🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Stroke, also known as "apoplexy," is primarily caused by emotional stress, poor diet, excessive indulgence in alcohol and sex, leading to imbalance of yin and yang, disharmony of zang-fu organs, and disordered qi and blood. Clinical features include sudden collapse, facial deviation, hemiplegia, and some cases maintain full consciousness. This condition mostly occurs in middle age and older people, especially the elderly.
Stroke includes hemorrhagic and ischemic types. After treatment, many patients suffer residual symptoms such as hemiplegia, speech difficulty, and facial distortion. These are mainly due to wind-phlegm blocking meridians and stagnation of qi and blood. Combined use of herbal medicine, acupuncture, and massage often yields good therapeutic effects.
During the acute phase of stroke, severely ill patients often exhibit five impairments: inability to turn over, cough, speak, eat, or manage bowel/bladder functions. Therefore, close observation, meticulous care, and active treatment are essential to minimize and alleviate sequelae. Pressure sores easily develop during the acute phase. To prevent them, patients must be turned frequently. For unconscious patients, ensure skin, clothes, and bedding remain dry and smooth. When the pressure area turns red, gently rub with palm or apply honghua oil externally to improve local circulation.
For patients in recovery and sequelae phases, encourage and guide functional exercises. When paralyzed limbs cannot move voluntarily, assist passive movements and provide limb massage. Perform flexion, extension, rotation, adduction, and abduction of major and minor joints to promote qi and blood flow and enhance muscle strength. Once the paralyzed limb regains ability to lift, encourage active movement. To help build muscle strength, tie a rope to the foot of the bed and let the patient pull themselves up. Other training exercises include stepping on pedals to strengthen calf muscles, gripping wooden rods or rolling walnuts to improve grip strength and finger joint mobility. When able to stand, early assistance in walking is recommended, paying attention to posture, technique, endurance, and speed—all safety first. Additionally, for non-verbal stroke patients, patiently help them practice pronunciation to gradually restore language function.
Given the high incidence, mortality, and disability rates of stroke, prevention is crucial. First, pay attention to prodromal symptoms. Before onset, patients often experience dizziness and numbness on one side of the body. If vertigo or convulsions occur, it indicates hyperactive liver yang and impending liver wind—treat with herbs like Gouteng, Chrysanthemum, Bai Ji Li, Muscovite, and Bai Shao. If numbness and heaviness in limbs appear, indicating obstruction of meridians and qi-blood stasis, treat with herbs like Dan Shen, Chi Shao, and Ji Xue Teng.
To prevent stroke, maintain mental well-being, avoid rich, fatty, and greasy foods, refrain from smoking, and avoid excessive drinking. Also, pay attention to weather changes and adjust clothing accordingly. Maintain regular routines, balance work and rest, and most importantly, persist in moderate exercise to keep qi harmonious, blood flowing smoothly, joints unblocked, and prevent this disease.