The right time for summer treatment of seven 'winter illnesses'

　　The dog days of summer are here. Besides enduring the muggy and humid weather, don't forget the extra benefits this hot season brings—many people will seize this time to adopt some traditional Chinese medicine therapies to achieve the goal of treating winter illnesses in summer. When it comes to "treating winter illnesses in summer," most people think of "Sanfu plasters," which are famous for treating chronic respiratory diseases. However, it's far more than that. Today, we'll introduce 7 types of diseases suitable for summer treatment, as well as various treatment methods.

　　"Treating winter illnesses in summer" is reasonable

　　So-called "treating winter illnesses in summer" refers to a type of counter-seasonal natural therapy that uses appropriate conditioning and replenishing methods during the summer when the condition is relatively alleviated for diseases that are easily triggered or aggravated by cold, with the aim of preventing or reducing disease outbreaks or even eradication.

　　Based on the theories of traditional Chinese medicine such as "cultivating yang in spring and summer," "harmony between man and nature," "choosing the right time for treatment," and "treating potential illnesses rather than existing ones," using the "dog days" when the disease has not yet occurred, through medication, plasters, and other treatment methods, removing the conditions that will inevitably cause the disease (main cause or inducing cause) can regulate the body's internal organ functions and yang energy, enhancing the body's ability to resist diseases.

　　However, not everyone is suitable for treating winter illnesses in summer. For pregnant women, patients with severe cardiopulmonary diseases, those allergic to drugs, those with blisters, boils, or skin lesions, and those in the acute stage of the disease (such as fever, coughing, or wheezing), even if they have the above indications, they need cautious evaluation, otherwise, it may worsen the condition or cause other diseases.

　　These 7 diseases are most suitable for summer treatment

　　The treatment method of treating winter illnesses in summer has obvious seasonality, that is, choosing diseases that are easily triggered or aggravated in winter for conditioning during the dog days of summer.

　　Respiratory diseases. Respiratory diseases suitable for treating winter illnesses in summer mainly include: chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, obstructive emphysema, chronic pharyngitis, recurrent respiratory infections, emphysema, and pulmonary tuberculosis.

　　Respiratory diseases can be treated with acupressure plasters. Common ingredients include natural Chinese medicines such as white mustard seed, cinnamon, asarum, and ginger juice.

　　Gastrointestinal diseases. Gastrointestinal diseases suitable for treating winter illnesses in summer mainly include chronic gastritis, functional dyspepsia, peptic ulcers, and chronic colitis.

　　From the perspective of modern lifestyles, if people indulge in cold drinks and stay in air-conditioned rooms in summer, it is easy to damage the spleen and stomach. Therefore, for such people, acupuncture and acupressure treatment can stimulate the righteous energy, relieve pain, and reduce the occurrence in winter.

　　Rheumatic diseases. Rheumatic diseases suitable for treating winter illnesses in summer include rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis. These diseases are generally characterized by aggravation in winter due to cold, with recurrent conditions. If treated during the dog days of summer, the effect will be very significant.

　　Allergic diseases. Allergic diseases suitable for treating winter illnesses in summer mainly include allergic rhinitis, allergic skin diseases, and allergic colitis. In general, people prone to allergies mostly have a cold constitution. According to the principle of traditional Chinese medicine "treat cold with heat," hot and tonic medicines should be used for treatment. Secondly, "treat the symptoms urgently, and treat the root cause slowly." Summer is not the high-incidence season for allergic diseases, it is the remission period. Therefore, treatment at this time is a method of treating the root cause. Using warm and tonic medicines on relevant acupoints for plaster treatment can stimulate meridians, improve constitution, and enhance immunity.

　　Bone and joint diseases. Bone and joint diseases suitable for treating winter illnesses in summer mainly include chronic neck and low back pain, periarthritis of the shoulder, and cervical spondylosis. Most bone and joint diseases are caused by incorrect posture. Warming and dispelling cold plasters can be used, applied to acupoints that nourish the whole body and are located on the spine, such as Dazhu, Mingmen, Shenzhu, and Yanglingquan. If both the cervical and lumbar vertebrae are affected, plasters can be applied along the spine. If there is pain in the arms or knees, plasters can be applied to the main acupoints of the limbs, such as Zusanli and Shousanli.

　　Gynecological diseases. Gynecological diseases suitable for treating winter illnesses in summer include endometriosis, dysmenorrhea, and pelvic inflammatory disease.

　　Traditional Chinese medicine believes that gynecological diseases caused by deficiency and cold factors after syndrome differentiation will have significant effects with winter illness summer treatment. Treating winter illnesses in summer can easily remove the yin cold in the body, dredge meridians and collaterals, warm and transform cold and dampness, and activate blood and remove blood stasis, thereby promoting women patients' pelvic blood circulation, treating many chronic gynecological diseases . Moxibustion plaster acupoint application is the main treatment method for gynecological diseases in treating winter illnesses in summer.

　　Sub health status Traditional Chinese medicine believes that health status includes both the balance of yin and yang within the body and the balance of yin and yang between the body and the external environment. Sub-health status means that the balance of yin and yang within the body is broken, but no substantial lesions have occurred. Treatment at this time is relatively easy and is not likely to harm the body. Many symptoms such as easy fatigue, insomnia, and multiple dreams belong to sub-health status, and different methods can be used for treating winter illnesses in summer according to specific symptoms.

　　Four "secret weapons" for treating winter illnesses in summer

　　Acupuncture point application. This therapy is to apply Chinese medicine preparations to specific acupoints on the meridians during the dog days of summer, according to the theory of syndrome differentiation in traditional Chinese medicine. The medicine enters the meridians and internal organs from the outside through the skin to achieve the therapeutic purpose.

　　Moxibustion. Generally, mugwort is used as a raw material to make mugwort wool, mugwort cones, and mugwort sticks. Mugwort wool or other medicines are placed on the acupoints or painful areas on the body surface for burning or warming. Using the gentle heat of moxibustion and the effect of medicine, through the conduction of meridians, it can warm and dredge meridians, harmonize qi and blood, coordinate yin and yang, and support the righteous energy and eliminate evil.

　　Gua Sha. Use a Gua Sha board to dip a small amount of Gua Sha oil on the skin surface and scrape in one direction. Gua Sha can stimulate meridians and acupoints, making the local skin red and congested, and purple-red bleeding points appear, which is commonly known as "Sha." It can improve local microcirculation, dredge meridians, relax muscles and regulate qi, dispel wind and cold, excite the body's nervous, circulatory, immune, and excretory systems, and accelerate metabolism.

　　Cupping Cupping is also a commonly used traditional Chinese medical treatment for treating winter illnesses in summer. The principle of using cupping to treat winter illnesses in summer is similar to that of scraping, both stimulating meridians and acupoints to cause local skin redness and congestion to dredge meridians and remove cold. However, it is necessary to select parts with abundant muscles for cupping, and the operation time is shorter.