San Jiu Tie - Prime of Winter Celestial Moxa Patches

         I quoted an introduction to moxa, a.k.a. moxibustion in a blog post three years ago and Prime of Summer Moxa in a blog post in the peak of summer half year ago -- yeah, it's been another half year! I was wearing my wearable winter moxa patch today when a dear friend and classmate, and I can't wait to share the benefits of this home remedy to those of you who might need it! 

         Do you or someone you know suffer from allergies or have chronic illness in the winter?

         San Fu/Jiu Tie is a significant practice of preventive medicine that has been passed down and practiced for generations.

"Does it Work? (enthusiastic YES)
I gave this treatment to some of my regular patients who fit the profile for San Fu Moxa treatment. The benefits I’ve observed this past fall, winter and spring have been nothing short of impressive! So of course I want to share it with all of you." -- from a Canadian TCM practitioner.

        What is San Fu and San Jiu?

San Fu: tripple hottest days, 10 days each starting on the third turn of the sixth Heavenly Stem Day from Summer Solstice, usually in the middle or later of July in the Gregorian calendar;

San Jiu: triple 9 days, which refers to the coldest period counting from Winter Solstice for 9 days each. For winter 2018-2019, the dates for triple 9 days are as follows:

First 9 (一九): 12/22/2018-12/30/2018

Second 9 (二九): 12/31/2018-01/08/2019

Third 9 (三九): 01/09/2019-01/17/2019

           Celestial Moxa - San Fu/Jiu Tie is most ideal for treating winter respiratory conditions such as allergies, asthma, allergic rhinitis, chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, pulmonary emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cold and flu...etc.  It is also suitable for individuals who commonly notice aversion to cold, aversion to wind, or are prone to catching colds frequently during the winter cold seasons.

          To strengthen and consolidate the effects, Celestial Moxa is often repeated on the "San Jiu Days" in the winter to even better treat and/or prevent the above health issues.  The three winter dates are in the three 9-day period in December and January, starting with Winter Solstice. But you don't have to have previous San Fu Tie in the prime of summer in order to have San Jiu Tie now in the prime of winter. You can start Celestial Moxa at either prime, ideally continue the process for 3-5 years to full potential and achieve maximum immune system of your body, or the worst case scenario apply it like me, do it whenever circumstances allow and still feel the lower frequency or severity of problems compared with not applying it. 😂

          San Jiu Tie works as a compliment to the summer San Fu Tie, strengthening the body's Yang energy during its lowest, thereby helping to regulate the immune functions and prevent spring-time ailments such as common cold or allergies.

The San Jiu Tie, Moxibustion refers to moxibustion in the three coldest days of the year. With some pungent Chinese medicine stuck to the corresponding acupuncture points, moxibustion can stimulate the qi inside the body and prevent bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, colds, stomachaches and other maladies. According to the hospitals, the best days for San jiu tian Moxibustion this winter are December 22, 2010, Dec. 31, Jan. 9, 2011, and Jan. 18.

According Dr. Yang Nan of the Department of Neurology at Zhongshan Hospital, the number of people coming to undergo moxibustion has been growing every year. Moxibustion is helpful for warming the yang and nourishing the qi, tonifying the spleen, kidney and the lung, expelling winds and clearing away the cold to reduce the pain of diseases, prevent the onset of disease and create the best physical conditions to make it through the winter.

Who Should Check it Out

  If you are the type of person to struggle with asthma, seasonal allergies, sinusitis or just seem to be particularly vulnerable to every passing cold (all that coughing!), San Fu/Jiu Moxa is for you. But more than these few mentioned, moxibustion treatment is widely suitable for patients of the following categories:

1. cough and asthma diseases: allergic rhinitis, asthma, bronchitis 

2. painful diseases: cervical spondylosis, pain in waist and lower extremities, frozen shoulder, osteoarthritis, myofascitis 

3. gastrointestinal diseases: chronic gastroenteritis, diarrhea, dyspepsia 

4. gynecological diseases: irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea, chronic pelvic inflammatory disease, annexitis 

5. people with weak immune system or sub-optimal health: easy to catch colds, sleep disorder, easy to be fatigue, poor mental state

People who want to undergo this treatment can tell their doctors or us their problems, and the doctors or we will tell you how to apply the medicine to different acupuncture points according to the symptoms.

What other specific details that I may need to be aware of?

        It is expected at the site of herbal patch application show mild signs of inflammation. They are redness, heat, swelling, and pain.

        The general application duration for adults is 2 ~ 6 hours, while for children it is 0.5 ~ 2 hours. To clean up any residue on the skin, please gently rinse with clean water and avoid cleansers that may irritate the skin. (Apply moisturizing, anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory cream as needed.)

         Patient should refrain from strenuous activities, perspiration, and direct exposure to drafts or air-conditioning while patches are on the back. Throughout the treatment course of the three consecutive sessions: cold, raw, greasy, and salty foods should be avoided as they may reduce treatment effect; cigarettes, alcohol, seafood, spiciness, taro, peanuts, beef and lamb should also be avoided to prevent stimulation of blisters forming.

         For patients who are weak or chronically ill, the dosage should be lowered and duration should be kept shorter – special attention should be taken to observe any condition changes or adverse reactions.

         For individuals who are allergic to adhesives, medical bandages or gauze can be used instead.

         For some patients, the site of application may sometimes retain hyper-pigmentation and look slightly darker for a short period of time.

Sources (other than existing knowledge of Chinese Medicine):

http://en.chinaculture.org/focus/focus/2010dongzhi/2010-12/22/content_402232.htm

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4537715/
http://thechanhealingcentre.ca/winter-herbal-patch/

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