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Warming the center and dispersing cold

温中散寒 〔溫中散寒〕wēn zhōng sàn hán

Also warming the center and dispelling cold; warming the spleen. A method of treatment used to treat cold in constitutional yáng vacuity, spleen-stomach vacuity cold, or external cold entering the interior, characterized by a moist white tongue fur, moderate soggy or slow sunken pulse, physical debilitation and lassitude of spirit, aversion to cold, diarrhea, abdominal pain that likes pressure and heat, and stomach pain and vomiting of clear fluid.

Medicinal therapy: Treatment is based on center-warming medicinals such as dried ginger (Zingiberis Rhizoma, 干姜 gān jiāng), blast-fried ginger (Zingiberis Rhizoma Praeparatum, 炮姜 páo jiāng), lesser galangal (Alpiniae Officinarum Rhizoma, 高良姜 gāo liáng jiāng), and zanthoxylum (Zanthoxyli Pericarpium, 花椒 huā jiāo), combined with medicinals that fortify the spleen and boost the stomach such as white atractylodes (Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, 白朮 bái zhú), poria (Poria, 茯苓 fú líng), and mix-fried licorice (Glycyrrhizae Radix, 甘草 gāncǎo). Where cold signs are particularly pronounced, yáng-warming medicinals such as aconite (Aconiti Radix Lateralis Praeparata, 附子 fù zǐ) and cinnamon bark (Cinnamomi Cortex, 肉桂 ròu guì) may be added. Great Rectifying Powder (大顺散 dà shùn sǎn) disperses cold and relieves pain. Center-Rectifying Pill (理中丸 lǐ zhōng wán) warms the spleen and checks diarrhea, and Evodia Decoction (吴茱萸汤 wú zhū yú tāng) warms the stomach and checks vomiting.

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on CV and ST. Select as main points CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct, 中脘 zhōng wǎn), CV-6 (Sea of Qì, 气海 qì hǎi), ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ), BL-20 (Spleen Transport, 脾俞 pí shù), BL-21 (Stomach Transport, 胃俞 wèi shù), and CV-4 (Pass Head, 关元 guān yuán); needle with supplementation and add moxa. For pronounced diarrhea, moxa may be applied at the five pillar points, or the cross moxa method can be used. Compare warming the spleen; warming the stomach.

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