Palace cold is a common health issue in women, which can be alleviated by moxibustion on several key acupoints. Guan yuan acupoint is located three inches below the navel. Moxibustion at this point can enhance yang qi, particularly suitable for those with insufficient yang qi and physical deficiency of aversion to cold. Shen que acupoint, located at the navel, is an important point for balancing the body’s yin and yang. Moxibustion at this point can help improve health issues caused by imbalance of qi deficiency and yin-yang. Mingmen acupoint, located between the second and third lumbar vertebrae, when moxibusted together with both sides of shenyu acupoint, can strengthen the kidney, aid the foundation, and have an adjunctive therapeutic effect on issues like infertility and miscarriage caused by palace cold. Qi hai acupoint, located in the lower abdomen, moxibustion at this point helps regulate symptoms of menstrual irregularities and excessive bleeding caused by palace cold.
In terms of diet, women with palace cold can also use dietary therapy for assistance. For example, black-boned chicken soup is rich in angelica, astragalus, and poria, which can invigorate the spleen, nourish the heart, benefit qi, and nourish blood. It is suitable for women with deficiency of qi and blood with scanty menstrual flow. Mutton cooked with angelica, rehmannia, and dried ginger is designed to nourish the stomach, supplement vacuity, benefit qi, and arrest bleeding, suitable for those with excessive menstruation caused by qi deficiency.
The causes of palace cold are diverse, including congenital constitution, unhealthy lifestyle habits such as inadequate warmth, rapid weight loss, frequent consumption of cold food, excessive fatigue, significant emotional fluctuations, and kidney deficiency. History of miscarriage can deplete yang qi and increase the risk of palace cold. Therefore, prevention and improvement of palace cold should start with adjusting lifestyle, maintaining a good attitude, having a balanced diet, and proper rest. If palace cold symptoms have already appeared, apart from the above self-regulation methods, seeking professional traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture treatment, gradual adjustment is necessary, avoiding rushing for quick fixes.
