TCM external treatment strategies for chronic refractory ulcers

With the rapid development of modern medicine, chronic ulcers are still a headache for many patients and doctors. When we talk about chronic ulcers, you may wonder, what kind of condition is this? Why is it so stubborn and difficult to cure? This type of ulcer is usually difficult to heal due to improper treatment, low immunity or prolonged duration of the disease. Traditional Chinese medicine has a unique understanding and treatment method for this. It not only focuses on the ulcer itself, but also pays more attention to adjusting the overall health of the person. What unique treatment strategies does traditional Chinese medicine have in this regard?

First, let's discuss what chronic ulcers are. Simply put, this is a wound that has existed for more than three months and has poor response to conventional treatment. It may manifest as a wound that continues to ooze, recurrent infection, pain, or redness and swelling.

So how does TCM view this situation? In TCM’s worldview, the human body is viewed as a whole, and any local disease is closely related to the health of the entire body. Therefore, when treating chronic, difficult-to-heal sores, TCM tends to start from the whole body and adjust the balance of a person’s qi and blood, yin and yang, and the five internal organs. Does this sound a bit abstract? Let’s use an example to illustrate. Suppose there is a patient whose wound does not heal for a long time. TCM practitioners may first consider the patient’s overall health. Is his qi and blood sufficient? Is his spleen and stomach functioning normally? Does he have emotional distress? These factors may affect the healing of the wound. Next, TCM practitioners will choose appropriate treatment methods based on this information, such as herbal compresses, acupuncture, or dietary therapy. If the patient has both qi and blood deficiency, TCM practitioners may recommend herbs that contain qi and blood tonics, such as astragalus and angelica. If the patient’s spleen and stomach function poorly, resulting in poor digestion and absorption, TCM practitioners may recommend eating foods that strengthen the spleen and stomach, such as yam and coix seed. In addition, TCM practitioners will also take into account the patient’s emotional state, because emotional fluctuations can also affect the flow of qi and blood. So, what are the specific strategies of TCM external treatment? Here are a few common methods:

Herbal compresses

Have you ever thought that plants from nature can also be good medicine for treatment? Traditional Chinese medicine uses herbal compresses to apply herbal powder or paste directly to the sore surface. For example, the mixed dressing of honeysuckle and phellodendron chinense has the effects of clearing away heat and detoxification, drying dampness and relieving itching, which can help reduce inflammation and promote wound healing. In addition, when the decomposing and regenerating functions of these traditional Chinese medicines are combined with the debridement techniques of Western medicine, what kind of therapeutic effect will be produced? Let's explore a unique treatment method together: combined Chinese and Western medicine treatment. This method not only uses a variety of traditional Chinese medicine external preparations, such as the ulcer oil gauze strips with therapeutic effects and the red gauze strips that promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, but also the golden paste and the vital jade red paste that can promote wound healing, as well as the detoxification and regenerating powder and the compound phellodendron chinense liquid. These Chinese medicine preparations, combined with the advanced treatment techniques of modern Western medicine, can not only effectively treat chronic wounds, but also reduce pain and speed up recovery. Through this special treatment, we can not only see the modern application of Chinese medicine external treatment strategies, but also appreciate the profound significance of combining Chinese and Western medicine.

Acupuncture treatment

When we talk about acupuncture, you may ask, how can it possibly treat sores? In fact, acupuncture can regulate qi and blood and promote the body's self-healing by stimulating specific acupuncture points on the body. For example, Sanyinjiao acupoint is located on the inner side of the calf. Stimulating this acupoint can help regulate women's menstrual disorders and also help the recovery of chronic sores.

Diet therapy

Diet therapy is another major feature of Chinese medicine. Did you know that proper diet can not only satisfy our taste buds, but also be a part of treatment? For example, black beans and red dates are good ingredients for blood supplementation. They can help improve qi and blood deficiency, thereby promoting the healing of sores.

Cupping therapy

Cupping may sound scary, but can it really help treat chronic ulcers? The answer is yes. Cupping can promote local blood circulation and eliminate blood stasis, thereby helping to reduce inflammation on the ulcer surface and speed up the healing process.

Moxibustion therapy

Moxibustion is a method of warming specific acupuncture points on the body by burning moxa. It can help warm the meridians and expel cold and dampness. For those chronic sores caused by cold and dampness, moxibustion can be said to be a very good choice.

Finally, we can't help but ask, are these external treatment strategies of traditional Chinese medicine really effective? The answer is yes. Although the treatment methods of traditional Chinese medicine may be different from those of modern medicine, they all have the same goal of helping patients recover their health. In many cases, the external treatment strategies of traditional Chinese medicine have helped countless patients with chronic, difficult-to-heal ulcers. So, if you or someone around you is facing such troubles, you might as well try the methods of traditional Chinese medicine, which may bring unexpected results.

Author: Chi Zhongwei Pingquan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital