Hand Therapy Using Miscellaneous Methods

Besides massage, acupuncture, hand bath, and hand qigong, there are some other therapies applied to or near the hand including holding herbs, pressing and kneading maneuvers applied along the second metacarpal bone, swinging arms, and playing bracelet or ball with the hand.

1. Holding herb therapy
As an external treatment herbs, properly selected according to the nature of the disease, are held in the hand as a treatment for various ailments.
This is an ancient therapy. Herbs that induce sweating and promote digestion are best absorbed through the skin of a hot and moist palm to stimulate the meridians and acupoints of the hand.
Herbs for particular diseases come in a variety of shapes and patterns such as pills or powders, easy to hold in the hand. Fresh raw herbs are also produced for therapeutic use. Before holding the herbs, the hands should be soaked in hot water for a while. The herbs are then held in the hand until a slight sweating is induced. The herbs should be wrapped in gauze and secured to the palm by bandage for babies and young children. This method is used to treat common colds, Headache, facial palsy, and indigestion in children. Corrosive or allergenic herbs should not be used, and it is contraindicated for patients with ulcers or wounds of the palm.

2. Pressing and kneading therapy beside the second metacarpal bone
--The pressing and kneading maneuvers are applied at the points on the radial side of the second metacarpal bone for treating various diseases.
--The location, indications, and principles for selecting points have been discussed in Acupuncture for Hand Therapy.
--The pressing and kneading maneuvers are chiefly applied in an area around Hegu (LI 4). The Hegu acupoint is an important point used to control pain all over the body and is especially effective for stopping pain of the head and face and in the chest, abdomen, and upper and lower limbs.
--The patient is asked to relax the hand muscles and make a hollow fist with the radial side facing upward. The physician holds the patient's fist by one hand and applies pressure with some kneading movement at a frequency of 150 per minute at Hegu acupoint with the thumb of the other hand to produce a sore, distending, heavy, and numb sensation for three minutes.
--The point should be correctly located; the pressure should be vertically applied to a deep layer, and should be gentle to avoid damaging the skin.

3. Swinging arm exercise
This exercise was developed and taught by Mr. Tian Ruifang in Shanghai, 1961. It is a physical exercise, simple and easy to learn and practice and effective for treating certain chronic diseases.
1) Preparation: Before starting the exercise, the practitioner should be rid of all mental distractions, calm the mind, and fully relax every part of the body and remain this way for 3-5 minutes.

2) Posture:
(1) The feet are separated to a distance the width of the shoulders to maintain a natural stance, with the head and body kept erect, the knees naturally and slightly flexed, and the arms freely dangling down.
(2) The neck is relaxed, the chin is held slightly backward and the vortex of the head, Baihui (GV 20) acupoint (at midpoint between bilateral tips of ear auricle), is intentionally raised upward.
(3) The pectoralis major muscles are relaxed and the shoulders are slightly drawn forward to draw in the chest and straighten the back and to produce a counteraction against the intentional upward ascent of the vortex of the head. The qi may move
downward to Dantian when the chest is drawn in; and the qi may diffuse all over the abdomen when the abdomen is relaxed. After the clear qi is moved upward and the dirty qi is moved downward, a result of "deficiency in upper part and excessiveness in lower part of body" can occur.
(4) The shoulders are relaxed and sagging to draw in the chest and move the qi downward to Dantian. Otherwise, the qi may move upward, if the shoulders are shrugged.
(5) The thigh, leg, and foot are all relaxed.
(6) The muscles all over the body are relaxed with a smiling face and a generally comfortable demeanor.
(7) The tongue should be naturally flat in the mouth. The mouth and teeth should be lightly closed, because the mouth and tongue may become dry if the mouth is opened; and the practitioner cannot relax the body if the mouth is tightly closed and the teeth gnashed.

3) Method of performance:
(1) Both naturally extended arms are moved forward with the shoulder joints as a fulcrum, the fingers are naturally and comfortably extended, the palms are slightly concave and facing forward, and the thumbs are slightly flexed and pointing downward. The hands are moved forward and upward, but not beyond the umbilicus (Fig. 35).
(2) The shoulders are relaxed and the arms swing freely backward to the initial position, but not beyond the buttocks, with the shape of the palms unchanged (Fig. 36). The forward and backward movement of the arms are continuously repeated.
(3) The arms are moved back and forth by the relaxed shoulders. The shoulders should not be shrugged and the arms always move parallel. The arms are moved forward by a force conducted from the shoulder and then freely swung backward by gravity, as a repeated movement with arms alternately kept tense and relaxed.
(4) The palms are slightly concave and the fingers are slightly flexed and separated, because the full extension of tight fingers may interfere with meridians and the free circulation of internal qi.
(5) The arms should be naturally extended throughout the back and forth movement and the elbows should not be flexed to move the forearms alone.
(6) The feet are flat on the ground. With increased experience, the practitioner may keep a stance with the toes firmly holding the ground.
(7) The swinging arm exercise should be carried with the body relaxed, quiet, and natural.

4) Repetitions, speed, and silent counting:
(1) Repetitions: The arms may be moved back and forth repeatedly 2,000 times each morning and evening. Beginners may start their exercise with several hundred repetitions according to their physique, and gradually increase the number.

(2) Speed: An adequate speed is 2,000 repetitions in 40 minutes. The practitioner may choose a proper speed for them selves to produce a comfortable feeling and maintain this fixed speed day by day through the entire course of exercise. The purpose of this external exercise is to induce a correspondent internal exercise within the body, and the establishment of this internal exercise depends on a rhythmic external exercise. So the internal exercise is difficult to induce and establish if the speed of the external exercise is constantly changed.

(3) Silent counting of repetitions: In order to concentrate the mind and be rid of mental distractions, the numbers are silently but clearly and conscientiously counted when the arms are moved forward, but not counted while swinging backward.

5) Precautions:
(1) The swinging arm exercise should be practiced in a calm mode. Therefore, it should not be started before extreme mental and emotional disturbances, like fury, joy, and anxiety are completely controlled.
(2) The swinging arm exercise should be performed in good weather when outdoors and in a quiet environment with fresh air. It should not be practiced in a bad weather with thunder storms or thick fog.
(3) The swinging arm exercise should be done wearing large and loose-fitting clothes. Before beginning, the neck button should be unbuttoned, the belt loosened, and eyeglasses removed.
(4) For patients with internal organ diseases, the exercise should be practiced gently. But following improvement and increased experience, the exercise may be gradually done more and more vigorously.

(5) During the exercise, some parts of the body may become numb, distended, hot, or aching, and the practitioner may belch, experience abdominal gurgling, or break wind. These are normal responses and an indication of the qi accumulating phenomenon. It is not necessary to either worry about it or purposely induce or seek it. Otherwise, the normal practice of this exercise may be disturbed. In addition, after practicing for several days, a numb, hot or aching sensation may be detected in the soles of the feet. Exercise should nevertheless continue at the same place and in the same posture. Otherwise, the effect of the exercise may be reduced.

(6) Sometimes, the practitioner may make spontaneous swinging movements, without intentional control. This may be allowed to go with the natural tendency of its development. The practitioner has no reason to worry about it or to purposely continue or promptly stop it. If the practitioner felt tired, he (or she) may purposely slow down the spontaneous swinging movement so as to finally stop the movement.

(7) The exercise should be stopped if the practitioner becomes dizzy or has other bodily discomforts. It may be resumed the next day after the discomfort disappears.

(8) After practicing this exercise for a period of time, the appetite, sleep, and physical strength will all be much improved. It may also produce good therapeutic effects for treating Neurasthenia, stomach diseases, frozen shoulder, arthritis, Pulmonary Tuberculosis, Chronic Bronchitis, Asthma; and many also be found to be useful in treating Hypertension (High Blood Pressure), liver diseases and heart diseases, if the patient strictly follows the regulations for practicing this exercise.

4. Playing hand bracelet or hand ball therapy
These hand bracelets and hand balls are small health-maintaining instruments which can produce good effects for improving life quality and maintaining health through the exercise of the hand and stimulation applied to meridians and acupoints. These exercises can remove stagnation from meridians and promote the circulation of qi and blood.

The hand bracelets are rubber wheels that come in large, medium, and small sizes for people with hands in different sizes and there are many granules scattered on their surface. The elastic bracelet may be held in the palm and repeatedly and rhythmically squeezed and released. The granules produce a massage effect to stimulate many acupoints on the palm for promoting the circulation of qi and blood, improving movement of joints, and refreshing mental activities.

The hand balls are paired balls made of rock crystal, stone. glass or metal (stainless steel, bronze or iron) with a smooth surface, also called mother-child or male-female balls. They are manufactured in sizes suitable for all. The balls are nimbly rotated in one or both hands to press and knead the palm acupoints for relaxing muscles, promoting circulation of blood. improving movement of joints, refreshing mental activity, and retarding the aging process. The number of balls rotated in each hand may be gradually increased from two to as many as eight, as the user becomes more skilful. The hand ball exercise may be performed along with elegant gymnastics as a physical exercise and an enjoyment of art, beneficial for both body and mind.