Heat effusion occurring after childbirth; attributed to external contraction, blood vacuity, blood stasis, food stagnation, or contraction of evil toxin.
Patterns
External contraction (外感热病 wài gǎn rè bìng) patterns arise when sudden vacuity of qì and blood causes insecurity of the defensive exterior and allows external evils to exploit the vacuity and enter the body. They are characterized by aversion to cold, heat effusion, headache, pain in limbs, absence of sweating, and in some cases cough and runny nose.
Medicinal therapy: Nourish the blood and dispel wind with formulas such as Schizonepeta and Saposhnikovia Toxin-Vanquishing Powder (荆防败毒散jīng fáng bài dú sǎn).
Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on back transport points, ST, SP, GB, TB, and LI. Needle with supplementation at BL-17 (Diaphragm Transport, 膈俞 gé shù), BL-20 (Spleen Transport, 脾俞 pí shù), ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ), and SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo), and with drainage at GB-20 (Wind Pool, 风池 fēng chí), TB-5 (Outer Pass, 外关 wài guān), GV-14 (Great Hammer, 大椎 dà zhuī), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), and LI-11 (Pool at the Bend, 曲池 qū chí).
Blood vacuity (血虚 xuè xū) postpartum heat effusion arises after loss of blood in childbirth when yīn fails to contain yáng and vacuity heat arises internally. It is a mild heat effusion attended by dizziness, heart palpitation, or continual unabating abdominal pain.
Medicinal therapy: Supplement qì and blood and regulate provisioning and defense. Use variations of Eight-Gem Decoction (八珍汤bā zhēn tāng). If heat effusion is more pronounced after midday, with reddening of the cheeks, thirst with desire for cold drinks, constipation, and yellow urine, treat by nourishing the blood, enriching yīn, and clearing heat with All Yīn Brew (一阴煎yī yīn jiān).
Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on back transport points, CV, and three yīn channels of the foot. Main points: BL-17 (Diaphragm Transport, 膈俞 gé shù), BL-20 (Spleen Transport, 脾俞 pí shù), ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ), SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo), and SP-10 (Sea of Blood, 血海 xuè hǎi); needle with supplementation. To supplement qì and blood and to regulate provisioning and defense, add CV-4 (Pass Head, 关元 guān yuán), CV-6 (Sea of Qì, 气海 qì hǎi), BL-15 (Heart Transport, 心俞 xīn shù), and CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct, 中脘 zhōng wǎn). To enrich yīn and clear heat, and to nourish the blood, add KI-3 (Great Ravine, 太溪 tài xī), KI-6 (Shining Sea, 照海 zhào hǎi), and KI-7 (Recover Flow, 复溜 fù liū).
Blood stasis (血瘀 xuè yū) postpartum heat effusion arises when static blood becomes lodged in the channels, causing disharmony of provisioning and defense. It is characterized by periodic heat effusion and aversion to cold, retention of lochia or scant purple clotted lochia with a fishy smell and smaller abdominal pain that refuses pressure.
Medicinal therapy: Nourish the blood and expel stasis; resolve heat effusion. Use variations of Engendering Transformation Decoction (生化汤shēng huà tāng).
Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on CV, and SP. Select CV-3 (Central Pole, 中极 zhōng jí), SP-8 (Earth’s Crux, 地机 dì jī), SP-10 (Sea of Blood, 血海 xuè hǎi), SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo), and ST-30 (Qì Thoroughfare, 气冲 qì chōng); needle with even supplementation and drainage.
Food stagnation (食滞 shí zhì) postpartum heat effusion results from eating sweet fatty foods. It is attended by bloating in the chest and diaphragm, putrid belching, acid swallowing, torpid intake, or distension and pain in the stomach duct and abdomen.
Medicinal therapy: Disperse food and abduct stagnation with Special Achievement Powder (异功散yì gōng sǎn) supplemented with other agents.
Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on CV, ST, and LI. Select CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct, 中脘 zhōng wǎn), ST-25 (Celestial Pivot, 天枢 tiān shū), CV-6 (Sea of Qì, 气海 qì hǎi), ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ), Lǐ Inner Court (里内庭lǐ nèi tíng)LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), and LI-11 (Pool at the Bend, 曲池 qū chí); needle with drainage.
Evil toxin (邪毒 xié dú) postpartum heat effusion arises when evil toxin makes a direct strike on the uterus in postpartum qì-blood vacuity, and wages a struggle with right qì that gives rise to high fever, thirst, sweating, and abdominal pain that refuses pressure. In severe cases, there may be clouded spirit, delirious speech and maculopapular eruptions.
Medicinal therapy: Clear heat and resolve toxin with agents such as lonicera (Lonicerae Flos, 金银花jīn yín huā), forsythia (Forsythiae Fructus, 连翘lián qiào), dried/fresh rehmannia (Rehmanniae Radix, 生地黄shēng dì huáng), trichosanthes root (Trichosanthis Radix, 天花粉tiān huā fěn), lycium root bark (Lycii Cortex, 地骨皮dì gǔ pí), moutan (Moutan Cortex, 牡丹皮mǔ dān pí), and isatis leaf (Isatidis Folium, 大青叶dà qīng yè). If signs include clouded spirit and delirious speech, use Peaceful Palace Bovine Bezoar Pill (安宫牛黄丸ān gōng niú huáng wán) or Purple Snow (紫雪zǐ xuě).
Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on LI, PC, and LR. Select LI-11 (Pool at the Bend, 曲池 qū chí), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), LR-2 (Moving Between, 行间 xíng jiān), GB-34 (Yáng Mound Spring, 阳陵泉 yáng líng quán), PC-8 (Palace of Toil, 劳宫 láo gōng), and BL-40 (Bend Center, 委中 wěi zhōng); needle with drainage. Prick Ten Diffusing Points (十宣shí xuān) to bleed.