Xia, female, 29

[Chief Complaint]

Headache and nausea for two hours

[Present Medical History]

The patient had a splitting headache, with irritability, strong thirst, profuse sweating, and nausea.

[Examination]

Sickly complexion, rough breathing, red eyes. T: 41°C(106°F). Yellow slippery coating, soft rapid pulse

[Diagnosis]

Sunstroke (summer-heat damaging the mind)

[Treatment Principles]

Open the orifices, reduce body temperature, dispel summer heat

[Treatment]

DU 14 (dà zhuī) was bled and cupped. Other points were bled without cupping. She was given warm light saline to drink.

Two hours later, her fever was reduced and her mind was again clear. She went home by herself.

[Note]

Serious cases of sunstroke may manifest with loss of consciousness, profuse sweating, cold extremities, shallow and abrupt respiration, and a feeble pulse. For the treatment, Professor Yang Jie-bin’s Five-Center points DU 20 (băi huì) along with PC 8 (láo gōng) and KI 1 (yŏng quán) is recommended. The effect is better and with faster results if acupuncture and moxibustion are used together to stimulate DU 26 (rén zhōng) and shí xuān (EX-UE11).

X X, female, 53, first visit was on January 8, 1995

[Chief Complaint]

Obesity for 12 years

[Present Medical History]

She had a history of obesity for 12 years, now her body weight is about 300 pounds. She had a voracious appetite and shortness of breath on exertion.

[Examination]

Yellow and slightly greasy coating, slippery pulse

[Diagnosis]

Obesity (due to phlegm damp retention)

[Treatment Principles]

Transform phlegm damp, regulate qi of the middle jiao

[Treatment]

A draining method was used for the body points. Treatment was given twice a week. Ear points were stimulated with vaccaria seeds, which were changed once every three days. The two ears were used alternately.

She was asked to press the ear points several times before meals, eat more vegetables, less oily food, and get more exercise. After the treatments in the first week she felt good. She said that pressing the ear points reduced her appetite and she lost four pounds; she felt confident. After more than 20 treatments she had lost 42 pounds. The palpitations and shortness of breath disappeared. She was in a good mood.

[Note]

Obesity, according to TCM, it is due to phlegm. “Fat people have phlegm and slim people have fire.” Long term phlegm retention transforms into heat. Heat in the stomach will cause people to feel hungry all the time. Treating this problem mostly involves the use of points from the spleen and stomach channels. ST 40 (fēng lóng) and ST 36 (zú sān lĭ) function to strengthen the spleen and transform phlegm. ST 34 (liáng qiū), the xī-cleft point of the foot yangming stomach channel and SP 4 (gōng sūn), the luòconnecting point of the foot taiyin spleen channel, regulate the spleen and stomach, transform phlegm, and reduce stomach heat. PC 6 (nèi guān) regulates stomach qi. Modern medicine reports that puncturing SP 4 (gōng sūn), PC 6 (nèi guān) and ST 34 (liáng qiū) functions to inhibit gastric acid secretion and needling SP 4 (gōng sūn) weakens gastric peristalsis. The ear points: lung, sanjiao, spleen and stomach function to regulate absorption and excretion, promote metabolism and induce diuresis. The endocrine point regulates the endocrine system. Using a combination of body and ear points, the metabolism of the human body can be regulated and the appetite can be reduced leading to a decrease in body weight.