Where should I apply moxibustion to a child with a cough?

Many children often catch colds and may even cough because babies nowadays do not exercise regularly, so their immunity is relatively low. Children's colds and coughs can be treated with moxibustion, which can treat the symptoms of colds and coughs very well and quickly. However, you must choose the right acupoints when doing moxibustion, otherwise it may lead to counterproductive effects. Let’s take a look at where to apply moxibustion when a child has a cough.

1. Cough Classification

There are two types of coughs in medicine: exogenous cough and endogenous cough. Exogenous coughs often have a short course, are accompanied by external symptoms, and are mostly real symptoms; internal injury coughs often have a slow onset and a longer course, are often accompanied by internal symptoms of varying degrees, and often show a change in symptoms from real to false.

2. Principles of TCM in treating cough

Exogenous cough is usually caused by strong evil qi but not weak righteous qi. Treatment should focus on dispersing the external evil and promoting the flow of lung qi. Once the evil is gone, the righteous qi will be at peace. It is not advisable to use bitter, cold, greasy, astringent, or antitussive drugs too early to avoid retaining the evil.

For internal injury cough, we should identify which organ is affected and prescribe medicine according to the symptoms. For those with excessive phlegm, the phlegm should be resolved to clear the lung qi. Depending on whether the phlegm is hot or damp, the heat-clearing and phlegm-resolving or the dampness-drying and phlegm-resolving should be given respectively. In the later stage, the main focus is on nourishing the lungs, with the methods of moistening the lungs and nourishing yin and strengthening the spleen and nourishing the lungs.

3. Moxibustion acupoint method for treating cough

Main points: Feishu, Dazhui, Fengmen and Tiantu.

Acupoint combination: For excessive phlegm, add Pishu and Fenglong; for deficiency of both spleen and kidney, add Pishu, Shenshu and Zusanli; for deficiency of lung qi, add Feishu, Taiyuan and Gaomang; for exogenous infection, add Shenzhu and Fengchi.

Moxibustion:

1. Mild moxibustion: 10-20 minutes per acupoint, 2-3 words per day, 5-7 times as a course of treatment;

2. Ginger moxibustion: moxa cones as big as jujube kernels, 5 to 7 moxa cones per acupoint, once every other day, 10 days as a course of treatment;

3. Moxibustion with garlic: moxa cones as big as jujube kernels, 5 to 7 moxa cones per acupoint, once every other day, once a day for acute and severe cases, 10 days as a course of treatment;

4. Blistering moxibustion: Use a piece of banao powder as big as rice grains, place it on the lung, spleen and liver points, fix it with adhesive tape, and remove the adhesive tape after about 12 to 24 hours. Small blisters will appear and allow them to be absorbed naturally. If it has ruptured, apply gentian violet. This method is suitable for the attack period of chronic cough.