I Can Hear the Heart's Voice of Traditional Chinese Medicine-Chapter 248 - 112: Mountain Burning Fire, Heart-piercing Cold (Part 2)

"How does it feel?"

"There's a feeling of soreness and distension, not as direct as the lifting and rotating," Lu Xuan expressed his sensation.

Zhou Jiande nodded with a smile and continued to take out an acupuncture needle, tapping it into Lu Xuan's thigh: "This is the 'Scraping Handle Technique.' After the needle has been inserted and Qi is obtained, use the thumb or index and middle finger to press against the tail of the needle, and frequently scrape the needle handle up and down using the index finger or thumbnail. This method can enhance the needle sensation and cause it to spread."

"I can clearly feel a spreading soreness around the acupoint, and the soreness is more intense compared to lifting and rotating. This technique should enhance the acupuncture treatment effect, right?"

"Indeed, it can enhance the treatment effect, but there's one thing you probably already know: faster is not always better. Acupuncture also requires adapting the technique to the situation. Fast when it needs to be fast, slow when it needs to be slow."

While they were talking, Zhou Jiande completed the second needle and started the third one. After inserting the needle, he lightly flicked the needle handle with his finger: "The 'Flicking Handle Technique.' After inserting the needle to a certain depth in the acupoint, lightly flick the needle handle with the index finger. In 'Acupuncture Inquiry,' there's a saying: 'If the Qi does not move, lightly flick the needle to accelerate Qi flow... Thus, flicking induces Qi movement.

This method is generally used when there is insufficient Qi. Too much Qi is not good, and too little Qi is not good either, so the practitioner needs to choose the appropriate technique according to the situation, which you should know without me having to say it.

The 'Shaking Handle Technique' is also used to enhance the needle sensation. After inserting the needle to a certain depth in the acupoint, shaking the needle handle by hand can enhance the needle sensation. In 'Acupuncture Inquiry,' it says: 'Shake to move Qi,' indicating that the shaking technique functions to move Qi. Additionally, the shaking technique can also serve as an auxiliary technique for dispersing, by enlarging the needle hole during withdrawal to expel evil Qi.

The 'Trembling Technique' involves inserting the needle to a certain depth in the acupoint, holding the needle handle, and performing rapid, small-scale lifting or rotating, causing the needle body to produce slight tremors, which promote Qi acquisition or enhance needle sensation."

After Zhou Jiande introduced the five auxiliary techniques, Lu Xuan's thigh already had five acupuncture needles inserted.

A while later, Zhou Jiande removed the acupuncture needles.

After removing the needles, Zhou Jiande was about to let Lu Xuan have a try when a middle-aged woman holding a registration slip walked in, so Zhou Jiande had to give up and asked the woman, "Where is the discomfort?"

The woman came in and said, "Dr. Zhou, my lower back has been hurting a lot, and I'm very sensitive to cold. Whenever the office air conditioning is on, the pain becomes unbearable. Initially, I just felt a bit of coldness and not much pain, but later, the pain also started on the left side. These days, the pain has become really unbearable, so I thought of consulting you."

"How long have you been experiencing the back pain?" Zhou Jiande glanced at her.

The woman thought for a moment and said, "It should be three or four years, but I can't remember exactly. But definitely three or four years."

Zhou Jiande stepped forward: "Lift the clothes on the left side of your waist a bit."

The woman looked at the people around her, hesitated for a moment, but still lifted her clothes.

Zhou Jiande touched her waist, noting the tense muscles and cold sensation.

As Zhou Jiande withdrew his hand, the woman asked, "Dr. Zhou, what exactly is wrong with me? I can't stand any cold at all. In the office with the air conditioning on, everyone is wearing short sleeves, but I have to wrap my waist with a light blanket, or it hurts more."

"Cold Obstruction."

Zhou Jiande explained, "The cold has invaded your lower back, obstructing the Yang Qi. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, there's a saying: 'If it moves, it doesn't hurt; if it hurts, it doesn't move.' The cold congeals in the back, which will definitely cause pain. Naturally, you should avoid the cold. The more you are exposed to cold, the more the cold congeals."

"Can acupuncture help?"

Zhou Jiande didn't reply but instead turned to look at Lu Xuan, who was deep in thought: "Dr. Lu, how do you think acupuncture should be used in this situation?" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"Mountain Burning Fire," Lu Xuan thought for a moment and gave his answer.

Zhou Jiande nodded slightly, sharing the same idea as Lu Xuan.

In acupuncture treatment for cold conditions, the best approach is using Mountain Burning Fire.

Anyone who learns acupuncture knows about Mountain Burning Fire.

Acupuncture mastery, Mountain Burning Fire, and a corresponding technique called Heart-piercing Cold exist.

"I didn't expect Dr. Lu to have heard of Mountain Burning Fire too."

Lu Xuan smiled without confirming or denying it; acupuncture mastery is known even by those who don't study acupuncture.

Moreover, the famous acupuncture techniques "Mountain Burning Fire" and "Heaven-piercing Cold" have garnered much attention and sparked heated discussions in recent years.

The documentation of the "Mountain Burning Fire" and "Heaven-piercing Cold" techniques, according to existing materials, dates back to Xu Feng's 'Golden Needle Poem' from the Ming Dynasty. Subsequent mentions can be found in books like 'Acupuncture Elite,' 'Acupuncture Inquiry,' 'Medical Introduction,' and 'Great Achievement in Acupuncture.'

But due to the insufficient detail in the 'Golden Needle Poem,' later practitioners have held different perspectives, leading to disagreement.

"Speaking of acupuncture mastery, these two techniques should originate from the 'Golden Needle Poem'." As an acupuncture master, Zhou Jiande also researched the 'Golden Needle Poem.'

"I don't remember the content of the 'Golden Needle Poem' very clearly." He then sighed.

There are so many Chinese Medicine acupuncture books that even though he spent decades researching all kinds of acupuncture books, it's hard to exhaust them. Even someone with an excellent memory can only remember so much.

Trying to remember everything is something almost no one can do.

Just as Zhou Jiande finished speaking, he heard Lu Xuan saying, "One says Mountain Burning Fire, treating Cold Obstruction, starting shallow then going deep, using Nine Yang with Three Advances and Three Retreats, Slow Lifting and Tight Pressing, heat to a close insertion, accurately eliminating cold."