Acupuncture Therapy for Heatstroke
【Overview】Heatstroke is an acute summer illness primarily characterized by high fever, restlessness, nausea, and even sudden collapse with loss of consciousness. It commonly results from exposure to extreme summer heat or prolonged stay in hot environments or direct sunlight. This condition includes heat stroke, heat cramps, and sunstroke. 【Etiology and Pathogenesis】During summer, excessive heat prevails; when people work long hours under intense sun or in high temperatures, physical exhaustion weakens vital energy, allowing heat and summer-heat pathogens to invade and cause disease. Clinically, it can be classified into mild and severe types. 【Differential Diagnosis and Treatment】(1) Mild Type: Main symptoms include headache, dizziness, profuse sweating, burning skin, rapid breathing, dry tongue, dry mouth, irritability, thirst, and floating, large, rapid pulse. Treatment principle: Select acupoints on the Governor Vessel, Hand Jueyin, and Yangming meridians as primary points. Use draining technique in acupuncture to clear heat and dispel summer-heat. Prescription: Dazhui (GV14), Neiguan (PC6), Quchi (LI11), Weizhong (BL40). Rationale: Dazhui clears heat throughout the body; Weizhong, also known as Xuehai, uses blood-letting to clear heat from the blood level; Quchi is a key point for clearing heat; Neiguan clears heat and reduces fire from the three-jiao. (2) Severe Type: Initial symptoms include headache, thirst, rapid breathing, followed by sudden collapse, unconsciousness, sweating, and weak, deep pulse. Treatment principle: Focus on Governor Vessel acupoints. Use draining method to open orifices, clear heat, and expel summer-heat. Prescription: Shuigou (GV26), Baihui (GV20), Shixuan (EX-HN17), Quze (PC3), Weizhong (BL40). Rationale: For impaired consciousness, use Shuigou and Baihui to awaken the spirit and open the orifices; Quze, as the He point of Pericardium Meridian, combined with blood-letting at Weizhong, clears blood heat; blood-letting at Shixuan opens orifices and revives the spirit. 【Other Therapies】Gua Sha therapy: Suitable for mild heatstroke. Use a smooth, flat spoon dipped in oil or water to scrape along the spine sides, neck, intercostal spaces, shoulders, arms, chest depression, and popliteal fossa until the skin turns purplish-red.
China Health Network