TCM first-aid approaches for cardiovascular emergencies
Over the past several thousands of years, TCM has developed a set of techniques to rescue patients with cardiovascular emergencies, such as stroke and heart attack. These TCM first-aids are simple and effective and should be promoted to the society so that people know how to use them in an emergency before medical personnel arrive or when medical personnel are not available.
Part I. TCM first-aid rescue for stroke:
Stroke is a common acute cerebrovascular disease in the elderly. It is generally divided into ischemic stroke (cerebral infarction) and hemorrhagic stroke (cerebral hemorrhage). Stroke is mainly manifested in sudden fainting, unconsciousness, facial paralysis, speak impairment, body hemiplegia, or numbness. If someone suddenly speaks vaguely, stretches his/her tongue to one side, shows crooked mouth and eyes, impaired limb movement on one side of the body, or dizziness, etc., these may be signs of an ongoing stroke. Due to the sudden onset of stroke, it is important to treat patients immediately before medical personnel arrive or patients are sent to hospitals. Dr. Xia Boting, a TCM doctor in Taiwan, has used a set of procedures to treat the patients and found them very effective. In fact, these procedures have been circulating since ancient times and recorded in ancient medical books, such as Zhen Jiu Da Cheng (The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion). They can save the dying people back to life and have been confirmed by many famous TCM doctors in China history.
Here are the procedures for the TCM rescues:
1. Do not move the patient with an ongoing stroke.
If a person has a stroke, don’t move the person. The movement may accelerate the rupture of microvascular vessels in the brain. Instead, let the person lie down or sit firmly at the places where the stroke occurs.
2. Stimulate the RenZhong acupoint
When someone gets sick and unconscious, it could be because of stroke, heart diseases, or drowning. Whatever the reason is, you can insert an acupuncture needle into the RenZhong acupoint (Figure 1). If there is no needle, you can pinch it firmly with your index finger. Stimulating RenZhong has a strong excitement and awakening effect on the patients.
3. Bloodletting at the Shi Xuan acupoints
Take a disinfected needle in one hand, use the other hand to hold the five fingers of the patient’s one hand, quickly stab the five fingertips, and squeeze out one drop of blood from each finger (Figure 2). Then, do the same to the five fingertips of the patient’s other hand. In about a few minutes after bloodletting the ten fingertips (Shi Xuan), most patients will wake up. The needle could be an injection needle, triangular needle, or sewing needle. If there is no needle around you, you can break a porcelain bowl or cup, take a sharp piece to puncture the fingertips. If the patient still doesn't wake up, bloodlet the ten toes of the feet. In TCM theories, fingers and toes are very sensitive points of intersecting Yin and Yang and connecting to the brain. Bloodletting the Shi Xuan acupoints stimulates the brain and releases the blood pressure.
4. Bloodletting the earlobes
If the patient’s mouth is crooked, pull and rub his/her ears, stab the earlobes with needles and squeeze 1-2 drops of blood on each earlobe. Usually after a few minutes, the crooked mouth will be restored to normal.
5. The TCM warning signals and prevention of stroke
There are many signs of stroke. Many people have symptoms such as dizziness, sudden vision loss, sudden fall, continuous yawning, etc., which may be a sign of stroke, but they are usually ignored. Some patients with hypoglycemia also have similar symptoms and need to be distinguished from stroke. TCM believes that one of the warning signs is the numbness of the thumb, index finger and middle finger, but the people with cervical spondylosis are excluded. Once the finger numbness persistently appears, stroke may happen within six months. If numbness occurs on the Zuyangming Stomach Meridian (Figure 3) on the front and lateral side of the body, such as Zusanli acupoint to Jiexi acupoint, stroke may occur in two weeks. When the numbness happens, take actions immediately to prevent stroke from happening. Moxibustion at the Zusanli acupoint (Figure 4)has a good protective effect on the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. Moxibustion will be continued until the numbness is eliminated. In addition, Mr. Peng Jingshan, a famous TCM doctor, said that Shixuan bloodletting can also prevent stroke from happening. Before stabbing, massage the affected limb from the elbow to the fingertips several times, congest the fingertips, and then stab to bleed with a needle. It usually takes several times before the numbness disappears.
Discussion of the key points
When patients return to normal after the first-aid treatment above, they can be moved and sent to hospitals for further checkup and treatment. In real life, unfortunately, most stroke patients are not rescued by the above TCM procedures. They are immediately moved and sent to the hospital without the simple, effective TCM rescues. On the way to hospitals, many patients may get worse and even die on the road or in hospitals. Even some are saved but they are more likely to be disabled for the rest of their lives.
Research studies have found that 1.9 million brain cells would die in every minute of delay, and hypoxia in one hour would cause brain aging for 3.6 years. Therefore, every minute after the stroke is precious for patients’ health and life. If a patient has just suffered from a stroke, especially cerebral hemorrhage, the bleeding of ShiXuan acupoints (fingertips and toes) and earlobes can effectively relieve the symptoms of cerebral hemorrhage and lower blood pressure. Unfortunately, most people are not aware of these TCM first-aid procedures, which should be promoted as simple and effective first-aid protocols for stroke and other emergencies.
Part II. How does TCM rescue angina pectoris?
Many people die of acute attacks of myocardial infarction each year. If everyone knows a little more about the first-aid skills of TCM, many deaths may be avoided. The method introduced here has a good effect on relieving angina pectoris. It can also significantly improve the uncomfortable symptoms of myocardial infarction, improve myocardial blood supply, and buy time for rescue.
1. The symptoms of angina pectoris
Angina pectoris is a common disease, mostly caused by acute and transient ischemia and hypoxia in the myocardium. It is often induced by physical labor or emotional excitement. The typical pain site is behind the sternum, sometimes slightly to the left, or more extensively involving most of the precordial area. In a small number of patiets, the pain site can be in the lower sternum or even in the upper abdomen. The pain can radiate to the left shoulder and reach the little finger and ring finger along the front mesdial side of the left arm. Sometimes the pain can radiate to the neck, pharynx and jaw. The pain is mostly persistent dull pain, often accompanied by suffocation or even a dying sense, which is featured by pale face, cold sweat, etc. The pain lasts for 2 to 3 minutes, normally less than 30 minutes. However, some people describe angina pectoris “as painful as a knife cutting the heart”, radiating the pain to the left shoulder, the chest cavity, and the lips and tongue became cyan.
If someone suddenly has chest tightness, chest pain or upper abdominal pain, we need to be cautious about angina pectoris. How to judge? If he/she has a crease in the earlobe, also known as coronary groove (Figure 5), which is a sign of coronary heart disease, and the diagnostic accuracy is about 80%; if there are horizontal lines between the eyebrows, this is also a manifestation of coronary heart disease; some people may have a purple and dark tongue, or there are bruises on the tip of the tongue, or there are obvious color changes on the skin of the middle finger and the palm of left hand, they all indicate angina pectoris is more likely to happen.
2. Pressing the Neiguan acupoint
When there is no medicine, pressing or acupuncture on acupoints are also very effective. There are many reports of Neiguan acupoint (P-6) in the treatment of angina pectoris. The Neiguan is located in the middle and upper two inches of the horizontal pattern of the inner forearm (the width of its two thumbs), between the palm long muscles and the radial wrist flexor muscles (Figure 6). You feel sore when pressing it (Figure 7).
In 2013, a nurse in our hospital suddenly had chest pain and chest tightness, which was not relieved after oxygen inhalation therapy for half an hour. The electrocardiogram indicates myocardial ischemia. A TCM doctor stabbed the Neiguan acupoints on both arms, and she felt obviously sore and swollen sensations at the acupoints, and her chest tightness and pain were relieved after 2 minutes. The needles were taken out from Neiguan after 15 minutes of acupuncture. She has never had myocardial ischemia again in the follow-up interviews.
3. Pressing the Zhiyang acupoint
Zhiyang point (GV9) is located under the spinous process of the 7th thoracic vertebra (horizontally parallel to the lower corner of the scapula) (Figure 8). As the name suggests, pressing it has the effect of warming the heart yang, dispelling cold and relieving spasm. Generally, patients with angina pectoris are very sensitive to this point and may feel very comfortable when pressing this acupoint. Either the patient can lightly hit this acupoint against the wall, or someone else can help to press it. Press with your fingers or with the tip of the elbow or a short stick. Press with appropriate force, depending on the patient's soreness. The longer the pressing time, the better the effect. Generally, pressing for a few minutes is enough. After pressing for a few seconds, the angina pectoris can mostly be relieved, and the effectiveness can last for about half an hour, which can buy precious time before sending the patient to hospital or medical personnel arrival.
4. Take medicines
She Xiang Bao Xin Wan (Musk heart-protecting pills), Fu Fang Dan Sen Di Wan (compound Dansen drop pills), and Su Xiao Jiu Xin Wan (quick-acting heart-saving pills) are regular TCM patent medicines for acute heart diseases. People with heart diseases should keep them in their pockets or home all the time. Western medicine generally advocates taking nitroglycerin for heart rescue, which is also effective in many cases. Interestingly, in the old time when the medicines were not available, some patients were advised to drink 10 grams of gunpowder (assume it is available), which can relieve the pain immediately, because gunpowder contains potassium nitrate, charcoal and sulfur, which is similar to taking nitrate drugs.
5. Kitchen remedies
If you don't have the medicines above, you can find ginger powder and cinnamon powder in the kitchen, take them frequently with warm wine, which can relieve the symptoms of angina pectoris. The method is documented in Zhou Hou Fang, a book written by Dr. Hong Ge who was a famous TCM doctor in Jin Dynasty of China, about 1700 years ago. It has the effect of improving heart strength and blood circulation.
For people with coronary heart disease and artery plaques, there is a formula composed of lemon, garlic, ginger, apple vinegar, claiming that it will make cardiovascular physicians lose their jobs (just kidding). This formula is derived from Zhi Shi Xie Bai Gui Zhi Tang, a classical formula in Jin Kui Yao Lue, a well-recognized TCM classic of China.
This formula has really lived up to its reputation. Patients reported that it can lower blood pressure and reduce blood lipids and uric acid. Patients with frequent attacks of angina pectoris will feel better after drinking it for the first time, and after taking it for a week, they no longer have the symptoms. The recipe includes half a lemon, two pieces of ginger, three pieces of garlic, and a small bottle of apple cider vinegar. First, ground the garlic and ginger into a casserole, then add the squeezed lemon juice and apple vinegar, and boil the mixture. After boiling and before drinking, add an appropriate amount of honey. This proven prescription can protect the heart and is worth drinking on a daily basis.
Note that, once angina pectoris is relieved after the first-aid treatments, please go to hospitals for further checkup, especially when angina pectoris happens frequently, you need to see doctors without delays.
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