It's still really hot!
At least where I am, it hasn't cooled down and it doesn't look like it's going to anytime soon.
Last week we talked about foods to beat the heat and help you stay cool. This week we'll talk about the other side of it: acupuncture points to treat Summer-Heat...
A Sweaty Point for Summer-Heat
Like we said last time, Summer-Heat is one of the six external pathogens. It's basically heat that occurs during the summertime and is similar to heatstroke or sunstroke.
One of the points that is specifically indicated for Summer-Heat is BL-40 (Weizhong).
You're probably familiar with BL-40 as a point for low-back pain: it's a Ma Dan-Yang Heavenly Star point for "lumbar pain with inability to straighten up," and it's a Gao-Wu command point for disorders of the lumbar region and back.
But it also has a strong heat-clearing action. It cools the blood, it can be used alongside LI-11 (Quchi) to treat rash, and it's one of the only points in our textbooks with the specific action, "clears Summer-Heat."
(Remember, LI-11 is located in the pit of your elbow where it tends to get hot and sweaty, so it's good for clearing heat. Similarly, BL-40 is located in the pit of the knee, so I like to think of that area getting hot and sweaty during the summer, even when you have shorts on.)
Bleeding the Point
The standard name for BL-40 is Weizhong, which means "middle of the crook," referring to its location. But an alternate name for this point is Xue Xi, which means "blood cleft."
According to the Ling Shu, the Taiyang channel is abundant in blood but limited in qi. This makes it suitable for pricking-to-bleed, both for lumbar pain due to blood stasis and for situations of heat.
BL-40 and PC-3 (Quze), both He-Sea points located in a sweaty crook, can be bled to treat Summer-Heat stroke.
A Point Prescription for Sunstroke
Sunstroke is an acute case occurring in the summer, presenting with high fever, irritability, nausea, or even collapse and loss of consciousness. It's usually caused by prolonged exposure to the sun or a high-temperature environment.
Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion (CAM) lists a point prescription for this type of heat stroke that includes BL-40.
It actually has two different prescriptions for mild and severe sunstroke:
Mild Sunstroke
This manifests as headache, dizziness, profuse sweating, hot skin, coarse breathing, dry mouth and tongue, and dire thirst. The pulse is floating, large, and rapid.
Summer-Heat is yang, so it tends to attack the head and cause headache and dizziness. The dryness and thirst are due to the evaporation of fluids.
The point prescription for this presentation is: DU-14, LI-11, BL-40, PC-6
- DU-14 is the meeting point of all the yang channels, so it's commonly used to clear heat and release the exterior.
- LI-11 and BL-40 are important points for clearing heat, as discussed above.
- PC-6 is the Luo-Connecting point of the Pericardium channel. It clears heat and protects the Heart. (You don't want to get so hot that you become delirious and start talking with ghosts.)
Severe Sunstroke
The severe type of sunstroke begins with headache, dire thirst, and shortness of breath. But once the heat penetrates to the interior, it causes collapse, loss of consciousness, and sweating. The pulse will be deep and forceless.
(This usually occurs in people doing physical labor in the scorching summer sun.)
So in this situation, we would switch over to points that promote resuscitation as well: DU-26, DU-20, PC-3, BL-40, Shixuan
- DU-26 and DU-20 revive consciousness
- BL-40 and PC-3 clear blood-level heat
- Shixuan is pricked-to-bleed to reduce heat and promote resuscitation
Now obviously, this is an emergency situation. In modern times you would call for help if someone has collapsed. Please don't stick needles in unconscious people without their consent.
Scraping the Heat Away
Besides acupuncture, CAM also lists another possibility for treating mild cases of sunstroke: gua sha.
It recommends to "dip a smooth spoon into water or vegetable oil and scrape both sides of the spine, the neck, intercostal spaces, shoulder regions, cubital and axillary fossae until purplish red color appears."
This was actually kind of surprising to me. I know that cupping is often used for wind-cold, and gua sha for wind-heat, but I guess I forgot that it could be used for Summer-Heat as well.
So if it's getting too hot for you, go stick a spoon in your armpit and elbow pit!
