Acupuncture precautions and contraindications

Acupuncture is a very common method of treating diseases and maintaining health in Traditional Chinese Medicine. A few small silver needles can treat a variety of diseases, which fully demonstrates the profoundness of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Because acupuncture combines acupuncture points on the human body to achieve the purpose of treating diseases, there are many precautions and contraindications in its use. Improper or incorrect use may even cause counterproductive effects. So, what are the precautions and contraindications of acupuncture?

Precautions for acupuncture

1. The operator should be serious, focused and operate carefully. Before moxibustion, the requirements should be explained to the patient to eliminate his fear. If scar moxibustion is required, the patient's consent must be obtained first, and the moxibustion sore should be properly treated to prevent infection.

2. Apply moxibustion according to the patient's constitution and symptoms. The acupoints should be selected accurately, and not too many acupoints should be moxibustioned. The heat should be sufficient and the fire should be even. Do not moxibustion randomly or violently.

3. It is rare for patients to experience dizziness during moxibustion treatment. If moxibustion fainting occurs, first aid should be given according to the methods for treating needle fainting.

4. During the moxibustion process, you should prevent the moxa fire from burning clothes, bedding, etc. After moxibustion, the moxa stick or cone must be extinguished to prevent fire. For patients who are in a coma, slow to respond, or have lost local sensation, be careful not to over-apply moxibustion to avoid burns.

Contraindications of Acupuncture

Since moxibustion uses fire to burn, careless application may cause local skin burns. On the other hand, the process of moxibustion will consume essence and blood, so some parts of the body or some people cannot be moxibustioned. These are the taboos of moxibustion. There are many taboos in ancient moxibustion. Although some taboos can be broken, there are some situations where they should indeed be avoided.

1. Do not apply moxibustion on areas with thin skin, little muscle, and tendon aggregation, the lumbar sacral area and lower abdomen of pregnant women, and the nipples, genitals, and testicles of men and women. In addition, do not apply moxibustion directly to the joints. In addition, do not apply moxibustion to large blood vessels or the heart, and do not apply moxibustion to the eyeballs which are part of the facial area.

2. Do not directly apply moxibustion to exposed parts, such as the face, to prevent the formation of scars and affect the appearance.

3. People who lack self-control, such as the mentally ill, should avoid moxibustion.

4. Moxibustion should not be used during certain infectious diseases, coma, high fever, convulsions, or when the body is extremely exhausted and the person is emaciated.

5. Avoid moxibustion if you are extremely tired, too full, too hungry, drunk, sweating profusely, emotionally unstable, or women are menstruating.

6. Hypertensive patients should not undergo moxibustion on the head. Diabetic patients must be especially careful during moxibustion so as not to injure the skin, let alone scars.

7. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, there are some symptoms that are not suitable for moxibustion. For example, in cases of exogenous infection or yin deficiency and internal heat syndrome, moxibustion is prohibited for those with rapid and urgent pulses; moxibustion is not suitable for those with convulsions, high fever, extreme exhaustion, thin and weak body.