Traditional Chinese Medicine Therapy: Bloodletting Therapy
— Traditional Chinese Medicine —
Bloodletting Therapy in Traditional Chinese Medicine
Bloodletting therapy is a traditional method in TCM that involves puncturing superficial small veins, specific acupoints (腧穴, shùxué), lesions, or pathological reaction points with needles to release a certain amount of blood for the treatment of diseases. It is also known as bloodletting therapy or puncture therapy.
Mechanism of Action
According to the principle “remove the stagnant blood to eliminate the evil blood”, bloodletting therapy aims to eliminate the cause of disease or pathological products, thereby unblocking the meridians (经络, jīngluò) and harmonizing Yin and Yang. Modern theories suggest that puncturing the blood at the lesion site can alter the local microcirculation state, expelling stagnant blood while clearing inflammatory substances, promoting changes in local blood and biochemical substances, thus controlling inflammatory responses and facilitating their resolution.
Therapeutic Effects
Bloodletting therapy can unblock the stagnation of Qi (气, qì) and blood (血, xuè) in the meridians, adjusting the dysfunction of local meridians and the organs of the body, restoring the pathological changes of Qi stagnation and blood stasis to normal, thereby achieving the purpose of treating diseases. The main therapeutic effects include removing stasis and unblocking the meridians, reducing swelling and alleviating pain, promoting Qi and blood circulation, clearing heat and expelling evil, and dispelling wind and relieving itching.
Precautions
♥ Before performing bloodletting, it is essential to explain the procedure to the patient;
♥ The needles and puncture sites must be strictly disinfected to prevent infection;
♥ The technique should be steady, precise, and quick to avoid excessive bleeding, which may harm the body’s vital energy (正气, zhèngqì).
Bloodletting therapy has advantages such as a wide range of indications, rapid efficacy, simple operation, and safety. It can be used for various diseases, such as external febrile diseases at the Dazhui point (大椎穴, Dàzhuī), bloodletting at the Shaoshang (少商, Shàoshāng) and Shangyang (商阳, Shāngyáng) points, as well as for conditions like hordeolum (麦粒肿, màilìzhǒng), urticaria (荨麻疹, qiánmázhěn), and acute sprains. It can significantly alleviate or control certain major symptoms in a short period, and even achieve clinical cure. However, bloodletting therapy should be used appropriately in clinical practice, and should not be performed indiscriminately when conditions are not suitable.
Dongying Orthopedic Hospital
Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Neck, Shoulder, Waist, and Leg Pain
The Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Neck, Shoulder, Waist, and Leg Pain at Dongying Orthopedic Hospital integrates new TCM therapies and specialized physical rehabilitation treatments. The scope of diagnosis and treatment includes cervical spondylosis (颈椎病, jǐngzhuī bìng), lumbar spondylosis (腰椎病, yāozhuī bìng), shoulder periarthritis (肩周炎, jiānzhōu yán), and knee joint diseases (膝关节病, xīguānjié bìng). Utilizing traditional TCM methods such as acupuncture (针灸, zhēnjiǔ), tui na (推拿, tuīná), traction, manual reduction, and external herbal treatments, combined with modern Western medical treatments including medications, medium frequency, microwave, interference current, and shockwave therapy, we provide comprehensive treatment for common ailments such as lumbar muscle strain, facet joint syndrome, lumbar disc herniation, cervical spondylosis, shoulder periarthritis, knee pain, and osteoarthritis (骨性关节炎, gǔxìng guānjié yán).
Address: 1132 Sunwu Road, Guangrao County
Appointment Hotline: 18354670329 15254688661
Contributed by: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Neck, Shoulder, Waist, and Leg Pain / Nie Lingshan
Edited by: Yan Qinghua
Reviewed by: Mao Jikai
