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Traditional Chinese Medicine Bloodletting Therapy

Appropriate TCM technical services · Provided within the approved scope of TCM department

What is the Chinese medicine blood-letting therapy?

Traditional Chinese medicine blood-letting therapy (blood-letting by pricking) is a traditional external treatment method of applying minimal blood-letting at specific acupoints or superficial veins, for the purposes of expelling heat and detoxifying, activating blood and reducing swelling, and unblocking collaterals and alleviating pain. It is strictly performed by licensed Chinese medicine practitioners using disposable sterile needles, with the amount of blood-letting usually only a few drops to several tens of drops.

Applicable Population and Common Symptoms

  • Excess heat syndrome: Swelling and pain in the throat, red and swollen eyes, high fever (aid in fever reduction), mouth ulcers
  • Qi stagnation and blood stasis: Local blood stasis, swelling, redness, heat, and pain caused by sprains and contusions
  • Heat-related skin diseases: Acne (red and swollen type), folliculitis, early stages of herpes zoster
  • Headache: Migraine, tension-type headache, hypertensive headache (excess heat type)
  • Arthralgia: Rheumatic joint redness, swelling, heat, and pain, acute lumbar sprain
  • Heatstroke with heat closure: Auxiliary treatment for acute conditions

Mechanism of Action

Blood-letting therapy, by expelling a small amount of stagnant blood, directly removes local heat toxins and blood stasis, reduces congestion and swelling, and improves local microcirculation. From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, blood-letting can release heat and detoxify, activate blood circulation and resolve blood stasis, and unblock meridians, allowing 'pathogens to have an exit'.

Operation method

  • Acupuncture Bloodletting: Select corresponding acupoints (such as the tip of the ear, Shao Shang, Shixuan, etc.) and release a small amount of blood, 3-5 drops
  • Blood Stasis Acupuncture Bloodletting: Perform the procedure on superficial veins with blood stasis
  • Use disposable sterile needles, strictly sterilize, and the specific operation time is determined by the practicing TCM practitioner according to the acupoints and constitution

Precautions

  • Performed by licensed TCM practitioners within the scope of the TCM department, strictly one needle per person
  • Contraindicated for severe anemia, hypotension, bleeding disorders (hemophilia, thrombocytopenia, etc.), and pregnant women
  • Caution for those with weak constitution, excessive hunger, or mental tension
  • After bloodletting, apply an aseptic cotton ball to the local area for a moment to stop the bleeding
  • Avoid water contact with the bloodletting site within 24 hours after the procedure

The content above is for reference only, the specific treatment plan needs to be formulated after the TCM practitioner makes a diagnosis

Licensed TCM Physicians

Fan Li
Fan Li Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Practitioner Assistant Physician
 Wang Zhengxiang
Wang Zhengxiang Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner

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Common Questions

Compiled based on real medical consultation scenarios, please take the face-to-face diagnosis of a practicing Chinese medicine physician as the standard.

Blood-letting therapy sounds terrifying, is it like in TV dramas where a big bowl of blood is let out? Will it cause infection?

Not at all. The actual amount of blood let out in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) blood-letting therapy is usually only a few drops to several tens of drops (compared to the amount of blood drawn for Western medical tests, it is far less than a tube of blood), using disposable sterile needles, strictly disinfected before and after operation, strictly one needle per person, with safety and hygiene standards similar to those of injections and blood tests. The entire process is performed by a licensed TCM practitioner, not the scene of wrist-cutting blood-letting in martial arts novels.

When I eat spicy food and get a sore throat and red eyes, a friend recommended going for blood-letting. Is this reliable?

Reliable - this is the most classic indication of blood-letting therapy: for sore throat with swelling and pain, blood-letting at the Shao Shang acupoint; for red and swollen eyes, blood-letting at the ear apex. This has been used in TCM emergency treatment for over a thousand years. The principle is to drain the local heat-toxin blood, providing an outlet for evil qi, and alleviate severe redness, swelling, heat, and pain locally. However, it is only suitable for real heat type sore throat and red eyes - it can only be operated after assessment by a licensed TCM practitioner.

I heard that someone was cured of a headache with blood-letting. Can I try it for my migraine?

Migraine is within the scope of application for blood-letting therapy, but it requires syndrome differentiation: for the liver-yang excess type (jumping pain, irritability, facial redness), blood-letting at the Taiyang acupoint or ear apex can often quickly alleviate the symptoms; for the qi and blood deficiency type (empty pain, pale complexion, exacerbated after fatigue), blood-letting is not applicable. This is why it is necessary for a licensed TCM practitioner to assess and operate within the scope of TCM departments.

I heard that blood-letting can be used for emergency treatment of stroke. Is this true?

Blood-letting for emergency treatment of stroke is widely spread in the folk, but it needs to be clearly distinguished: blood-letting is one of the traditional TCM emergency measures and may have certain auxiliary effects on conditions like heat stroke. However, acute cerebral stroke (stroke) is a life-threatening emergency - the correct first-time treatment is to immediately call 120 to send to a hospital with stroke treatment capabilities, rather than waiting at home for blood-letting. Every minute delayed results in the death of millions of brain cells. Blood-letting can at most be used as an auxiliary before going to the hospital, and cannot replace emergency treatment. This is very important.

How should the needle hole be cared for after blood-letting? How long can I get it wet?

After blood-letting, use a sterile cotton ball to press for a moment to stop the bleeding. The needle hole is extremely small (the diameter of the needle is only 0.2-0.3mm), and it usually disappears quickly after pressing. Avoid getting the blood-letting area wet for 24 hours after the operation (you can wash your face and take a bath normally, just don't keep the point of blood-letting soaked in water for a long time). If there is local redness, swelling, pain, or persistent bleeding, please contact the clinic in a timely manner.

The above Q&A is compiled based on common medical consultation scenarios.