Bloodletting
Therapy
Method
Inheritance and Innovation
Bloodletting therapy, also known as “needling bloodletting therapy,” involves using a three-edged needle, plum blossom needle, fine needle, or other tools to puncture acupuncture points or superficial blood vessels to release a small amount of blood for therapeutic purposes. It is one of the traditional treatment methods in acupuncture, with references dating back to the Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon). Through the clinical practices of generations of physicians, its efficacy has improved, especially for certain acute and severe conditions, where it can provide timely rescue, rapid results, and no side effects. This therapy is based on the theory of meridians and the principles of needling, using needles to puncture specific areas or acupuncture points to release blood, thereby unblocking the meridians, regulating qi and blood, and promoting the expulsion of pathogens.
Effects of Bloodletting Therapy
This therapy has calming, analgesic, heat-clearing, swelling-reducing, emergency, detoxifying, and blood-stasis-resolving effects.
Indications
Bloodletting therapy has a wide range of indications, applicable to various conditions such as excess syndromes, heat syndromes, blood stasis, and pain. In dermatology, it is commonly used for neurodermatitis, erysipelas, abscesses, acne, chloasma, and herpes zoster.
Common Treatments
1. Acupuncture Point Bloodletting1. Ear apex bloodletting. Commonly used for excess heat conditions, particularly effective for treating diseases of the head and face, skin diseases, and cardiovascular diseases, with special efficacy for colds, fevers, hordeolum, and acute tonsillitis.
Ear Apex Bloodletting
2. Sifeng point bloodletting. Indicated for pediatric malnutrition, pediatric indigestion, whooping cough, intestinal roundworm infection, and finger joint arthritis.
Sifeng Point Bloodletting
3. Dazhui point bloodletting. Dazhui is a point on the Governing Vessel, governing the yang of the entire body. Therefore, bloodletting at Dazhui can expel the evil heat of yang, achieving the effects of harmonizing nutritive and defensive qi, unblocking obstructions, and detoxifying and reducing swelling. It is effective for treating fever, sore throat, and occipital sores.4. Weizhong point bloodletting. “Seek Weizhong for lumbar and back pain.” This point has the effects of relaxing muscles and unblocking meridians, promoting blood circulation, and is effective for treating chronic low back pain, ulcers, and stubborn skin diseases.5. Shixuan point bloodletting. Located at the extremities of the limbs, Shixuan points are where the qi of the three yin and three yang meridians converge. Bloodletting at Shixuan can help release accumulated heat and unblock stagnant qi. It is effective for treating high fever, heat stroke, and syncope.6. Twelve Jing points bloodletting. The Twelve Jing point bloodletting method is one of the traditional emergency measures in TCM. It can be used for treating consciousness disorders due to poisoning and for emergency treatment of stroke.2. Superficial Vein Bloodletting1. Bloodletting at the back of the ear. Used for treating acute fever in children, chronic pharyngitis, and post-herpetic neuralgia.2. Superficial varicose veins of the lower limbs. Bloodletting at varicose veins can remove stasis, promote new blood formation, invigorate blood circulation, and improve lower limb circulation.3. Local BloodlettingCommonly uses the scattered puncture bloodletting method, which involves using a three-edged needle or coarse needle to perform multiple punctures in the area of pain or disease. Depending on the size of the area to be punctured, multiple needles can be used, puncturing from the outer edge of the lesion towards the center. This method can be used for treating cervical spondylosis, shoulder periarthritis, low back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, gouty arthritis, and acute ankle sprains.
Bloodletting
The Comprehensive Diagnosis and Treatment Center utilizes ear apex bloodletting, puncture bloodletting, acupuncture point bloodletting, and Sifeng bloodletting in conjunction with acupuncture and tui na to treat colds, fevers, coughs, asthma, headaches, high fevers in children, and influenza, achieving significant efficacy, shortening the duration of illness, and enhancing patient immunity, receiving unanimous praise from patients.
Warm Reminder
While bloodletting therapy shows rapid effects for certain conditions, it is an invasive procedure that carries potential risks such as thrombosis, increased infection, and excessive blood loss. Therefore, bloodletting therapy should be performed by a qualified TCM practitioner, and self-bloodletting should be avoided.
TCM Comprehensive Diagnosis and Treatment Center
The Juxian County TCM Hospital’s Comprehensive Diagnosis and Treatment Center is a popular science education base in Rizhao City and a promotion base for suitable TCM techniques in Juxian County. It currently has six consultation rooms for renowned TCM practitioners and five specialized TCM consultation rooms, along with eight external treatment areas including pediatric tui na treatment room, acupuncture and tui na treatment room, and special moxibustion treatment room. Renowned TCM experts from across the country and provincial-level TCM experts take turns consulting, regularly providing services such as traditional Chinese medicine decoctions, medicated pastes, acupuncture, tui na, spinal manipulation, Liuqi needling method, pediatric tui na, Sanjiu plaster (moxibustion), Sanfu plaster (moxibustion), guasha, cupping, medicated bags, navel moxibustion, bloodletting therapy, governing moxibustion, heat-sensitive moxibustion, walnut moxibustion, acupuncture point application, floating needles, small needle knives, and hot compresses with Chinese herbal medicine, among others. It treats internal and external conditions in women and children, as well as various difficult and complicated diseases, including neck, shoulder, waist, and leg pain, shoulder periarthritis, tennis elbow, knee joint degeneration, calcaneal spurs, joint sprains, herpes zoster, and other painful diseases, as well as internal medical conditions such as facial paralysis, stroke, dysmenorrhea, insomnia, tinnitus, and ocular muscle spasms, and pediatric conditions such as torticollis, cough, fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and anorexia.
The hospital is currently conducting medicated paste treatments for disease prevention and chronic diseases, as well as Sanjiu plaster and Sanjiu moxibustion therapy. These treatments have shown definite efficacy for bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, allergic rhinitis, susceptibility to infections, as well as neck, shoulder, waist, and leg pain, and arthritis during the winter months.
Special diagnostic and treatment techniques of the center include:
Liuqi needling method for treating insomnia, etc.
Pediatric tui na for common pediatric diseases.
Adult tui na for neck, shoulder, waist, and leg pain, muscle strain, and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Thread embedding for weight loss.
Address: Juxian County TCM Hospital Comprehensive Diagnosis and Treatment Center (First Floor, Comprehensive Building, Guoyi Hall)
Contact Number: 0633-6892002
END
Text by: TCM Comprehensive Diagnosis and Treatment Center
Edited by: Wang Xiaoqin
Chief Editor: Wei Yanle
Reviewed by: Cui Shenxun
Publicity Department of Juxian County TCM Hospital
