Symptoms
The main characteristics include nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, cough, headache, chills, fever, general discomfort, and a floating pulse.
Causes
Colds are the most common illness in daily life, caused by cold viruses. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that colds are caused by the invasion of wind pathogens or seasonal viruses.
1. Retained Cupping Method
Da Zhui (Dazhui) point, Feng Men (Fengmen) point, Fei Yu (Feiyu) point
The patient should sit or lie face down. First, perform flash cupping on the Da Zhui (Dazhui), Feng Men (Fengmen), and Fei Yu (Feiyu) points until the local skin becomes slightly red, then leave the cups on the acupoints for 10-15 minutes. This can be done once daily or every other day, with a total of 3 sessions for one treatment course.
Pattern Differentiation
Wind-Cold Type: Severe chills, mild fever, nasal congestion with clear discharge, no thirst, thin white tongue coating, floating or tight pulse.
Wind-Heat Type: Severe fever, mild chills, nasal congestion with yellow discharge, thirst, sore throat, thin yellow tongue coating, floating and rapid pulse.
Summer-Dampness Type: Fever, slight aversion to wind, little sweating, persistent fever, nasal congestion with yellow discharge, heavy and swollen headache, sticky thirst, thin yellow greasy tongue coating, soft and rapid pulse.
Symptom-Based Adjustments
1. For severe headache in the Summer-Dampness type, add cupping on the Tai Yang (Taiyang) and Yin Tang (Yintang) points or perform bloodletting cupping.
2. For severe itchy throat and dry cough, add cupping on the Tian Tu (Tiantu) point.
3. For severe sore throat in the Wind-Heat type, add bleeding at the Shao Shang (Shaoshang) point or ear apex.
2. Moving Cupping Method
The patient should sit or lie face down. Use the moving cupping method along the back’s Du Mai (Du meridian) and the inner line of the Foot Taiyang Bladder Meridian until the skin becomes red or slight petechiae appear. This can be done once daily or every other day, with a total of 3 sessions for one treatment course.
3. Flash Cupping Method
For patients with muscle atrophy or those sensitive to pain, use the flash cupping method on the Da Zhui (Dazhui), Feng Men (Fengmen), and Fei Yu (Feiyu) points until the local skin becomes noticeably red or the patient feels warmth and comfort in the back. This can be done once daily, with a total of 3 sessions for one treatment course.
Tips:
Enhance physical exercise to strengthen the body’s defensive Qi and develop a habit of regular outdoor activities.
Maintain cleanliness in both indoor and outdoor environments, ensuring fresh air and ample sunlight indoors.
When suffering from a cold, drink plenty of warm water, eat a light diet, avoid greasy, spicy, and hot foods, and ensure adequate sleep.
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