Acute myocardial infarction is as fierce as a tiger, and acupuncture and moxibustion in traditional Chinese medicine are skillful in prevention and treatment

On February 8, 2017, Li Bo, deputy general manager of Tuniu Tourism Reservation Center, died of acute myocardial infarction at the age of 44. Aring Zhang, founder of Chunyu Pocket Doctor’s mobile client, Luo Yang, chairman of AVIC Shen Fei Group, Li Ming, chairman of Pony Pentium Group, Ma Ji, a famous comic actor, Gao Xiumin and other public figures all died of acute myocardial infarction. In recent years, the incidence of myocardial infarction has increased year by year, and the age of onset has decreased year by year. It is not an exaggeration to say that "acute myocardial infarction is as fierce as a tiger".

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Acute myocardial infarction, what do western medicine and Chinese medicine think?

Western medicine believes that the coronary artery is an artery that provides nutrients to the heart. When acute and persistent ischemia and hypoxia occurs in the coronary artery, it leads to myocardial necrosis, which is acute myocardial infarction. Before the onset of acute myocardial infarction, there are often precursor symptoms such as fatigue, chest discomfort, palpitation after exercise, shortness of breath, irritability, angina pectoris, etc. The clinical manifestations are persistent severe pain behind the sternum, fever, increased white blood cell count and markers of myocardial necrosis, and progressive changes in electrocardiogram, which may be accompanied by arrhythmia, shock and heart failure, which may be life-threatening in severe cases.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that acute myocardial infarction belongs to the category of "chest obstruction" and "true heartache", and the disease is located in the heart. Due to the deficiency of yang, internal injury of seven emotions, qi stagnation and blood stasis, overeating and sweetness, fatigue and spleen injury, cold and dampness invasion, blood stasis and other reasons, the heart pulse is blocked and chest pain (angina pectoris) occurs. In severe cases, some heart pulses are suddenly blocked, and the blood circulation is interrupted, which is life-threatening.

Acute myocardial infarction, what are the reasons?

The basic cause of acute myocardial infarction is coronary atherosclerosis, which narrows the lumen of one or more blood vessels and leads to insufficient blood supply to the myocardium. On this basis, if the unstable atherosclerotic plaque in the blood vessel breaks, it will bleed and form thrombus; Or the coronary artery continues to spasm, making the coronary artery lumen occluded, which will induce acute myocardial infarction. In addition, the causes of acute myocardial infarction are as follows:

1. After overeating, blood lipids will increase, blood viscosity will also increase, and the local blood flow velocity of coronary artery will slow down, which will induce thrombosis and lead to acute myocardial infarction.

2. Excessive physical labor, intense emotional changes, forced defecation, sudden increase in blood pressure, major surgery, infection, shock, and tachycardia lasting for a long time may all lead to the rupture of vascular plaques and induce acute myocardial infarction.

3. Being stimulated by cold or smoking and drinking heavily will excite sympathetic nerves, increase myocardial oxygen consumption, accelerate coronary artery contraction and reduce myocardial blood supply, leading to myocardial ischemia and induce acute myocardial infarction.

Acute myocardial infarction, acupuncture three-level intervention "prevention of disease"

Huangdi Neijing says that "true heartache" means "sudden onset and sudden death", which means that the condition of acute myocardial infarction is threatening, and the time from onset to death is very short. Sun Simiao, a doctor in the Tang Dynasty, said: "The disease that the doctor did not get sick, the disease that the doctor wanted to get sick, and the disease that the doctor got sick", so prevention and health care is particularly important.

Traditional Chinese medicine has emphasized the importance of preventing diseases since ancient times, and acupuncture, as an important part of traditional Chinese medicine, has obvious advantages and characteristics in this respect and is an indispensable means of treating diseases before they occur.

In view of the three stages of acute myocardial infarction, namely, not getting sick, wanting to get sick and getting sick, acupuncture-based three-level intervention can keep people away from acute myocardial infarction.

1. First-level intervention-keeping healthy before illness and preventing diseases first.

Prevention before illness includes prevention and health care for healthy people and key protection for certain age groups. For the prevention of acute myocardial infarction, we can often moxibustion Guanyuan and Zusanli points, which has the effect of tonifying and strengthening, enriching the body’s vital qi and preventing the invasion of pathogenic factors.

(1) Guanyuan point

Guanyuan point is a small intestine recruitment point. Frequent moxibustion at Guanyuan point can keep warm and strengthen Yuanyang and maintain health.

Location: in the lower abdomen, 3 inches in the middle and lower umbilicus, and on the front median line.

(2) Zusanli point

As the old saying goes, "Often moxibustion at Zusanli is better than eating an old hen". Moxibustion on Zusanli can make qi and blood biochemical active, enhance the function of defending the outside world and improve the immunity of the body.

Positioning: on the outside of the calf, 3 inches below the calf nose, 1 horizontal finger outside the anterior tibial crest, and the calf nose is connected with Jiexi.

2, secondary intervention-want to save the disease, prevent the delay.

Desire for disease refers to the fact that the body is pregnant with pathological information or the body is still in the embryonic stage of onset, and people with premonitory symptoms and high-risk groups of disease can carry out secondary intervention. About half of the patients with acute myocardial infarction have prodromal symptoms such as fatigue, chest discomfort, palpitation after exercise, shortness of breath, irritability and angina pectoris a few days before the onset. Acupoint massage in traditional Chinese medicine is an important means to prevent and treat diseases, which can alleviate the precursor symptoms of myocardial infarction to some extent.

(1) Ningxin Anshen Neiguan point

If you feel flustered and chest tightness, you can try pressing Neiguan point. Neiguan point belongs to the collateral point of pericardium meridian of hand jueyin. Pressing this point has the effects of calming the heart, calming the nerves, calming the pain, regulating qi and regulating the stomach.

Positioning: It is located in the forearm anterior region, 2 inches above the wrist palmar distal transverse striation, between the palmar longus tendon and the radial wrist flexor tendon.

(2) Shanzhong point with wide chest and regulating qi

If you have symptoms of chest tightness, shortness of breath and shortness of breath, you can try rubbing Hanzhong point, which is the recruitment point of pericardium. Pressing can regulate qi and dissipate blood stasis, dredge meridians and collaterals, and promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis.

Positioning: on the chest, across the fourth intercostal space, on the anterior midline.

(3) regulating qi and activating blood and heart Shu points

If you feel palpitation, you can massage Xinshu point, which is the back Shu point of the heart. Pressing it can benefit the heart, regulate the heart, help the heart and yang, and dispel cold evil.

Positioning: 1.5 inches was opened in the spinal region, under the spinous process of the fifth thoracic vertebra and beside the posterior midline.

(4) Nourishing Shenmen Point of Heart Qi

If you feel tired and weak, you can press Shenmen point, which is the original point of the heart meridian of hand shaoyin, and pressing it can replenish your heart.

Location: in the anterior carpal region, the ulnar end of the wrist palmar distal transverse striation, and the radial end of the ulnar wrist flexor tendon.

Operation method of acupoint pressing: press and knead the acupoints with the thumb pulp for 2 ~ 3 minutes, and then press the acupoints with the thumb tip, and gradually exert downward force for 30 seconds, once a day.

3. Three-level intervention-post-seizure adjustment to prevent recurrence.

In the stage of disease rehabilitation, it is necessary to take consolidated treatment or preventive measures in advance to prevent the recurrence of the disease. Acupoint application can play an important role in the prognosis and rehabilitation of acute myocardial infarction.

(1) acupoint application at Shenque point to prevent constipation.

Constipation is an important cause of acute myocardial infarction, so it is very important to prevent constipation from recurring. A number of clinical studies have shown that different Chinese medicines are given according to the patient’s physique, and honey or ginger juice is added after grinding, and it is applied to Shenque point to treat constipation.

Acupoint location: in the umbilical region, in the center of the umbilical region.

(1) Acupoint application at Yongquan point controls hypertension.

Essential hypertension is one of the factors inducing acute myocardial infarction, so controlling blood pressure is an important part to prevent the recurrence of acute myocardial infarction. The research shows that grinding Evodia rutaecarpa into fine powder, adjusting it to paste with vinegar and applying it to Yongquan point of both feet has a good antihypertensive effect.

Acupoint location: On the sole of the foot, the most depressed part of the foot center is about the first third of the connecting line between the webbed edges of the second and third toes of the sole and the heel.

Acute myocardial infarction, what else should we pay attention to?

1, in daily life, we should pay attention to develop good living habits and eating habits:

(1) Work and rest should be regular: don’t stay up late, sleep for 8 hours every night and take a nap for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

(2) Appropriate physical exercise: exercise for half an hour to one and a half hours every day, mainly with moderate intensity exercise. It should be noted that if you have chest discomfort during exercise, you must stop exercising and have a rest. If the discomfort worsens, you should seek medical advice immediately.

(3) Avoid intense mood swings: At ordinary times, we should pay attention to avoid strong mood swings such as excessive happiness, anger and sadness.

(4) Pay attention to cold and warmth: In winter, for the elderly who have the habit of morning exercise, it is best to arrange the exercise after sunrise or in the afternoon.

(5) Low-salt and low-fat light diet: the daily salt intake should be less than 6 grams, and rapeseed oil should be used as cooking oil to avoid eating animal viscera with high cholesterol.

(6) Quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption: Quit smoking and control alcohol intake. It is better for men to drink no more than 25g and women to drink no more than 15g.

(7) Don’t overeat: We should adhere to the principle of "eating on time, giving priority to lightness, being full for seven or eight minutes, and taking a walk after meals".

2. If the symptoms of acute myocardial infarction, such as chest tightness and chest pain, are still not relieved after some interventions, first aid measures should be taken in time; In case of respiratory and cardiac arrest, cardiopulmonary resuscitation should be implemented as soon as possible and admitted to hospital immediately.

3, after acute myocardial infarction, be sure to follow the doctor’s advice for regular review and scientific drug treatment. (Liu Xia、Dai Guobin)

This article is written by the School of Acupuncture and Massage, Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.professorChang Xiaorong conducts scientific checks.

Contributed by "reaching the doctor and caring for him"