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| Four Great Classics | Traditional Chinese Medicine Moxibustion | Pediatric Tuina | Disease Inquiry |
Dampness: What Is It?
Dampness is a concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), also known as damp evil or damp qi. The “Theory of Dampness” states: “The earth (Kun) is the master of dampness, and dampness flourishes in all four seasons. Dampness arises from the earth, and its nature is yin, which is cold and damp, and later transforms into damp-heat.
If you live in a humid area, such as near rivers, lakes, or seas, this is the dampness of the earth. If your diet is irregular, consuming too much cold or raw food, leading to water retention, this is the dampness within the body. The dampness from heaven and earth harms people, mostly as external dampness, while dietary harm leads to internal dampness. As the saying goes, “A thousand cold ailments are easy to dispel, but dampness is hard to eliminate.” Damp evil is particularly harmful.
If you go to the hospital, you may not find any specific disease. However, you may still feel uneasy because you might be suffering from the following symptoms:
1. Unformed stools, diarrhea, or constipation.
2. Dry mouth, bitter taste, and bad breath.
3. Excess phlegm, cough, and an unclear throat.
4. Oily hair, hair loss, and premature graying.
5. Obesity, with easy rebound after weight loss.
6. Edema and drooping eye bags.
7. Lower back pain and joint pain.
8. Chest tightness.
9. Dark circles under the eyes.
10. Snoring during sleep.
If you meet 3-5 of the above criteria, it indicates that there is dampness in your body.
Three Dietary Remedies to Eliminate Dampness
Dietary remedies for eliminating dampness mainly achieve the effect of expelling dampness through food. We can consume more foods that can dispel dampness in our daily lives. Foods suitable for dietary dampness elimination typically include Bai Zhu (White Atractylodes), Chen Pi (Dried Tangerine Peel), Shan Yao (Chinese Yam), Fu Ling (Poria), and Huang Qi (Astragalus).
1Bai Zhu and Chen Pi Water
Ingredients: 10g Bai Zhu, 5g Chen Pi.
Effects: Bai Zhu strengthens the spleen and benefits qi, dries dampness, and promotes urination. Chen Pi regulates qi, strengthens the spleen, and has the effect of drying dampness and transforming phlegm.
Note: This medicinal dish has a tonifying effect and should be used with caution in cases of yin deficiency and dryness-heat.
2Bai Zhu and Huang Qi Tea
Ingredients: 10g Bai Zhu, 30g Huang Qi, steeped in hot water to drink as tea.
Effects: Sweet and fragrant, strengthens the spleen, tonifies the middle, benefits qi, and enhances the body’s resistance to disease, suitable for individuals with weaker constitutions.
3Bai Zhu, Fu Ling, and Shan Yao Soup
Ingredients: 10g Bai Zhu, 30g Fu Ling, 30g Shan Yao, 2 dates, and 100g pork ribs, boiled into a soup for consumption.
Effects: Benefits qi, strengthens the spleen, dries dampness, and promotes urination, suitable for individuals with spleen and stomach qi deficiency and internal water retention.
Eliminating dampness from the body is a comprehensive process that requires addressing both the symptoms and the root cause. In daily life, we should avoid living in damp environments for extended periods, pay attention to our diet, and strengthen our physical exercise. Only by combining these aspects can we achieve a comprehensive approach to dampness elimination and maintain long-term health.
Five Key Acupoints for Eliminating Dampness
1Chengshan Point
Location: Chengshan point is located on the foot Taiyang bladder meridian, in the middle of the calf below the belly, and is the best point for removing dampness from the body.
Massage Method: Every morning upon waking, extend both legs out of bed so that the Chengshan point rests on the edge of the bed, and swing both legs left and right to massage the Chengshan point.
Effects: Massaging the Chengshan point will produce a noticeable feeling of soreness and swelling, which is due to the presence of dampness in the body;
After massaging the Chengshan point for a while, you will feel a slight warmth in your body, indicating that the yang qi of the bladder meridian is at work, and the damp evil in the body is escaping with the slightly elevated body temperature.
2Yongquan PointSimple method to locate Yongquan point: Bend your toes down, and a depression will form in the center of your foot, which is the Yongquan point.
Massage Method: Press and rub it once in the morning and evening for 3-5 minutes each time, preferably until you feel soreness, alternating sides. You can also soak your feet in warm water and then moxibustion, applying moxibustion to each foot for 15-20 minutes.
Effects: If the Yongquan point is invaded by dampness, it can lead to knee pain, rheumatism, fatigue, and edema throughout the body.
Regularly pressing this point helps promote sleep and has certain therapeutic effects on dizziness, insomnia, tinnitus, headaches, and lower back pain caused by kidney deficiency.
3Da Zhui Point
Location: Lower your head, the highest bone at the back of the neck is just below the Da Zhui point.
Massage Method: Lower your head, interlace your fingers and place them on the Da Zhui point, using both thumbs to rub back and forth on the Da Zhui point until it becomes warm.
Effects: If the Da Zhui point is invaded by dampness, it can easily cause shoulder and neck problems such as soreness and discomfort in the shoulders and cervical spine. Stimulating this point can prevent the invasion of wind, cold, and damp evil, and enhance immunity.
4Shen Que Point
The Shen Que point is the navel.
Massage Method: Rub the abdomen in a clockwise direction, or you can light moxa sticks to moxibustion the point; alternatively, apply mugwort essential oil to the abdomen and use a hot water bottle for warmth; or use a moxa box, light it, and secure it on the abdomen for 20 minutes, being careful not to burn yourself.
Effects: If this point is invaded by dampness, it can lead to discomfort in the spleen and stomach, abdominal bloating, and sticky stools. Women may also experience gynecological inflammation such as increased vaginal discharge and menstrual irregularities.
The abdomen should primarily be kept warm, and stimulating the Shen Que point helps strengthen the spleen, eliminate dampness, and enhance the body.
5Yin Ling Quan Point
Location: This point is located in the depression below the inner condyle of the tibia and is the meeting point of the foot Taiyin spleen meridian.
Massage Method: Primarily press and rub, with 100-160 presses each time, once in the morning and evening. You can also use moxa sticks to moxibustion this area for 3-5 minutes.
Effects: If this point is invaded by dampness, it can lead to knee pain, a heavy feeling in the feet, and difficulty walking. Stimulating this point can clear damp-heat, promote circulation, and help alleviate discomfort such as abdominal bloating and knee pain.
Warm reminder: There are many acupoints for eliminating dampness, and various health-preserving acupoints and methods are countless.
Everyone should not be greedy; choose the most suitable methods based on your physical condition and persist with them. Once one point is cleared, you can then adjust the next one. Do not be dazzled by too many options and end up with nothing.
Give a thumbs up for health!
Appreciation
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