CHAPTER 15 Coughs, colds and asthma
Common colds and coughs
• Expelling external pathogenic factors, releasing the Exterior and dispersing obstructed Wei Qi
• Descending rebellious Lung-Qi
• Eliminating Damp and Phlegm and dredging the channels
General tips for treating coughs and colds
• If you are treating an acute Exterior invasion affecting the Wei Qi level, apply cupping or gua sha before Tui na treatment.
• Work on the patient’s head, neck, nape and upper back first, using the area foundation routines as your framework.
• Work along the Governing Vessel to clear Heat or to scatter Cold.
• For Exterior invasions, work along the Bladder and Small Intestine Tai Yang channels towards the Jing Well points. Focus on stirring up the pathogens at the Wei Qi level and then dredging them out of the body through the Jing Well points by working along the channels and stimulating points with techniques like Tui fa, Rou fa and compound versions of Rou fa.
• If the patient has a cough, remember to work on their back before you work on their chest. Use the area foundation routine for the chest as a framework for treatment in this area.
• If the patient has a lot of Phlegm use striking techniques on the back and limbs and Ji dian fa on chest points.
• If the patient has a chronic cough with Damp Phlegm, work on the abdomen and Spleen and Stomach channels of the legs to support and tonify the Spleen-Qi.
• To treat Deficiency such as Lung- and Kidney-Yin Xu and Lung- and Spleen-Qi Xu, use gentle yin style work on points, channels and key areas such as around relevant Back Shu points and on the chest and abdomen.
• Finish treatment by working on the face using the basis of the area routine. If the patient has a headache and their sinuses are very blocked, spend at least 15 minutes working on their face and they will feel a lot better.
To help you to plan a Tui na treatment for coughs and colds, see Table 15.1 for some suggestions of techniques to consider including in the treatment of the most common patterns of disharmony.
Table 15.1 Suggestions for the treatment of common colds and coughs
