Recently, a woman in Foshan, Guangdong shared her experience of sunning her back, claiming that she lost 4 catties in 10 days and felt that her eyes became clearer after sunning. She mentioned that even though she got tanned, she felt it was worth it.
Starting on July 15th, China entered a 40-day period of the “sanfu” days. This is the hottest and most humid period of the year, and it’s the best time for treating winter diseases in summer. Diseases like asthma, rhinitis, chronic gastritis, cervical spondylosis, and cold limbs, which are common in winter, can be managed with sanfu plasters, acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, herbal remedies, etc., for health maintenance.
Is sunning the back during the sanfu days really effective? Who is suitable for sanfu plasters, moxibustion, cupping, etc.? How to treat winter diseases in summer? Let’s invite Dr. Zhou Yang, Director of the Department of Preventive Treatment at Yueyang Integrative Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital affiliated with Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, to discuss health maintenance during the sanfu days.
Click to ask questions
Sanfu days health guide
@Elizabeth’s Duck: Can sunning the back during sanfu days really promote health? Is there scientific evidence?
Dr. Zhou: From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, the abdomen represents yin while the back represents yang. The back has the two largest meridians in our body, namely the Du Channel (governor vessel) and the Bladder Channel of the Foot-Taiyang. The Du Channel, also known as the “Sea of Yang Channels,” governs the body’s yang energy, coordinates the body’s overall yang energy and true essence, connects all twelve regular meridians, and enhances the connection of the twelve meridians. The Bladder Channel of the Foot-Taiyang is an important meridian that runs from head to toe, governing the body’s surface and being vulnerable to external pathogenic factors, especially wind, cold, and dampness pathogenic factors. Sunning the back during the sanfu days has a noticeable effect on these two meridians: it can warm the Du Channel, invigorate yang energy, and naturally dispel cold and dampness pathogens within the body. It has a certain relieving effect on people who are prone to fatigue, low energy, aversion to cold, cold hands and feet, menstrual pain in females, and diarrhea when exposed to cold.
However, sunning the back during the sanfu days is not suitable for everyone; it should be personalized based on individual circumstances. Generally, the following three groups are not suitable: those with excessive yang energy or deficient yin and excessive yang, those with underlying diseases, especially hypertension and coronary heart disease patients, and the elderly and children who are susceptible to sunburn and heatstroke; they should sunbathe with the company of family members to prevent accidents.
@Wulong: Doctor, who is suitable for sanfu moxibustion?
Dr. Zhou: Sanfu moxibustion is more suitable for those who are physically weak and susceptible, those with deficient yang energy, those with heavy cold and dampness, and those in a sub-healthy state.
1. People who are physically weak and susceptible: including those who are prone to colds, Those with weak resistance, etc., by applying medicine to specific acupoints, can stimulate the body’s righteous qi and anti-pathogenic ability, enhance the body’s immune function, and prevent disease.
2. Individuals with deficient yang energy: for example, diarrhea and poor digestion caused by spleen and stomach deficiency, or female infertility due to cold in the uterus, can choose sanfu moxibustion for treatment. At this time, the body’s yang energy rises to the head and face, and the acupoints on the Du Channel are just the meeting points of yang; applying medicine can warm and tonify yang energy, dispelling cold and dampness from the body.
3. People with heavy cold and dampness: such as those with neck, shoulder, lumbar, and leg pain, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, whose symptoms worsen after exposure to cold or fatigue, can alleviate their conditions through sanfu moxibustion.
4. People in a sub-healthy state: if one often feels fatigued, weak, averse to cold, cold limbs, pale complexion, loose stools, frequent urination, pale and greasy tongue coating, etc., they can also use sanfu moxibustion therapy to regulate their body.
Common “minor illnesses” in summer
@Master Pharmacist: I sweat a lot after the start of sanfu. It’s hard to leave the air-conditioned room. Is this a sign of physical weakness? How should I adjust?
Dr. Zhou: Excessive sweating can be due to various reasons: it may be due to qi deficiency or instability, yin deficiency and fire hyperactivity, or dampness-heat evaporating. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the body is weak, so don’t supplement recklessly.
@Tower Alien: How can I tell if I have excess dampness in my body? There are many posts online saying that a big belly indicates excess dampness and that Chinese herbal medicine should be consumed. Is this reliable?
Dr. Zhou: Excessive phlegm-dampness in the body can manifest as obesity, fullness in the abdomen, chest tightness, phlegm, easy fatigue, heaviness of the body, craving for fatty and sweet foods, a large swollen tongue, and a greasy white tongue coating. People with abdominal obesity do tend to have phlegm-damp symptoms, but whether they need Chinese medicine treatment depends on other clinical manifestations.
@Jiuge: Doctor, why do I get stomachaches and diarrhea when the weather gets hot in summer? How should it be treated?
Dr. Zhou: For recurrent diarrhea, it is important to determine whether it is due to gastrointestinal functional disorders or other organic gastrointestinal diseases. So, I suggest having a colonoscopy to clarify. Assuming that organic lesions have been ruled out through colonoscopy, if there is frequent abdominal pain and diarrhea, consider the possibility of irritable bowel syndrome. This is a functional gastrointestinal disease related to emotions, abnormal gastrointestinal motility, and high visceral sensitivity.
From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, after entering summer, the body’s yang energy rises and the internal organs’ yang energy relatively weakens. Therefore, the digestive function of the spleen and stomach declines. So, avoid consuming cold foods and drinks, which helps prevent diarrhea. In terms of treatment, consider using ginger-separated moxibustion during the sanfu days, as we’ve seen good results in clinical practice.
@Notebook 3000: I have shoulder pain during the sanfu period. Will sanfu plaster be effective? Which area should I apply it to for best results?
Dr. Zhou: For shoulder periarthritis, using sanfu plaster can improve local meridians and blood circulation, promote smooth flow of local meridians, and alleviate pain symptoms. For the application site, you can choose to apply the plaster on Jianliao, Jianzhen, Jianzong, and other acupoints.
@Jessew: Dr. Zhou, can cupping therapy dispel dampness?
Dr. Zhou: Cupping therapy mainly aims to promote blood circulation, expel wind, and cold. It has some effect on dispelling exterior cold and dampness from the body surface. For conditions like neck, shoulder, lumbar, and leg pain caused by external wind-cold-dampness, cupping can be a suitable choice.
