating, indicating liver yin deficiency and liver qi stagnation transforming into heat. The patient often stays up late, darkly consuming liver blood, and during the night drinks alcohol which generates dampness and heat, stirring up liver wind and heat, indicating that the patient’s internal wind was caused by staying up late and drinking alcohol.
The patient fell ill during a time of strong wind, making it easy for the body to have insufficient kidney essence and internal liver wind movement. Many sensitive individuals have already shown symptoms such as difficulty bending finger joints, muscle twitching, skin itching, night sweats, insomnia, and abdominal distension and pain.
Facial paralysis is also due to the patient having internal wind, and it was precisely this strong wind at night combined with drinking alcohol that stirred up the internal wind, thus dispelling wind was especially important in the patient’s treatment process.
“Wind egg therapy” is a folk treatment method passed down in the Guangxi region, where eggs are boiled in medicinal liquid, the yolk is removed, and the egg is rolled back and forth on the affected area, having effects of dispelling wind, scattering pathogens, and unblocking the meridians.
Traditional Chinese medicine holds that eggs are sweet and neutral, entering the spleen and stomach meridians. “The chicken belongs to the metal of the rooster, also known as the wood of the xun, possessing the qi of metal and wood…” (from Ben Cao Si Bian Lu)
The xun hexagram symbolizes wind, and eggs share the same nature with wind, matching with the wood element of the five elements. According to the principle of “taking images and comparing categories,” similar qi seeks each other, and when the hot egg rolls on the affected facial area, it warms and opens the meridians, drawing out the wind pathogen from the body surface.
Acupuncture treatment is carried out after wind egg therapy, combining distal and proximal points, selecting Fengchi (GB20) and Yifeng (SJ17) to further disperse wind pathogens, and local points to unblock the meridians, while also selecting Zusanli (ST36), Sanyinjiao (SP6), and Taixi (KD3) to nourish qi and blood, resisting external pathogens.
The foot shaoyang gallbladder channel’s ying point Xiakong (PC8) and the foot jueyin liver channel’s shu point Taichong (LR3) extinguish wind and relieve pain; Waiguan (SJ5) is the meeting point of the hand shaoyang and is the luo point of the hand shaoyang sanjiao channel, the yangwei channel connects the body’s yang qi and governs the exterior, can connect qi and blood, tonify yang and benefit qi. “The mouth and face are treated at Hegu (LI4)” reflects the principle of “treating the left side for a right disease.”
【Further Education】
How is silver egg therapy used for facial beauty?
Ethnic medicine believes: “Eggs are the premise of life, the most spiritual substance, through contact with human skin, they can absorb toxins from the body, and the nature of these toxins can be reflected in the change of the silver coin’s color.”
What magical reactions can occur when silver and eggs are combined?
Let’s take a look together!
Silver egg therapy combined with facial guasha is also a great partner for beauty. In this beautiful spring, make an appointment!
Doctor’s Profile
Liao Ting
Attending physician, Master of Medicine. Member of the TCM Preventive Medicine Professional Committee of the Guangxi TCM Association, trained under Professor Xie Sheng, a renowned TCM physician in Guangxi. Specializes in the combined treatment of internal medicine diseases, especially digestive system diseases, obesity, gynecological conditions, etc. Also has in-depth research on special acupuncture techniques such as “over-eye heat, piercing heat, closing method” and aspects of five movements and six qi, constitution identification, dietary guidance, etc. Has participated in two national natural science fund projects and published seven related papers.Consultation hours: Monday to Friday all day, Saturday morning, Thursday evening (19:00-22:00)
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Text: Liao Ting, Chen Shu
Video: Guangxi Satellite TV “Bai Shou Tan Mi” program
Editor: Zhao Neng
Review: Ban Xia
