Case Study of Treating Cough with Massage in Children

Due to their incomplete development, children are easily infected by bacteria. For example, throat diseases are susceptible to them. Coughing is also a common phenomenon in children. Generally, a cold is accompanied by a cough. How can children treat cough problems? Children are more resistant to medication, so massage is more suitable for treating children's coughs. Let's take a look at the cases and details of pediatric massage for cough treatment.

1. Case

Case 1: Ms. Li, female, 2 years old, diagnosed on December 6, 1991. Chief complaint: Cough for 4 days. Medical history: The child started coughing after taking a bath 4 days ago, and had nasal congestion, clear runny nose, phlegm in the throat, decreased appetite, and restless sleep. The parents fed their child strong Yinqiao tablets and cough syrup but they were ineffective, so they came to our hospital for treatment. Examination: The child coughs with sputum, has clear nasal discharge, slightly red throat, rough breath sounds in the lungs, and red fingerprints. Diagnosis: Wind-cold exogenous infection, failure of lung to clear and purify. The treatment is to dispel wind and relieve exterior symptoms, promote lung function and relieve cough.

Prescription: Exercise Nei Bagua for 10 minutes, rub Ershanmen 100 times, push Sanguan 100 times, open Tianmen 30 times, push Kan Palace 30 times, rub Taiyang 30 times, rub Yingxiang 30 times, rub the root of the breast 30 times, rub the side of the breast 30 times, rub Tanzhong 50 times, massage the abdomen for 5 minutes, press and rub Zusanli 50 times, rub Feishu 50 times, and pinch the spine 3 times.

Meaning of the prescription: Open Tianmen, push Kan Palace, and rub Taiyang to dispel wind and relieve exterior symptoms; rub Yingxiang to promote lung qi and open the nasal passages; rub Rugen, Rubian, Tanzhong, and Feishu to promote lung qi, relieve cough and resolve phlegm; rub Ershanmen and push Sanguan to induce sweating and relieve exterior symptoms; move Nei Bagua to expand the chest, regulate qi, relieve stagnation and aid digestion; massage the abdomen, press and rub Zusanli, and pinch the spine to strengthen the spleen and aid digestion, strengthen the physique, and enhance the resistance of children. 1 time/day, symptoms will improve after 2 times, and disappear after 5 times.

Case 2: Chen, female, 5 years old, diagnosed on March 2, 1998. Chief complaint: Cough for 2 months. Medical history: The child was weak, had poor appetite and was thin. The patient started coughing due to a cold 2 months ago. He had taken symptomatic treatment with Western medicine but it was ineffective. His cough was persistent and difficult to cure, so he came to our hospital for treatment. Examination: fatigue, pale complexion, cough with abundant white and thin sputum, dry and wet rales can be heard in the lungs, and fingerprints are red. Syndrome differentiation: Deficiency of lung and spleen qi, excessive phlegm and dampness in the body. The treatment is to strengthen the spleen and nourish the lungs, relieve cough and resolve phlegm.

Prescription: Move Nei Bagua for 10 minutes, nourish the spleen meridian 100 times, nourish the lung meridian 100 times, push the small horizontal lines 100 times, rub the small horizontal lines of the palm 100 times, rub Tiantu 10 times, rub the base of the breast 30 times, rub the side of the breast 30 times, rub Tanzhong 50 times, rub Zhongwan (wǎn) 100 times, massage the abdomen for 5 minutes, press and rub Zusanli 50 times, rub Fenglong 50 times, rub the lung point (shù) to achieve heat, and pinch the spine 3 times.

Meaning of the prescription: Tonify the spleen meridian and the lung meridian to tonify the spleen and lung qi deficiency; rub Tiantu, the root of the breast, the side of the breast, and Tanzhong to expand the chest and regulate qi, relieve cough and resolve phlegm; operate the inner eight trigrams to expand the chest and benefit the diaphragm, regulate qi and resolve phlegm, and relieve stagnation and digest food; rub Zhongwan, massage the abdomen, press and rub Zusanli, pinch the spine to strengthen the spleen and replenish qi, remove dampness and resolve phlegm, and strengthen the body; rub Fenglong to resolve phlegm and dampness; rub the lung point to replenish qi; push the small horizontal lines and rub the small horizontal lines on the palm to treat dry and wet rales in the lungs. 1 time/day, symptoms begin to improve after 3 times, symptoms disappear after 10 times, consolidation treatment for 1 week.

2. Experience

Children's coughs are divided into exogenous coughs, internal injury coughs and coughs caused by a combination of internal and external evils. Because children have a pure yang body (rapid growth and development), their spleen is often insufficient. Spleen deficiency can lead to poor appetite and malnutrition. Impaired spleen function can produce phlegm and dampness, making coughs lingering and difficult to cure. As the saying goes, "the spleen is the source of phlegm, and the lungs are the container of phlegm." Therefore, no matter what type of cough, the spleen and stomach of the child should be taken into consideration during pediatric massage. The above two prescriptions both involve massaging the abdomen, pinching the spine, and pressing the Zusanli acupoint, which is exactly what they mean. Running the inner eight trigrams can expand the chest and benefit the diaphragm, regulate qi and resolve phlegm, and relieve stagnation and aid digestion. It can not only promote lung function, relieve cough and resolve phlegm, but also strengthen the spleen, aid digestion and relieve stagnation. It has a good regulating effect on the spleen and lung functions. Therefore, regardless of whether it is an exogenous cough or an internal injury cough, it should be the focus of this operation.

Pediatric massage is relatively effective in treating cough. Parents can let their children try it. Maybe it is effective in alleviating their symptoms. Children are often accompanied by minor illnesses. Parents should not worry too much, but they cannot ignore it either. They still need to pay attention to their children's health, so as to help them grow more healthily.