Article 55: Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatments for Other Symptoms of Sub-health

5. Lung and Spleen Qi Deficiency Syndrome

[Treatment] Tonify the lungs and spleen.

[Prescription] Yupingfeng Granules (Main ingredients: Astragalus membranaceus, Atractylodes macrocephala, Saposhnikovia divaricata).

6. Spleen deficiency with dampness retention syndrome

[Treatment] Strengthen the spleen and eliminate dampness.

[Prescription] Shenling Baizhu Powder (Main ingredients: Codonopsis pilosula, Atractylodes macrocephala, Poria cocos, Dolichos lablab, Coix lacryma-jobi, Dioscorea opposita, Nelumbo nucifera, Platycodon grandiflorus, Amomum villosum, Glycyrrhiza uralensis).

7. Liver Qi Stagnation Transforming into Fire Syndrome

[Treatment] Soothe the liver and clear heat.

[Prescription] Modified Xiaoyao Pill (Main ingredients: Moutan bark, Gardenia fruit, Bupleurum root, White peony root, Angelica sinensis, Atractylodes macrocephala, Poria cocos, Peppermint, Prepared ginger, Licorice).

8. Phlegm-Heat Disturbance Syndrome

[Treatment] Clear heat and resolve phlegm.

[Prescription] Huanglian Wendan Decoction, Huanglian Wendan Pill (Main ingredients: Coptis chinensis, bamboo shavings, Pinellia ternata, Poria cocos, Citrus aurantium, Citrus reticulata peel, Glycyrrhiza uralensis).

III. Non-pharmacological therapies for sub-health conditions

The discomfort or symptoms of sub-health manifest primarily in physical, psychological, and social aspects, and are caused by unhealthy lifestyles and adverse stimuli from various political, economic, social, and cultural factors. Therefore, simple drug intervention may not be effective, or may even be ineffective. Modern research suggests that the treatment of sub-health should combine multiple methods, with comprehensive intervention as the ultimate strategy, and non-drug therapies being an important intervention means.

(I) Dietary Therapy

Dietary therapy, guided by the theories of traditional Chinese medicine, involves the rational intake of food and the combination of food and medicine to create special diets with health-preserving effects, which are used for health maintenance, thereby maintaining health and prolonging life.

Dietary therapy, also known as food therapy, is a method of preventing and treating diseases and maintaining health by selecting and consuming foods based on their properties, meridians, and functions, under the guidance of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory. It involves targeting different internal organs and regulating and treating the body. TCM has always emphasized the impact of diet on health. The *Suwen* (Plain Questions) states, "Poisonous drugs attack pathogens, grains nourish, fruits assist, meats benefit, and vegetables replenish. Consuming them in harmony with their flavors replenishes essence and qi." Sun Simiao's *Qianjin Yaofang* (Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold Pieces) from the Tang Dynasty states, "A physician must first thoroughly understand the source of the disease, know what has caused it, and treat it with food. Only if food therapy fails should medicine be prescribed." Appropriate dietary therapy can regulate organ function, eliminate pathogens, nourish and strengthen the body, beautify the skin, and prolong life. Dietary therapy is simple, easy to implement, has few side effects, and is readily accepted, making it a common method for addressing sub-health conditions.

To effectively intervene in sub-health through dietary therapy, it is essential to first understand the properties of food, such as its nature, flavor, and meridian tropism. This is the foundation of dietary therapy for sub-health. The "nature" of food is categorized as warm, hot, neutral, cold, and cool. Generally, cold and cool foods are considered to have the effects of clearing heat and purging fire, cooling blood and detoxifying, and are often used for heat-related illnesses; warm and hot foods mostly have the effects of warming the middle jiao and assisting yang, dispelling cold and unblocking meridians, and are often used for cold-related illnesses; neutral foods have the effects of strengthening the spleen and stomach, and nourishing the body. The flavor of food includes five categories: pungent, sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. Pungent refers to a spicy or pungent taste, with effects of dispersing, promoting qi circulation, and promoting blood circulation; sweet refers to a bland or sweet taste, with effects of nourishing, harmonizing, and relieving spasms; sour refers to a sour taste, with astringent and consolidating effects; bitter refers to a bitter taste, with effects of purging fire, drying dampness, and purging; and salty refers to a salty taste, with effects of softening hard masses, dispersing nodules, and moistening the intestines to promote bowel movements. The meridian tropism of food is also a very important aspect of its properties. Its essence refers to the selectivity of food towards the body's organs and meridians. Only when combined with its properties and flavors can the properties of food be fully reflected, so as to prevent and treat diseases and maintain health.

Only after clearly understanding the properties of food can one prescribe food and determine dietary dos and don'ts based on the TCM syndrome characteristics of sub-health. For example, those with cold syndrome should eat warm, spicy, and sweet foods and avoid cold, sour, and bitter foods; those with heat syndrome should eat cold, sour, and bitter foods and avoid warm, spicy, and sweet foods; those with deficiency syndrome should eat sweet foods. Patients with deficiency syndrome often have weakened spleen and stomach function and insufficient digestive and absorptive functions, so they should avoid fatty, fried, and hard foods; and those with excess syndrome should determine their dietary dos and don'ts based on the syndrome differentiation.

(II) Acupuncture Therapy

Acupuncture stimulates meridians and acupoints to regulate the yin-yang balance of the body's internal organs, qi and blood, and meridians, reducing excesses and supplementing deficiencies, thus bringing the body towards a healthy state of "yin-yang harmony and mental well-being." Currently, acupuncture has become a unique and effective method in traditional Chinese medicine for intervening in sub-health conditions.

Commonly used acupuncture points for sub-health intervention include Baihui, Qihai, Guanyuan, Shenque, Mingmen, Zhongwan, Zusanli, Sanyinjiao, back-shu points, Hegu, Taichong, and Yongquan. Acupuncture or moxibustion at these points can replenish vital energy, strengthen organ function, support the body's resistance to disease, and promote health. Among these points, Zusanli and Sanyinjiao are the main acupuncture points for sub-health intervention. Zusanli is the lower He-Sea point of the Stomach Meridian of Foot Yangming; acupuncture or moxibustion at this point can strengthen the body's resistance to disease, improve appetite, and restore energy. Sanyinjiao is the meeting point of the three Yin meridians of the foot, possessing the functions of strengthening the spleen, benefiting the liver, and tonifying the kidneys. It can also aid spleen function and dredge the meridians.

Acupuncture can also be used for intervention and treatment using ear acupressure. Commonly used acupoints include Shenmen, Sympathetic, Subcortical, Endocrine, Liver, Spleen, Stomach, Heart, and Kidney. After routine disinfection, place raw Wang Bu Liu Xing seeds (soaked in 75% alcohol) in the center of an approximately 6mm x 6mm adhesive tape, align it with the most sensitive point of the pre-selected ear acupoint, and apply it to the auricle. Instruct the user to press the ear acupoints 3-5 times daily, about 1 minute per acupoint each time, changing the tape every 3 days, alternating between the left and right ears, with 4 weeks constituting one course of treatment.