Anemia

Tonifying Qi & Blood

In traditional Chinese medicine, women who present with fatigue, palpitations, dizziness and shortness of breath are diagnosed as qi and blood deficient. During pregnancy, qi and blood are directed to the uterus to nourish the fetus, leaving the rest of the body relatively deficient. Treatment focuses on tonifying the body to increase production of qi and blood.

The best type of treatment for this condition is moxibustion, which is burning of mugwort over acupoints on the body. In China, moxibustion is used as frequently as acupuncture needles. It is a different type of stimulation well-suited for tonification.

Acupuncturist and author Debra Betts reports that midwives administering moxa to anemic patients in addition to iron supplements have found that their patients have significantly higher than expected hemoglobin and ferritin levels on blood test than those only taking supplements. The following page demonstrates how to give yourself a moxibustion treatment. Supplies are available at Whole Family Health. I require a minimum of 1 office visit to discuss diagnosis and treatment, as well as Chinese food therapy suggestions. After an initial treatment, you can continue to treat yourself at home.

Moxa on Stomach 36

Apply moxa over Stomach 36 on both legs for 10 days in a row. Hold the moxa stick 2-3 inches over the acupoint for 5 minutes or until the point feels very warm.

Moxibustion at Stomach 36

Moxibustion at Stomach 36 to tonify qi and blood

This point is located 4 finger-breadths below the eyes of the knee, on the lateral side of the shin bone.

The easiest way to locate this point is to hold your four fingers together and place your index finger in the large depression that is formed when you bend your knee. Stomach 36 will be below your little finger, just off the shin bone on the outside of your leg

Stomach 36 is the most important point in the entire body for tonifying qi and blood because of it’s strengthening effect on the digestive system. The more nutrients you absorb from your food, the better qi you make.