February is Raynaud’s Awareness Month and it is believed that 10 million people in the UK suffer from Raynaud’s disease. According to Chinese medicine, the pathogenesis of Raynaud’s syndrome is mainly cold coagulation channels, stagnation of liver and blood stasis. The treatment mainly focuses on warming the meridians; promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis to soothe the stagnated liver and nourish Qi and blood.
Each and every body constitution and deficiency require different treatment to target the source of the problem. Herbal remedies and acupuncture work together simultaneously to get to the root of the problem to benefit patients suffering from Raynaud’s disease.
TCM Treatment
Yang Deficiency: If your patient is suffering from Yang deficient and cold coagulation, their fingers and toes will be white, swollen and painful. They may suffer from bruising, poor grip, cold limbs, numbness and excessive swelling. Furthermore, Yang deficiency may cause a pale complexion and loose stools. The patient’s tongue will be light with a thin white coating and their pulse will be heavy and thin.
To treat Yang deficiency, the following formulas may be effective:
When using acupuncture for Yang deficiency you will need to warm the spleen and kidney whilst dispelling the cold and clearing the pulse:
- Dazhui
- Zhiyang
- Pishu
- Shenshu
- Mingmen
If the patient is also suffering from blood stasis, we recommend warming the Yang and replenishing Qi to promoting blood circulation and dredging collaterals:
- Dazhui
- Geshu
- Xuehai
- Tanzhong (moxibustion)
- Zusanli (moxibustion)
- Qihai (moxibustion)
Qi Deficiency: A patient may be suffering from Qi deficiency and blood astringency if they have pale numb fingers and toes with the extremities turning into blisters. The patient may also suffer from joint swelling, poor activity, fatigue, lack of energy, lazy speech, thin muscles and pale complexion. Their tongue may be light and tender, with tooth marks on the side and a weak pulse.
The herbal formulas that may be beneficial are:
To benefit the temperature channel, dispel the cold and clear the meridian to improve Qi deficiency, the most effective points may be:
- Dazhui
- Quchi
- Neiguan
- Hegu
- Tanzhong
- Baxie
- Yangxi
- Houxi
Qi Stagnation: If a patient has Qi stagnation and blood stasis, they may suffer from bruising or purplish-red hands and feet when they are exposed to the extremities for a long period of time. They may also suffer from cold skin, numbness and pain. Their symptoms can occur repeatedly with emotional changes. They could have petechiae on the skin of the fingers or nail deformities, which is often accompanied by chest pain, depression and other symptoms. Their tongue is dark purple or has purple spots, and the pulse is thin or heavy.
To potentially benefit Qi stagnation, we recommend:
When treating Qi stagnation with acupuncture, you need to nourish the heart and soothing the liver to regulate Qi and promote blood circulation:
- Dazhui
- Geshu
- Xuehai
- Shenshu
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Disclaimer: Please note that this information is intended for qualified herbalists or healthcare professionals only. If you are a patient, please consult your practitioner for a diagnosis as these recommendations may not be suitable for you. If you would like us to recommend a practitioner who uses Phoenix Medical products, contact us at info@phoenixmedical.com and we will gladly assist you.
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