May 9, 2026 - Tuina II

Food Stagnation and Heat in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

  • Food stagnation can be associated with heat.
    • Symptoms can be slippery and rapid.
  • Finger vein characteristics during food stagnation:
    • Typically deep and stagnant.
    • With heat, can manifest as deep purplish, dark red, stagnant color.

Yang Qi in Children

  • Yang qi is the term used for the type of energy abundant in children.
    • Children do not have a 'special' qi that adults lack but possess more yang qi due to their growth.
    • They often appear to run hot:
    • Red in the face and sweaty.
    • Yang qi relates to warmth and growth.
  • Importance of identifying crying patterns in children lies in understanding their needs.
    • Variability in crying sounds can signal different needs:
    • Hunger, discomfort, need for change, etc.

Crying Patterns in TCM

  • Analyzing crying can reveal underlying health conditions.
    • Loud crying often indicates excessive conditions (noted in heat conditions).
    • Reserved or quiet crying may indicate deficiency conditions (children who are timid).
  • Breathing intervals between cries can indicate qi deficiency.
  • Pitch of crying can be subjective and varies greatly among children.

Treatment for Vomiting in TCM

  • Basic treatment involves using the gate of the palm:
    • Pressing from the wrist crease towards the thumb helps stop vomiting.
Important Techniques:
  1. Press and knead Stomach 36 (one minute), a point for tonifying the spleen and stomach.
  2. Press and knead P6 (PC6), effective for nausea and vomiting (one minute).
  3. Press and knead Ren 12, the front-mu point of the stomach (one minute).
  4. Push Tien Tuu Gu (skin area from the posterior hairline down the center of the neck) downward (100 times).
  5. Rubbing the abdomen to reinforce and reduce qi.
    • Reinforcing moves up-left to down-right (30 times each).
Differential Operations for Vomiting:
  • For cold accumulation, warm the body with appropriate techniques.
  1. Reinforce spleen (100 times).
  2. Apply Seng Guan (LI4 to LI11) (100 times).
  3. Knead the outer labor palace and apply techniques to adjust qi flow.
  4. Treatment adjustments necessary to prevent overstimulation or injury.

Indigestion in TCM

  • Promotion of digestion is key for treatment.
  1. Clear spleen (100 times) followed by reinforcement.
  2. Carry inner eight trig arms (300 times) in circles.
  3. Handle Xun Ji (1 Chuan below Ren 22), separate-push intercostal spaces down to the umbilicus.

Abdominal Pain in Children

  • Commonly presented as abdominal complaints; need to differentiate true pain from other discomfort.
  • Causes can range greatly in severity:
    • Trivial causes to life-threatening conditions (e.g., appendicitis).
Pathological Factors Identified in Abdomen:
  1. Pathogenic cold/heat:
    • Each causes distinct abdominal pain characteristics.
  2. Food stagnation or parasitic infection: Usually manifests as specific symptoms (e.g., distension, nausea).
  3. Deficiency cold: Causes chronic diarrhea with specific tongue and pulse characteristics.
Treatment Protocols for Abdominal Pain:
  • Rubbing abdomen clockwise to purge obstruction (5 minutes).
  • Kneading the umbilicus (500 times).
  • Cleansing via back shoe points as required for diagnosis.
  • Clear spleen and stomach rotations, especially post-clearing treatments.

Common Cold in Children

  • Very common condition in pediatric care, caused mainly by viral infections (Influenza, rhinoviruses).
  • Typically lasts about one week to ten days.
TCM Understanding of Common Cold:
  • Caused by exogenous pathogenic factors (cold, heat).
  • Symptoms:
  1. Wind cold attack: Chills, absence of sweating, thin watery discharge.
  2. Wind heat attack: Prominent fever, thick yellow discharge, headaches.
Treatment for Common Cold:
  1. General manipulations tailored for children.
  2. Push San Guan to warm for wind cold (100 times).
  3. Clear lungs via appropriate techniques; differential based on symptoms and pulse variations.
  4. Address any underlying fears or complications such as night crying, adjusting treatment based on specific signs.

Conclusion

  • Treatment principles for children must always consider their vulnerable condition.
  • Vigilance for signs such as dehydration, severe symptoms necessitates immediate medical consultation.
  • Standard monitoring and reassessment are crucial post-treatment to expedite recovery and prevent relapse.