Using foot massage to treat Dysmenorrhea

This is a disease in women including pain or severe pain in lower abdomen and waist before, during and/or after menstruation.
   
Differential diagnosis: Patients with cold stagnation and damp Pathogens may suffer from cold and pain in lower abdomen before or during menstruation aggravated by pressing and alleviated by heat, with a small amount of dark blood and clots, thin and white tongue coating, and deep and tense pulse. Patients with liver qi stagnation may suffer from more distension and less pain in lower abdomen before or during menstruation-with difficult discharge of a small "amount of blood and clots, distension and pain in chest, breasts and flank, dark tongue with petechiae and thin and white coating, and deep and wiry pulse. Patients with deficiency of liver and kidney may suffer from dull pain in lower abdomen reducible by pressing during or after menstruation, with discharge of thin and pink blood, soreness and pain of back and waist, pale complexion, pale tongue, and deep and thready pulse.
   
Treatment:
Foot massage: The massage is applied to kidney (22), pituitary gland (4), reproductive gland (36), inguinal groove (49) and lower abdomen (37) reflecting areas. The pressing maneuver is applied on kidney area first, the pressing and kneading maneuvers are applied on pituitary gland and inguinal groove areas and the reproductive gland and lower abdomen areas are pressed and kneaded in particular (Fig. 77).
   
Foot acupuncture:
1) Meridianal acupoints: At Neiting (ST 44), Zuqiaoyin (GB 44) and Shuiquan (KI 5) acupoints, a balanced reinforce-reducing technique is applied and the needles are retained for 20 minutes. Moxibustion is applied for 10 to 20 minutes at each of above acupoints after acupuncture for patients with stagnation of cold and damp pathogens. This treatment can produce a good therapeutic result during an attack
of pain.

2) Extra acupoint: At Quchi (LI 11), a balanced reinforce-reducing technique is applied and the needle is retained for 20 minutes. Moxibustion for 10 to 20 minutes is applied after acupuncture for patients with stagnation of cold and damp pathogens.

3) Foot acupoints: At Uterus (FA-P 16) and Dysmenorrhea 2 (FA-M 3) acupoints, a balanced reinforce-reducing technique is applied and the needles are retained for 20 minutes. Moxibustion for 10 to 20 minutes after acupuncture is applied at each acupoint to patients with stagnation of cold and damp pathogens.

External application of drugs:
1) For stagnation of cold and damp pathogens: Table salt 300 gm, fresh ginger (cut) 120 gm and a handful of green onions are fried and hot paste is applied over the lower abdomen (37) reflecting area on foot.
After the sole is cleaned with a wet towel, the powder of Baizhi (dahurian angelica root) 6 gm, Wulingzhi (trogopterus dung) 6 gm and Qingyan (halite) 6 gm is spread over the correspondent reflecting areas and covered by a piece of fresh ginger for application of moxibustion, every other day.

2) For stagnation ofqi and blood: Gegen (kudzuvine root) 100 gm
Radix Paeoniae Alba (Baishaoyao) 150 gm are boiled in water twice to prepare a paste and then mixed with the extract of Olibanum (Ruxiang), 100 gm and Moyao (myrrh) 100 gm in 95 percent alcohol. After drying, it is mixed with the powder of Squama Manitis (Chuanshanjia) 100 gm, Houpo (magnolia bark) 100 gm and an adequate amount of volatile oil of Xixin (wild ginger) for use after thorough mixing and sifting out. The powder is mixed with vinegar to prepare a paste for application over the lower abdomen (37) foot refleeting area to treat patients with stagnation of qi and blood, and mixed with ginger juice to treat patients with stagnation of cold and damp pathogens.