Urticaria, also known as hives, is a skin disorder characterised by superficial pale-red skin swelling that lasts anything from a few minutes to one day. It usually causes itching, but may also burn or sting. It can appear anywhere on the body, and may vary in size and shape.In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), a pathogenic factor described as wind is believed to be the main culprit for a lot of skin conditions. This wind can be described as either hot or cold (wind-heat or wind-cold ) depending on the level of heat (or inflammatory) signs/ symptoms present at the time of diagnosis. Internally, long-term psychological depression, stress or chronic disease may weaken the immune system ( also often seen in elderly patients ) leading to insufficient Qi and blood ( think energy or nutrients ) to nourish the skin and to protect the body against this pathogenic wind invasion.
In TCM – Urticaria has been effectively treated for centuries using a combination of dietary adjustment and herbal medications, often combined with other modalities such acupuncture, and cupping to strength the body’s immune system, and ability to provide nutrients and protection to the surface of the body.
Traditionally the umbilicus area in TCM is thought to be heavily related to the body’s inherited immune and protective energies. Here in this video an ancient cupping technique, that is applied directly to the umbilical area is shown. Firstly the cup is applied to the area in rapid succession to help remove this pathogenic wind from the surface of the body. Then the cup is often retained for several minutes to stimulate these protective energies. This process is often repeated several times until the patient become aware of an increased sense warmth and comfort through out the entire body.
