Summer Solstice: The Right Time for "Winter Disease, Summer Treatment" Plaster Therapy
Introduction: June 21st is the Summer Solstice, one of the 24 solar terms. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) explains that "Winter Disease, Summer Treatment" is a special therapy that combines TCM acupuncture therapy with applying herbal plasters to acupoints on the body. This method is designed to boost the body's vital energy (Zheng Qi) and enhance its disease resistance, thereby achieving the goal of preventing and treating illnesses. Furthermore, the Summer Solstice is the ideal time for plaster therapy, which can effectively treat conditions such as asthma, allergic cough, and allergic rhinitis.
Summer Solstice: The Right Time for "Winter Disease, Summer Treatment" Plaster Therapy
TCM Perspective: The Right Time for Summer Plaster Therapy
Summer is the hottest season of the year. During this time, the body's Yang energy is on the surface, causing Qi and blood to flow towards the skin, which becomes relaxed with open pores. Applying herbal plasters to acupoints at this time allows the medicine to easily act on the points, penetrate the skin, unblock the meridians, and regulate the internal organs. It has a good preventive and therapeutic effect on bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic respiratory failure, recurrent colds, chronic cough, rhinitis, and other conditions.
Plaster Therapy Duration: For adults, each plaster application should last 2-4 hours. For children, it should be 0.5-1 hours.
Precautions and Contraindications for Plaster Therapy: During the plaster therapy period, avoid seafood, raw and cold foods, spicy and greasy foods. Keep warm. Do not apply plasters during acute respiratory infections or while running a fever. Individuals with extreme skin sensitivity to the plaster ingredients should not use this therapy. It is not suitable for people with special constitutions, contact dermatitis or other skin diseases, or with broken skin at the application acupoints. Additionally, use with caution for children under 2 years old, pregnant women, and those allergic to adhesive tape. Furthermore, do not extend the application time yourself. Reduce physical activity and try to avoid sweating to prevent the plaster from falling off.
In addition to plaster therapy, "Winter Disease, Summer Treatment" can also be supported by dietary adjustments. TCM practitioners suggest that for conditions like bone and joint pain, asthma, "old chronic bronchitis," edema, and hypothyroidism, if one can nourish Yang energy in the summer, the symptoms can be alleviated in winter. "You can eat more Yang-warming foods, such as chicken. When cooking, you can add an appropriate amount of Ginseng or Astragalus root to stew and consume. At the same time, combining with Yang-warming, cold-dispelling, and water-promoting foods like Poria, Atractylodes macrocephala, and Coix seed will yield better results."