🌿 Folk Prescriptions

With autumn and winter approaching, the season for tonifying herbal preparations is drawing near. Traditional Chinese medicine experts have offered unique insights—acupuncture can also serve as a tonic.
As deep autumn arrives and the Winter Solstice approaches, the topic of tonification once again comes into focus. Whether one is ill or healthy, everyone hopes to feel strong and energetic come spring. Food and medicinal enthusiasts naturally indulge in rich foods and supplements, satisfying their taste buds while replenishing physical weakness. For those less enthusiastic about eating or tired of daily pills and small doses, acupuncture now offers a new option: tonifying through acupuncture.
Acupuncture for treating illness or aiding weight loss is already common knowledge. Is "tonifying via acupuncture" a novel concept?
Certainly not. There was once a saying: "One moxa application at Zusanli (ST36) equals nourishing a mature hen." This means that daily moxibustion at ST36 for about 15 minutes or longer, stopping when a small blister appears at the point, keeping the skin clean, and allowing the blister to absorb naturally, was believed by ancient people to equal consuming one mature hen daily.
Everyone knows that mature hens nourish the kidneys, enrich essence, strengthen the spleen and stomach, and replenish blood and yin. They are used to treat impotence, seminal emission, poor appetite, pale complexion, postpartum weakness, dizziness, insufficient lactation, and amenorrhea. Moxibustion at ST36 has similar effects, capable of nourishing the kidneys and essence, strengthening the spleen and stomach, and replenishing blood and yin.
Clinical studies show that for esophageal cancer patients, needling ST36 enhances esophageal motility, widens the lumen, and relieves spasm. In gastric patients, needling ST36 restores bidirectional regulation of gastrointestinal function. Additionally, research reveals that needling ST36 regulates immune function and enhances disease resistance. All these findings confirm that stimulating ST36 can regulate bodily functions and provide health benefits.……>> Beauty Begins from the Feet
Is merely moxibusting ST36 sufficient for tonification? Not necessarily. According to Dr. Sun Yang from the Medical Outpatient Department of the Shanghai Qigong Research Institute specializing in traditional Chinese medicine tonification: acupuncture tonification involves selecting different acupoints based on individual constitution to nourish the kidneys and liver.
In traditional Chinese medicine, many sub-health conditions stem from impaired kidney and liver function. "The kidneys store essence, govern bones, and generate marrow," and "blood is transformed from essence," indicating the close relationship among kidneys, bone marrow, and blood—especially the direct link between bone marrow and hematopoiesis. Since bone marrow resides within bones and is governed by the kidneys, the strength of kidney function directly affects marrow production and blood formation.
Traditional Chinese medicine also holds that "the liver stores blood" and "generates qi and blood," storing the refined substances from food as raw material for blood production, thus linking the liver closely to hematopoiesis. Impaired liver and kidney function leads to blood stagnation and poor metabolism, resulting in various physical discomforts. Acupuncture can unblock meridians, adjust the endocrine system, enhance blood circulation, thereby fully developing all bodily functions, naturally boosting disease resistance, reducing susceptibility to colds and other illnesses, achieving the goal of tonification.
Dr. Sun also notes that acupuncture helps children maintain normal growth rates during autumn and winter, preventing a decline seen in spring and summer. Therefore, acupuncture tonification suits individuals of all ages. Furthermore, acupuncture can help preserve adult sexual function. For women, it also contributes to maintaining a balanced figure.