Exploration on Treatment of Influenza with Combined Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Under the Guidance of "Needling the Stomach Meridian of Foot-Yangming" Theory in Shang Han Lun
Abstract: Influenza remains a major global public health challenge due to its high incidence rate, rapid transmission speed,and the virus's tendency to mutate. Traditional Chinese medicine classifies influenza as belonging to the categories of seasonal influenza and pestilence. Its main pathogenesis is rooted in the congenital factor of deficiency of healthy qi,which makes the body susceptible to invasion by wind pathogen and pestilential toxin,leading to the onset of the disease. The theory "needling the stomach meridian of foot-yangming will prevent the transmission of the disease and heal it," originating from Shang Han Lun (Treatise on Exogenous Febrile Disease),holds significant value in guiding the treatment of externally contracted diseases and internal injury miscellaneous diseases. This theory also aligns with the development theory of influenza confirmed by modern medicine. In clinical practice,the treatment principle is to strengthen healthy qi and eliminate pathogenic factors. The therapeutic approaches include regulating the taiyang, harmonizing the shaoyang, and purging the yangming to achieve the goal of achieving supplementation through unblocking. The combination of acupuncture and Chinese medicine can enhance the therapeutic efficacy.