Introduction
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“Preventive treatment of disease” (治未病) is the core concept of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in disease prevention and treatment. Health preservation (养生) is a unique advantage of TCM, and medicinal pastes (膏方) are one of the most appropriate applications for health preservation and preventive treatment. The term “膏” originally referred to animal fat, and later came to denote a thick, greasy substance. In TCM preparations, a paste made from medicinal materials that resembles animal fat in its oily and thick semi-liquid form is called a “膏剂”. Based on their functions, medicinal pastes can be divided into therapeutic pastes and health-preserving pastes. Therapeutic pastes can be taken year-round without seasonal restrictions, while health-preserving pastes, especially winter pastes, are particularly seasonal. In winter, yang energy (阳气) is hidden, and all things are quiet and still, prompting the need to conserve energy and prepare for the new growth cycle in spring.
(Image source: Baidu Images)
In accordance with the “winter storage” nature of heaven and earth, winter is the best time for the human body to absorb nutrients, making it the optimal season for supplementation, thus giving rise to winter pastes. Why choose pastes for winter supplementation? According to the “Shuowen Jiezi” (说文·肉部), “膏” means fat, often referring to the essence of things, such as “民脂民膏” (the essence of the people), “黄金之膏” (the essence of gold), and “玄玉之膏” (the essence of black jade), also implying moisture. The “Guangya” (广雅·释言) states: “膏 is moisture”. The “Jiyun” (集韵·号韵) states: “膏 is to moisten”. The “Liji” (礼记·内则) states: “The condensed is fat, the released is paste, and it is used to moisten and make it fragrant and beautiful”. Pastes are viscous, absorbed slowly in the body, and remain longer than other forms, allowing for better nourishing effects. Winter supplementation primarily aims to replenish the essence of the life gate (命门元精), making pastes the most suitable form.
How to use winter pastes for health preservation and disease prevention?
01
Preventing Before It Arises
Preventing before it arises is the first stage of preventive treatment and the highest realm of health preservation. This means that when the body is still in a healthy state, one should focus on nurturing oneself and preventing disease. As stated in the “Danxi Heart Method” (丹溪心法): “It is better to nurture before disease arises than to treat after disease occurs”. The “Huangdi Neijing” (黄帝内经) clearly states, “If one does not store essence in winter, one will surely fall ill in spring”, “The three months of winter are for sealing and storing”, “Winter supplementation leads to fewer illnesses in spring”, and “Supplementing in the coldest days of winter leads to fewer ailments next year”. These folk sayings vividly depict the customs of “winter supplementation” and enrich the cultural connotation of medicinal pastes. Our hospital has developed a series of medicinal pastes suitable for health preservation and supplementation, such as: Four Seasons Health Paste (四季养生膏), Qi and Blood Nourishing Paste (气血双养膏), Yuan Cultivation and Foundation Strengthening Paste (培元固本膏), Kidney Qi Regulating Paste (调补肾气膏), etc.
02
Regulating Before It Develops
Regulating before it develops is the second stage of preventive treatment. When the body deviates from a healthy state but has not yet developed into a disease, timely measures should be taken to adjust the body to prevent the emergence of disease. The “Suwen” (素问·八正神明论篇) states: “The superior physician saves the budding disease”. The “Yixue Yuanliu Lun” (医学源流论) states: “When a disease is just beginning, it is easy to treat; when it has deepened, it is difficult to treat”. This indicates that when a disease is still in its early stages, it should be treated promptly. Our hospital has developed pastes targeting sub-health fatigue states due to spleen deficiency and dampness, such as Strengthening Spleen and Eliminating Dampness Paste (健脾祛湿膏), for sub-health sleep disorders due to insufficient heart qi and deficiency of heart yin, such as Calming Heart and Tranquilizing Spirit Paste (宁心安神膏), for sub-health neck, shoulder, waist, and leg discomfort due to liver blood deficiency and malnourished tendons, such as Unblocking and Relaxing Tendons Paste (通痹舒筋膏), for individuals who are sensitive to cold and have dark skin due to blood and nutrient stagnation, such as Moisturizing Skin and Nourishing Beauty Paste (润肤养颜膏), and for women with weak constitutions preparing for pregnancy due to liver and kidney insufficiency, such as Nourishing Blood and Cultivating Offspring Paste (养血育麟膏). Adding food and medicinal ingredients to pastes can help nourish qi and blood to support the innate constitution and adjust various deficiencies, allowing the righteous qi to recover and resist external pathogens. As stated in the “Qianjin Yaofang” (千金要方): “Food can expel pathogens and stabilize the internal organs, delight the spirit and enhance qi and blood”.
03
Treating Before It Spreads
Treating before it spreads means “preventing changes after the disease has occurred, cutting off and reversing the course”. This refers to early treatment after the onset of disease to prevent its progression. The invasion of pathogenic factors follows a certain pattern, often starting from the surface and penetrating inward, and the disease of the five organs often transmits in a sequence of generation and overcoming. For example, our hospital has developed the Supplementing Lung and Strengthening Spleen Paste (补肺健脾膏), which can both nourish lung metal and strengthen spleen earth. According to TCM’s five-element theory, the spleen earth and lung metal have a mother-son relationship; if the spleen is not healthy, it can lead to lung diseases, thus regulating the spleen can prevent lung diseases.
04
Post-Disease Recovery
Post-disease recovery is the final stage of preventive treatment, focusing on careful adjustment after recovery to nourish the righteous qi and prevent relapse. In the treatment of chronic diseases, difficult diseases, and even some critical conditions, although the disease may have been alleviated or controlled through early intervention, residual pathogenic factors may remain in the body, and it is common to see that although the pathogenic factors have retreated, the righteous qi is already deficient, leading to symptoms of organ qi deficiency and yin-yang imbalance. If adjustments are not made carefully at this time, it is easy to lead to a recurrence of old diseases or the emergence of new diseases. Our hospital has developed the Benefiting Qi and Treating Rhinitis Paste (益气鼻炎膏) for stable periods of allergic rhinitis, Benefiting Qi and Nourishing Heart Paste (益气养心膏) for stable periods of coronary heart disease, Regulating Menstruation and Alleviating Pain Paste (调经止痛膏) for alleviating dysmenorrhea, and Activating Blood and Strengthening Bones Paste (活血壮骨膏) for post-fracture recovery, etc.
Medicinal pastes originated in the Han and Tang dynasties and flourished in the Ming and Qing dynasties, with a history of over two thousand years. As a special form of TCM for prevention, health care, and wellness, they are widely welcomed by the public, embodying the essence of Chinese traditional culture through their integration of characters, diet, health preservation, agriculture, and philosophy.
Medicinal pastes provide a guarantee for health preservation, but since they are a form of TCM preparation, health preservation also requires differentiation of constitution and symptoms. If citizens are not familiar with their own constitution and symptoms, it is recommended to consult a TCM expert at our hospital for a proper diagnosis and selection of suitable pastes.
Edited by: Zhongshan City Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital Editorial Department
Editor: Huang Lin
Second Review: Liu Weihong
Third Review: Xiao Xiaohua
