When a person possesses inadequate amounts of red blood cells in his body needed to provide oxygen to other cells, then he/she is suffering from a condition called anemia. It is a health issue whose typical symptom is tiredness, which happens due to the body’s inability to function at normal levels. This tiredness symptom oftentimes gives anemia the monicker “tired blood.” Anemia has many types from mild to extremely serious and it may last for short amounts of time or endure for a lifetime. In allopathic medicine, treatment for this condition is based on the type of anemia the patient has. Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture, avail of various kinds of exercises, herbal formulas, acupuncture or other complementary and alternative types of modalities to resolve anemia.

Anemia is determined by the following symptoms:

Muscle cramps
Shortness of breath and headache, particularly after exercising
Inability to concentrate
Dizziness
Pale skin

Different forms of anemia are caused by different factors. Sickle-cell anemia, for example, is due to a genetic disorder that causes the body to produce abnormally shaped red blood cells (RBCs). Also, these RBCs usually tend to clump together in the bloodstream, generating symptoms like susceptibility to infection, poor muscular development and pain in the joints. Another type of anemia called iron-deficiency anemia is the result of low iron level in the blood. Some other forms of anemia include thalassemia, hemolytic anemia, vitamin-deficiency anemia and aplastic anemia.

How Is Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Used to Treat Anemia?

For doctors of allopathic medicine, each type of anemia (thalassemia, hemolytic anemia, vitamin-deficiency anemia and aplastic anemia) is believed to be generated by different causes and so each type is treated with different kinds of treatment. TCM and acupuncture practitioners, on the other hand, theorize that anemia of all types are signs that the vital energy (qi) flow (vital energy is the energy flowing in the body that makes the body healthy) has waned or become blocked and/or that the body is not producing enough amounts of good quality blood. These practitioners try to address this problem by using different techniques to enable the organs to produce better quality and more blood as well as to restore the flow of qi. What treatment to be used will be based on the manifested symptoms of the patient.

Acupuncture for Anemia

One treatment modality of TCM is acupuncture. Acupuncture therapy involves the use of very thin and long needles that are inserted at specific points below the skin. These needles help restore good flow of qi all over the body. In treating anemia, the energy vessels where qi travels called meridians are inserted with needles. Meridians associated with the spleen are oftentimes selected since acupuncturists believe that the spleen is where blood is produced. Some needles are also inserted into the stomach as well as into the liver. TCM experts believe the liver is the organ system that stores blood and is responsible for the proper flow of blood throughout the body.

Some of the acupuncture points that are needled to address anemia include:

Stomach 36 – The location of this point is on the stomach meridian. This meridian is termed Foot Three Mile (Zu San Li) which signifies that its function is to enable you to walk farther, maybe three miles more and to relieve fatigue. This point also energizes both blood and qi, helps improve digestion and improves the body’s ability to absorb nutrients efficiently.

Liver 8 – As the name suggests, this acupuncture is associated with the Liver meridian. This meridian is known as Spring at the Crook (Qu Quan) and is the most common point treated to address Liver deficiency. The Liver is related to many types of blood disorders. When Liver 8 is treated, it effectively tonifies the blood and the yin of the body and invigorates the blood as well

Spleen 10 – The meridian for this point is called Sea of Blood (Xue Hai). It is treated in order to treat all types of blood disorders and to invigorate and tonify the blood.

Herbal Remedies for Anemia

White peony rhizome (Bai Shao) – Astringes yin and nourishes blood.
Rehmannia (Sheng Di) – The processed form of this formula is called Shu Di. Rehmannia generates fluids and nourishes yin.
Deer antler (Lu rong) – For tonfying qi and blood and strengthening yang.
Astragalus propinquus (Huang qi) – Tonifies spleen qi and blood.
Licorice root (Gan cao) – Tonifies stomach and spleen qi.
Pilose asiabell and radix codonopsis pilosulae (Dang shen) – Nourishes body energy and blood.
Archangelica spp (Dang gui) – Dispels cold; tonifies blood; and harmonizes and invigorates the blood.
White Atractylodes (Bai zhu) – Tonifies and supplements spleen qi.

Lots of times in TCM treatment of a disorder, a combination of herbal formulas along with acupuncture or other modalitiy will be recommended by TCM or acupuncture practitioners. For low blood supply, Si Wu Tang formular which combines Chuan Xiong, Dang Gui, Bai Shao and Shu Di is prescribed. An herbal formula to help produce more blood is Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang which is comprised of the herbs Haung Qi and Dang Gui. There are a wide variety of herbal remedies to address specific aspects of anemia based on the symptoms and diagnosis of the patient. Some of the other herbal formulas used to treat different type of anemia include:

Zhou’s Anemia Formula
Zhang’s Anemia Formula
Yi Xue Sheng
Ye Xue Jing
Xue Bao Hau Jia
Jiao Nang
Sheng Xue

All these remedies have been thoroughly tested and have been proven potent remedies for treating different anemia types.

Chinese Massage Treatment (Tui Na) for Anemia

Tui Na massage therapy is a component of TCM and its treatment principle is similar to acupuncture. Tui Na like acupuncture treats the affected meridians to restore the smooth flow of qi and balance yin and yang in the body. Certain TCM practitioners may, for example, concentrate their massage on the hand and foot to better or restore the flow of qi throughout the body and enhance the development of blood in the spleen.

Asian Health Center
27059 Chardon Rd
Cleveland, OH 44143-1113
Phone: (440) 833-0983
www.clevelandacupunctureclinic.com