🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Neurasthenia refers to long-term mental over-tension leading to imbalance between cerebral excitation and inhibition, a type of neurosis. Symptoms fall into two categories: 1) Excitement-dominant symptoms include headache, dizziness, tinnitus, emotional instability, irritability, palpitations, shortness of breath, excessive sweating, insomnia, vivid dreams, and easy awakening. 2) Inhibition-dominant symptoms include memory decline, poor concentration, mental sluggishness, fatigue, low spirits, and decreased sexual function. These two types often coexist. Early stages typically feature excitement dominance, later shifting to inhibition dominance.
For neurasthenia, self-massage therapy can be effective. Its core principle is to reflexively influence central nervous system function, restoring balance between excitation and inhibition, thereby improving dizziness, insomnia, and vivid dreams. Massage also relaxes muscles, activates blood flow, relieves joint stiffness, reduces limb pain, and eliminates some contributing factors. Numerous tranquilizing and sleep-inducing acupoints exist on the head, back of neck, soles, and base of fingers. Stimulating these points induces calmness and sleep. Specific methods include:
Massaging the Head: Before bedtime, warm both palms. Place palms on cheeks, middle fingers starting at Yingxiang point, move upward to hairline, passing Jingming and Zanzhu points. Then separate hands to both sides, descend to temples, and return via “Ermen” point. Repeat 30–40 times.
Palming the Chest: Sit cross-legged. Place right hand flat on right ribcage, glide upward to left shoulder, repeat 30 times. Then use left hand, glide from left ribcage to right shoulder, 30 times.
Abdominal Massage: Sit cross-legged. Stack one palm over another, place on abdomen, centering on the navel. First rub clockwise 30 times, then counterclockwise 30 times.
Wiping the Waist: Sit cross-legged. Hands clasped behind back, fingers pointing backward, wipe from spine to buttocks along the sides, 30 times. If tender points are found, press locally for 20–30 seconds.
Abdominal Massage: Sit upright. Place both hands on knee caps, rub inward 30 times, then outward 30 times. Keep hands on skin, apply mild pressure, stop when comfortable.
Palming the Soles: Sit upright. Hold left ankle with left hand, rub left sole (forepart) 30 times with right hand. Then hold right ankle with right hand, rub right sole 30 times with left hand.