Gout, in modern medicine, refers to a disease caused by the disorder of purine metabolism, leading to elevated uric acid levels that deposit in joints, soft tissues, bones, and kidneys. The inability to excrete uric acid from the blood indicates issues with the liver’s detoxification and the kidneys’ excretion functions.In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), gout is also known as Bai Hu Li Jie Feng (白虎历节风): Li Jie Feng refers to the condition caused by weakened blood and qi, invaded by wind and cold, resulting in stagnation of blood and qi, which fails to circulate in the joints. This leads to pain in the affected joints, hence the term Li Jie. Severe pain can cause shortness of breath, sweating, and inability to flex or extend the limbs, characterized by red, swollen joints and intense pain. It is often caused by deficiency of the liver and kidneys, which allows wind, cold, and dampness to invade the joints, leading to heat accumulation and stagnation of qi and blood. Due to the rapid development of severe joint pain, it is also referred to as Bai Hu Li Jie. If cold and dampness predominate, the main symptom is severe joint pain with inability to flex or extend.Case StudyChief complaint: Swelling and pain in the right ankle joint, limited movement of the ankle, uric acid level at 463, ineffective intravenous treatment during hospitalization. The patient has a diet rich in fatty and sweet foods with little exercise, presenting with a thick, greasy, yellow tongue coating, indicating damp-heat accumulation in the spleen.Gua Sha Plan:1. Scrape the three yin meridians and the San Jiao (三焦) channel to resolve liver blood stasis and qi stagnation.2. Scrape the back, focusing on the liver, spleen, and kidney projection areas, thoroughly scraping the liver and spleen, and the lateral ribs at the points of Yuan Ye, Da Bao, Zhang Men, and Qi Men.3. Below the knees, scrape the stomach (Wei 经), gallbladder (Dan 经), liver (Gan 经), and spleen (Pi 经) meridians.4. Use the four wells (Si Jing) to detoxify, scraping the affected area.
Gua Sha Results:
The patient reported that after four Gua Sha sessions, the pain in the affected area had disappeared. After each session, the patient was advised to maintain a light diet and engage in moderate exercise, and the uric acid levels had decreased compared to before.Conclusion:The use of Hu Fu copper Gua Sha for metabolic issues is very effective. Teacher Li stated that Gua Sha does not require medication; performing it well is equivalent to a hundred treatments. Our healing relies entirely on mobilizing the body’s self-healing power, which is our confidence.How to use Gua Sha for facial acne when experiencing heat? How to use Gua Sha for insomnia?
