Acupuncture techniques for food retention

  Since infants and young children have imperfectly developed digestive functions, once they do not eat properly, they are prone to accumulate food, triggering uncomfortable reactions such as vomiting, stomach pain, fever, anorexia, cough, diarrhea and constipation.  If a child has bad breath in the morning, thick and greasy tongue, dry red lips or burning in the palms of hands, feet and abdomen at night, or if a child under 3 years old has thickened veins in the index finger, it is likely to have accumulated food.  When a baby has symptoms of food accumulation, parents can first give their child food accumulation massage at home to help eliminate food and clear heat.  Pinch and rub the four transverse lines 20 times: The four transverse lines are located at the transverse lines on the flexor side of the metacarpophalangeal joints of the index, middle, ring, and little fingers, and this point is pinched and rubbed one by one with the thumbnail.  Rub the Banmen point for 3 minutes: the Banmen point is located on the top surface of the large fissure on the palm side of the hand and is pressed with the end of the thumb finger.  Clear Tianheshui for 3 minutes: push along the midline of the baby’s left upper limb (i.e., the middle part of the arm on the palm side) from the wrist joint to the elbow joint, 150 – 200 times per minute.  5 minutes of abdominal massage: use the index, middle, ring and pinky fingers or palm against the baby’s entire abdomen for 3 minutes of clockwise circular stroking, and then 2 minutes of counterclockwise circular stroking.