Integrative Medicine Clinic

Chinese MedicineTianjiu

Summer San-Fu Tianjiu Therapy

With the promotion of the application of traditional Chinese medicine, many people have heard of Summer San-Fu Tianjiu, but how did Summer San-Fu Tianjiu come into being? What is the principle behind Summer San-Fu Tianjiu? The historical origin of Tianjiu moxibustion The so-called "Tian" refers to the use of seasonal energy to treat the human body or preventive health care on specific days. As early as the Northern and Southern Dynasties, it was recorded in "Jingchu Suishiji"(《荊楚歲時記》): "On the fourteenth day of August, the people used Zhu Shui(朱水) to dot their foreheads, which was called Tianjiu to relieve diseases." The prototype of modern "Tianjiu moxibustion" can be seen in the "Acupuncture and Moxibustion Zisheng Jing" (《針灸資生經》) of the Song Dynasty. The crushed Eclipta grass is pressed on the acupuncture points with copper coins, and a cloth is tied around the outside to fix it, and it is left to foam. Li Shizhen's "Compendium of Materia Medica"(《本草綱目》) in the Ming Dynasty recorded that dew should be collected on the first day of August and applied to the Gaohuang point to treat diseases, which is called Tianjiu moxibustion. It can be seen that traditional Chinese medicine has a long history of using Tianjiu moxibustion to prevent diseases and strengthen the body. Historically, Tianjiu moxibustion has used a wide variety of drugs, corresponding to diseases of different natures. According to the "Zhang's Medical Tong"(《張氏醫通》) of the Qing Dynasty, white mustard seeds were applied to Feishu, Gaohuang, Tiantu and other acupuncture points in summer to treat cold-type asthma. Modern Chinese medicine follows this method and mainly uses warm medicines applied on acupoints to treat various cold diseases, such as nasal allergies, asthma, coughs, indigestion, chronic diarrhea, constipation, menstrual diseases, cold hands and feet, painful syndromes, etc. Use the force of nature Traditional Chinese thought has always attached great importance to the right time, right place, and harmony. Summer San-Fu Tianjiu Therapy is the embodiment of making good use of the right time. Although the summer solstice is the season when the Yang energy is at its strongest, the Yang energy is in a state of dispersion and is difficult to gather and use. In nature, Yang Qi rises and then falls. After the summer solstice, Yang Qi begins to decline and hide. The San-Fu Days are the three "Geng庚 Days" after the summer solstice and before the beginning of Autumn. "Geng" belongs to Metal in Five Elements Theory and has the meaning of "acquisition" and "descending". The word "Fu" also expresses the meaning of the gradual accumulation of Yang energy. After three Geng days, the Yang energy of the continues to decline and be stored in the ground. By the beginning of autumn, when the summer heat is over and the weather is getting cooler, the Yang energy of the human body is also transferred to the storage stage in accordance with the weather. The principle of external treatment is the principle of internal treatment Some people think that external used medicines do not need to be taken in, so they do not need to be so precise, but this is not the case. The Qing Dynasty's monograph on external medicine treatment, "Li Yue Pian Wen"(《理瀹駢文》), states: "The principle of external treatment is the principle of internal treatment. The medicine of external treatment is also the medicine of internal treatment." External medicine of Tianjiu moxibustion must also be selected based on medical theory and medicinal properties. Because topical medicines "must have strong odors to be effective" and "must stimulate the meridians and meridians, and open up the channels and penetrate the bones. The products that can be used to cure diseases are the best." Therefore, aconite, white mustard seeds, asarum and other odorants are used. The strong and powerful medicine can penetrate the cold evil in the body; for the deficiency of Yang energy, use cinnamon to warm and replenish kidney’s Yang Energy and guide the Qi back to its original state. The acupuncture points applied by Tianjiu moxibustion vary from person to person. Doctors select the acupoints corresponding to the organs and according to different physical conditions to make the treatment more targeted. People suffering from diseases caused by deficiency and cold evil can use the power of warm medicines during this season to dredge the meridians, warm the internal organs, and remove the cold evil from the body; they can also take advantage of the hidden potential of Yang energy in nature to hide Yang energy in the human body , replenishing the human body's Yang energy, thereby reducing the onset of cold diseases, achieving the effect of "treating winter diseases in summer" and strengthening the body.

Integrative MedicineEczema

中西合璧抗濕疹 (Only available in Chinese)

濕疹是一種成因複雜的過敏性、炎症性皮膚疾病，涉及多個內在及外在環境因素，其症狀包括發炎、痕癢、皮膚乾燥，嚴重者更出現「苔蘚樣變」，調理及改善症狀亦需時，即使情況得以控制仍須小心處理，例如飲食要留意，識別並避免致敏原的接觸，注重皮膚保濕等。 中醫對濕疹的病因理解及處理： 濕疹的成因多與風濕熱有關，強調整體平衡和調理，主張患者少吃或戒除熱毒性食物，如牛肉、羊肉等，以及致敏性發物，如貝殼類海鮮等。在治療上主要採用清熱涼血，養血潤燥，祛風止癢的醫療方案，處方會加入養血、養陰的中藥，以改善皮膚乾燥和減少鱗屑，同時可顯著地減輕因痕癢引起的苦楚。患者通過中醫治療有助於改善體質，減少濕疹復發。 西醫對濕疹的病因理解及處理： 由皮膚屏障功能出現障礙以及患者自身免疫系統出現紊亂所致，加上外在環境的刺激亦會惹起濕疹發作，例如轉季期間，忽冷忽熱的天氣令濕疹加重。西醫用藥多是消炎藥、抗敏感藥、外塗或口服類固醇，達至抑制免疫系統，減少發炎的效果；並會評估致敏原，找出病因，並采用針對性措施，有效控制病情。 每個患者的濕疹病情和體質都有所不同，中西醫學結合治療可以取長補短，標本兼治，同時能綜合考慮患者的整體狀況和病因，從不同角度制定個人化的治療方案，提高療效。

Integrative MedicineEczema

濕疹分為哪三個階段？ (Only available in Chinese)

濕疹是常見的炎症性皮膚病，大致可分為急性濕疹、亞急性濕疹和慢性濕疹，三個階段可互相轉化及影響。在治療方案上，西醫的用藥以外用消炎藥膏為主，中醫則採用內服的中藥，兩者各擔當不同的角色，若配合得宜便能相得益彰，達到內外兼治的效果。 急性濕疹 病徵：皮膚發紅、焮熱感、輕度腫脹，甚至滲液、滲血、痕癢、影響睡眠及情緒。多爲皮膚急性發炎(或有感染)。 治療方案： 西醫：外用類固醇藥膏，潤膚產品，或濕裹。病情嚴重者，可考慮生物製劑治療 中醫：清熱涼血，祛風利濕，解毒止癢 急性濕疹以炎症為主，輕微的炎症可用外用類固醇以減低發炎情況。使用潤膚產品亦可舒緩皮膚乾燥和痕癢。某些情況下，濕裹的處理更能在短時間內大大改善皮損情況。 亞急性濕疹 病徵：皮膚潮紅減退，滲液減輕、皮膚乾燥，或出現鱗屑、結痂，患者仍然痕癢 治療方案： 西醫：外用類固醇藥膏，潤膚產品，找出致敏原 中醫：清熱涼血，健脾利濕，祛風止癢 若急性濕疹未能得到適當治療及反覆發作，便會轉化為亞急性濕疹，患處皮膚變得厚硬，伴隨丘疹、鱗屑或結痂。 慢性濕疹 病徵：皮膚乾燥、痕癢、鱗屑較多、皮膚增厚 (即苔蘚樣變)，甚至出現色素沉著 治療方案： 西醫：潤膚產品，適量外用消炎類固醇藥膏，或外用免疫系統調理藥 中醫：養血潤燥，祛風止癢 多因急性、亞急性濕疹反覆發作後所致，患處皮膚乾燥增厚，中醫稱之為「苔蘚樣變」，患者多痕癢難耐，搔癢時會掉很多鱗屑，病程久者，可以出現色素沉著，皮膚外觀呈暗褐色。