abstracted & translated by
Bob Flaws, Lic. Ac., FNAAOM (USA), FRCHM (UK)

Keywords: Chinese medicine, pediatrics, recurrent respiratory tract infections, tuina

On page 291 of issue #7, 2004 of the Zhe Jiang Zhongn Yi Za Zhi (Zhejiang Journal of Chinese Medicine), Xu Pei-li and Bi Mei-fen published an article titled, "The Treatment of 23 Children with Recurrent Respiratory Tract Infections with the Method of Pinching the Spine with a Comparison of 23 Cases Treated Only with Western Medicine." Since spinal pinching is such an easy maneuver for anyone to do, a summary of this study is published below.

Cohort description:

Altogether, there were 46 children 11 months to seven years of age enrolled in this study. All these children suffered from recurrent respiratory tract infections. These 46 children were randomly divided into two group of 23 each, a treatment group and a comparison group. In the treatment group, there were 16 males and seven females with an average age of 3.6 years. In the comparison group, there were 15 males and eight females with an average age of 3.2 years. Therefore, it was decided that these two groups were statistically comparable in terms of sex, age, a disease condition.

Treatment method:

The 23 children in the treatment group were treated by the spinal pinching method of Chinese pediatric tuina or therapeutic massage. This consisted of pinching a roll of flesh between the therapist’s thumb and forefingers and then rolling that flesh up the spine by pinching it and pushing forward. A little talcum powder was used as a massage medium, and the maneuver resulted in the skin over the spine becoming slightly red. This maneuver was started at Gui Wei (Turtle Tail, the tip of the coccyx) and continued up to Da Zhui (GV 14, C7). When the therapists’s fingers reached the level of Shen Shu (Bl 23), Pi Shu (Bl 20), and Fei Shu (Bl 13), they would pull or tug upward at that area a couple or few times as emphasis. These three points are the back transport ports of the three viscera which engender the qi. This was done every day, with seven days equaling one course of treatment. A seven day rest was allowed between successive courses, and three such courses were administered.

The 23 children in the comparison group were administered 10ml in one dose per day of P-Zhuan Yi Yin Zi Kou Fu Ye (P-transfer Factor Orally Administered Liquid). This "Western" medicine increases the number of lymph cell and helper-T cells in the blood. Further, it increases the total quantity of T-cells at the same time as it decreases the number of suppressor T-cells. In addition, it significantly increases the number of NK-cells. Therefore, it is believed to improve antigen-dependent cellular immunity. One course with this medication lasted one month and three courses of this therapy were given. During this study, any other immune-boosting medicines were halted.

Study outcomes:

Marked effect was defined as no recurrence of respiratory tract infection for six months after suspension of therapy. Some effect was defined as no more than two respiratory tract infections in the six months after suspension of therapy. Additionally, the symptoms of such respiratory infections were lighter than usual and lasted less time than previously. No effect was defined as no obvious improvement in respiratory infections from before to after treatment. The following table shows the results based on these criteria.

As the reader can see, the treatment group which received the daily tuina achieved a 100% total effectiveness rate. In addition, the majority of patients in this group were cured, not just improved. Serum IgA, IgG, IIgM, C3, and C4 levels were measured in the treatment group before and after treatment, and there was a significant increase in mean IgA levels. There were lesser, statistically insignificant mean increases in all the other immune markers.

Discussion:

According to the two Chinese authors of this study, recurrent respiratory tract infections in children are due to a lung-spleen dual vacuity which allow evil toxins to lodge and lie deeply within the body. Pinching the spine stimulates the points located on the governing vessel and foot tai yang bladder channel. This vitalizes the qi and blood, frees the flow and regulates the governing vessel, and courses and frees the flow of the qi mechanism. This then has the effect of increasing immunity. In my experience, this maneuver can easily be taught to parents who can do it at home. Like most massage or self-massage, its therapeutic effect depends on diligent repetition over a period of time.

Copyright © Blue Poppy Press, 2005. All rights reserved.

For more information on the treatment of respiratory infections in children, see Bob Flaws’s A Handbook of TCM Pediatrics available from Blue Poppy Press.