ACUPUNCTURE TECHNIQUE
Blood-letting Technique
INTRODUCTION
Bloodletting is the withdrawal of blood from a patient to prevent or cure
illness and disease. Bloodletting, whether by a physician or by leeches,
was based on an ancient system of medicine in which blood and other
bodily fluids were regarded as “humours (Humorism)” that had to
remain in proper balance to maintain health.
Though bloodletting as a general health measure has been shown to be
pseudoscience, it is still commonly indicated for a wide variety of
conditions in the Ayurvedic, Unani, and traditional Chinese medicine
systems of alternative medicine.
BLOODLETTING IN TCM
It was recored in yellow emperor's internal classic.
Spritual Pivot-Chapter 39-On supercial Venuls
TYPES OF BLOODLETTING IN
TCM
Applicable for acute, heat, and hypertention
Sore throate. Blood letting both hands 少商
Wet cupping
Acupoint bloodletting
WET CUPPING
In this procedure, the skin is
punctured with a lancet or sterile
needles, such as those used for plum
blossom tapping, Wet cupping may be
done with either suction cups or fire
cups.
This technique is used to treat chronic
diseases, such as the frozen shoulder.
It is also can be used to treat shingles.
Shingles, a disease caused by a virus that infects particular nerves and that produces a line or lines of painful red spots, especially around the waist
ACUPOINT BLOODLETTING
Wet cupping is a variation of the procedure where
prior to the cup being placed, your skin is
punctured and blood is drawn out in the suction
process.
This technique mostly good for exogenous febrile
disease.
The common points are DU-14, LU-11, EX-
HN6(⽿尖) and so forth.
BLOODLETTING
ADVERSE EVENTS
PREVENTING CUPPING
ADVERSE EVENTS
There are no overviews of safety or adverse events in English regarding bleeding
therapies.
But in their systematic review on adverse events of auricular therapy, Tan et al. report
on minor infections associated with auricular bloodletting.
The literature does establish that the use of lancets for drawing blood from the heels
of infants for lab testing carries a risk of infection, though rare.
A systematic review of wet cupping for herpes zoster reported no adverse events in
any of the trials. However, there are case reports of infection related to wet cupping.
GENERAL BLOODLETTING
PRECAUTIONS
GENERAL CUPPING
PRECAUTIONS
Warn the client that they may experience pain and
ascertain that the client understood the warning.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) - wear gloves at
all times as blood and OPIM (Other potentially
infectious materials) will be present.
Lancing devices must be limited in use to a single
patient.
GENERAL CUPPING
PRECAUTIONS
Lancets should be used only once and cannot be
reinserted into another site on the same or a different
patient.
Practitioners must take a thorough history, including
bleeding disorders and medication history, before
using bleeding techniques.
Do not bleed in an area of an active skin lesion.
A lesion is an injury or wound to someone's body.
CONTRAINDICATIONS
CONTRAINDICATIONS
those with a weak constitution
those with susceptibility to bleeding (bleeding disorders; those taking anticoagulants)
PRACTICE PROTOCOLS FOR
CUPPING
