Bleeding or microbleeding are used in traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture as a drainage technique. It consists of withdrawing a small amount of blood with one or several superficial incisions. This action moves the blood. To avoid infections, extreme hygiene is required: use gloves and gauze. A lancet or the plum flower hammer with cupping is usually used to bleed larger areas. For bleeding small superficial venous vessels, a hypodermic needle works better.

Tung's acupuncture describes bleeding zones in the chest and back with therapeutic effect for numerous ailments.

Actions

• Treats blood stasis.
• Eliminates acute attacks of wind and heat (pharyngitis, stye, sunstroke…).
• Chronic problems (chronic bursitis…).

Where it is applied

• Jing points. For acute attacks of cold wind or heat. For example, for tonsillitis LI-1 and LU-11. For stye TE-1 and ear apex
• Experience points. Those that have an effect on a symptom when bled, for example LU-5 and BL-40 bled for acute gastroenteritis.
• Spider angiomas. When there is chronic stagnation of a channel, thickened capillaries and spider angiomas appear in the area. They are usually garnet or bluish. They help remove the symptom by releasing the stagnant blood.
• Large cutaneous zones. Trapezius contractures, acute stiff neck from cold. Bleeding or bleeding with cupping can be done. The 7-point hammer can be used for this.

Types of bleeding

• Capillary bleeding. When we puncture fingertips, Jing points or back zones. We do not puncture a visible blood vessel. With an insertion of about 2 mm depth, we empty the blood from the superficial capillaries of an area. Press so that blood drops come out or apply a cupping to suction it outwards. The amount of blood to withdraw depends on each patient, only a few drops in the right place have a great effect.

• Venous bleeding. When we puncture a small visible venous vessel, like spider angiomas. In this case, with the lancet we have poor visibility of where we puncture, a hypodermic needle is better to make a good insertion and not produce hematoma. Very superficial and dark small vessels are chosen. An insertion is made carefully not to completely pierce the vessel and it is left to bleed until it clots by itself (except in special cases with coagulation disorders).

Necessary material

• Gloves.
• Alcohol or betadine to disinfect the area before needling.
• Gauze instead of cotton. Cotton fibers get tangled in clots. It is better to use gauze.
• Lancets for capillary bleeding (Jing points, back zones...).
• Disposable sterile plastic cupping. Glass cupping needs to be sterilized with an autoclave to be safely reused. It is more practical and economical to buy single-use plastic cupping.
• Hypodermic needle for venous bleeding.
• Some bandage or adhesive tape that makes compression may be necessary for patients who have difficulty clotting.

Contraindications

Do not apply microbleeding to:

• Hemorrhagic diseases.
• Heart diseases. Not on the chest. HT-9 can be used to calm pain.
• Very weak patients.
• Anemics.
• People with anticoagulants.
• Elderly.
• Diabetics. Avoid bleeding the feet.
• Hepatitis, AIDS.
• Tumor.
• Pregnant women.