Study on the Ideas and Methods of Bloodletting Therapy in the Treatment of Heat Stroke

Abstract

In recent years, global warming has led to regionally high temperatures, causing lasting and extreme impacts in some areas of China. Cases of heat stroke and even fatalities have been seen in many parts of the country. Traditional Chinese medicine considers heat stroke to be a type of summerheat stroke, which belongs to the extreme heat of the Yang. Bloodletting therapy is a classical treatment in traditional Chinese medicine. Bloodletting involves puncturing certain acupoints or small epidermal veins to release a small amount of blood to dredge the channel and clear heat-fire, thus lowering a patient’s body temperature. Therefore, studying bloodletting therapy as a treatment for heat stroke has significance. Here, we analyzed the core acupoint prescriptions and the application characteristics of bloodletting therapy for the treatment of heat stroke. Our review provides a basis for the selection of acupoints and treatment methods for the clinical use of bloodletting therapy for heat stroke.

Keywords

Heat stroke / Bloodletting / Cupping therapy / Acupuncture points / Acu-puncture therapy / Traditional Chinese medicine

Acknowledgments

None.

Funding

This study received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sector.

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflict of interests related to this publication.

Author contributions

LYN and ZCX collaborated on the paper’s conception and wrote the paper. XQL and LT contributed to study concept and design andcritical revision of the manuscript, reviewed the paper and ap-proved the final version of the article to be published.

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