Doctor Yu’s Clinical Notes VI: The Effects of Taichong Point to Depression | 太冲穴对忧郁症的妙用

The people of Vancouver are lucky: the city is like a diamond set between dense forests, beautiful mountain range, nice beach, vast sea line; this place is a center of multi-culture, and the people live in a fair, friendly and peaceful society. Vancouver is no doubt one of top livable city in the world. However there is a flaw in a perfect gem: the weather. After October is the raining season, and the daylight rapidly becomes rare. The sunsets at 4 pm every day and many people becomes unhappy, or even depressed for no reason.

I worked 15 years in China, but I did not have much experience in treating depression back then. In fact I had only knowledge from text books, and had only seen patients of this condition when I was studying with my teachers. I did not have experience in thoroughly treating depression. However, after I came to Vancouver I have been seeing many depression and anxiety patients especially in fall and winter every year. Thus I have gained much experience in treating these problems.

Many such patients came to my clinic not just because of the season. Besides season, there were many causes such as family problem, work problem, new immigrants’ problem. However, most of the patients had the same symptom: unhappy, lazy, fatigue, irritability, self-loathing, panic, insomnia, hypersomnia, various degrees of diarrhea, liquid feces, constipation, hardened feces, cold hands and feet, frequent urination, stiffness on the neck, shoulder, or back, unexplained aches and pains, feeling helpless, dry or bitter tongue, acid reflux, hair loss, headache, etc.

According to years of observation, these patients all have problem of weak qi or blocked qi. Therefore, the treatment should be concentrated on strengthening the qi and restoring the circulation of the qi. For this reason, the taichong point is a must for the treatment---taichong point is related to the liver, and liver in the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine is an important organ in control of the qi.

Taichong is the prime point on the liver meridian, acting as the gateway of the qi of liver meridian. Therefore this point is extremely important---it can facilitate the qi of liver, and strengthen the blood of liver. In practice it has these functions: 1. Protect the liver; 2. Release fatigue, especially fatigue of eyes and relieve dry eyes; 3. Relive problems associated with menstruation, such as pre-menstruation breast distending pain, lower abdominal pain, and irregular menstruation. It can also strengthen sexual performance of men; 4. Relieve back pain, rib pain, and sciatica; 5. Relieve all emotion related problems; 6. Treat stomachache, especially the anger inspired cases, and acid reflux.

There are a large number of diseases that taichong point can help with. They can be sorted in two categories: diseases related to the liver, and emotion related problems.

We doctors can use acupuncture and other certain method to stimulate this point for best results, but everyone achieve good results by consistently massaging this point.

Here are some suggestions to people suffering from depression: 1. do not drink ice-cold drink, instead try hot drink with ginger and cinnamon; 2. in the winter try to sleep earlier and more, and exercise daily for 20 to 30 minutes till sweating lightly. The recommended light exercises are: Jogging, walking, stretching, and yoga. Stretching and yoga are very good to relieve bad emotion, and lightly sweating exercises are good to restore the circulation of qi.

Hope you have a happy and healthy winter!

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我原来在中国工作了十五年，并没有太多治疗忧郁症的经验，只是跟老师学习的时候见过，以及在书上看到过，基本没有完整的治疗忧郁症的经验。自从来到温哥华，尤其在秋冬季就开始有不断的忧郁症、焦虑症的病人来求诊。经过这十年的积累，我也渐渐总结出一些治疗此类疾病的心得。

很多来求治的病人，他们的病因并不都是与季节相关。有各种各样的原因，如家庭因素、工作因素、新移民问题、季节因素等等。不过，好多人都有共同的症状：不开心、懒、精力不足、易发脾气、爱思考、爱焦虑、失眠、或睡中多梦、醒后乏力、大便多稀或不成形、少数便秘或不爽、手足多发冷、小便多、颈肩背僵硬，身体多处可出现不适或疼痛、爱叹气，有的口干发苦、吐酸水、脱发、头痛，等等。

后来我总结这类的病人多为气虚气郁，那么治疗上亦以补气、行气、化郁为主要的原则，因此太冲穴是我必取的一个穴位。因为中医从古至今都认为肝脏是一个调节人体气的主要器官，人体气的运行失调是引起各种疾病的重要因素。当然也包括各类情志性病，如忧郁症等。

太冲穴是肝经的原穴，是肝经元气所出入的地方，因此它的作用就非常大了，具有行肝气、补肝血的功能。在具体疾病上范围也很大：第一有保护肝脏的功能；第二有缓解疲劳尤其是眼睛疲劳，干涩的功能；第三，有调节月经的功能，尤其对经前期乳房胀痛、腹痛、月经忽前忽后有效，还可以增强男性性功能；第四，可用于腰痛、胁肋痛、坐骨神经痛；第五，各类情志性疾病；第六：胃痛，特别是生气后加重的，有吞酸水情况的人士。

细细推敲一下，太冲可治的病数不胜数，但基本可归纳为两点：1.与肝有关的各类疾病；2.与情志有关的各类疾病。

当然，医生可以用针灸和特定手法来刺激这个穴位达到治疗效果。其他人则可以通过长期的按摩这两个穴位来享受这个上天赋予我们的天然治愈工具。

同时我还建议心情不好的病人：1.不要喝冷饮，多用加了姜或肉桂的热饮；2.在秋冬季要早睡晚起，每天要适当地运动20-30分钟左右，以微出汗的运动为主：如慢跑，走路，拉筋，瑜伽等。瑜伽和拉筋对缓解情绪有很好的帮助，微出汗对散结郁气的帮助亦很的确。

最后祝大家都能渡过一个愉快健康的冬季。