Free Web NovelChapter 512: Chapter 512: Relieving Constipation
Song Sisi had seen old TCM practitioners demonstrate this on video. It looked simple, but it was actually extremely difficult.
This was because it wasn’t just a matter of the movements, but of the force applied.
The application of force emphasized "smooth force, clever force, and gentle force."
Smooth, but not slippery: the force must follow the direction of the meridians without slipping off the acupoints.
Clever, but not light: the force must be applied skillfully to reach the root of the problem, not just float lightly on the surface of the skin.
Gentle, but not sluggish: the movements must be soft so the child doesn’t resist, but they can’t be sloppy or messy.
Only by perfectly blending these three types of force could the "qi" of the Massage truly penetrate the child’s meridians, calming the stomach qi and stopping the hiccups.
Li Xu’s expression was focused, his movements as smooth as flowing water, as if a phoenix were truly dancing gracefully at his fingertips.
The child, who had been a bit restless, gradually quieted down under Li Xu’s Massage, even squinting his eyes in comfort.
URP—
As the final, long hiccup subsided, the child’s breathing became steady and smooth.
"There we go."
Li Xu withdrew his hands and said to the woman with a smile, "Have the child drink some warm water when you get home, and keep his diet light for the next few days."
"He really stopped," the woman said, overjoyed. "That’s incredible! Thank you, Doctor Li."
After seeing the patient off, Song Sisi was still lost in the scene that had just unfolded.
"Li Xu, you’re amazing," she praised him sincerely. "That ’Phoenix Spreads Its Wing’ technique... you did it even better than the experts in the videos. I was completely mesmerized."
Li Xu smiled and took her hand. "Just watching is no use; you have to practice. Here, let me demonstrate the application of force on your hand so you can feel it."
"Okay."
Song Sisi nodded emphatically.
Just then, the old man who had gotten a massage earlier came over.
"Doctor Li, my grandson has been constipated lately. He hasn’t had a bowel movement in days, and his little face is all red from straining. Can you help?"
The old man had just seen with his own eyes how Li Xu cured the other child’s hiccups in just a few moves. He was utterly in awe, and his voice was now filled with anticipation.
Li Xu smiled slightly and nodded. "Of course. Using pediatric Massage to treat constipation is my specialty."
"It’s not an overly difficult problem. While it requires a certain level of expertise, it’s much easier to treat than some complex illnesses. Bring the child here, and I’ll take a look at him."
"You got it, Doctor Li! Please wait a moment. I live on the back street, just a few steps away."
The old man was so happy that his steps became much lighter as he turned and headed home.
Before long, the old man rushed back with his daughter-in-law and grandson.
The child looked to be about two years old. He seemed a bit listless, and his belly was bloated, clearly suffering from the impacted stool.
Li Xu didn’t start right away. Instead, he had the child’s mother sit in a chair and hold the boy in her lap.
"Here, I’ll teach you a technique. If your child gets constipated again in the future, you can do this for him at home instead of having to run to the hospital," Li Xu said.
He turned and glanced at Song Sisi, who was ready with her notebook. "Sisi, watch closely. This technique is called ’Dual Dragons Wag Their Tails’."
"It’s extremely effective for pediatric constipation and dry stools. You could say the results are immediate."
"Also, children have delicate digestive systems and are prone to constipation. If you encounter this situation in the future, you can try this on your own. The technique is relatively simple and easy to learn, but you still need to pay attention to the application of force."
"Okay!"
Song Sisi nodded, her gaze focused.
Li Xu stood behind the mother, guiding her hand movements while explaining in detail:
"’Dual Dragons Wag Their Tails’ has three variations. We’ll go through them step by step."
"First form: Use your left hand to bend and hold the child’s middle and ring fingers, and use your right hand to gently wiggle his index and pinky fingers. This is called ’Opening the Celestial Gate,’ and it serves to open up the flow of qi."
The mother mimicked the movement a bit clumsily. Li Xu patiently corrected her pressure. "Gently. Don’t twist the child’s fingers. You need a soft force, like you’re waving a fan."
"Second form: Hold the child’s index finger with your right hand and his pinky with your left, then wiggle and pull them downward simultaneously. This is called ’Pushing the Boat with the Current,’ and it guides the qi downward."
With this movement, the child’s previously taut little belly seemed to relax a bit, and he even let out a comfortable hum.
"Third form, and the most crucial step: Support the child’s elbow with your left hand, and with your right hand, hold his index and pinky fingers and perform a twisting-wiggling motion. This is called ’Dragon Raises Its Head,’ and it stimulates the peristalsis of the large intestine meridian."
As he spoke, Li Xu guided the rhythm with his own hand gestures.
The unique rhythm made it seem as if two invisible dragons were truly swimming through the child’s meridians, stirring up the stagnant water within.
Just then, suddenly—
PFFFT—
An extremely loud sound, one with a distinct sense of "release," came from under the child’s bottom.
And then...
A thick, foul odor instantly filled the room.
It was the smell of stool that had been impacted for days and left to ferment. It was definitely potent.
But at this moment, to the child’s mother and grandfather, this foul smell was more fragrant than the finest Agarwood.
The mother didn’t even care that she might have gotten some poop on her, exclaiming repeatedly:
"It worked! It really worked!"
"This is too incredible! He was crying from the strain just a moment ago, and now it came out with just a little wiggling?"
"Doctor Li, you’re amazing! A true Divine Physician!"
After a flurry of cleaning up and giving thanks, the mother had her father-in-law take the child home to be bathed and changed.
But she herself didn’t leave right away. Instead, she stood there hesitantly, a slight blush on her cheeks.
Li Xu was puzzled. ’Could there be another problem?’ he wondered.
The mother hesitated for a long time before finally mustering her courage and asking with a red face, "Doctor Li... um... can you perform lactation induction?"
’Lactation induction?’
Hearing these words, Li Xu froze for a second. Then, a flood of related information instantly flashed through his mind.
’Lactation induction, in this day and age, is a bona fide "golden industry."’
’He had recently read an industry report. According to statistics, there were nearly twenty million new mothers and newborns in the country each year.’
’And among these new mothers, over eighty percent of them suffered from insufficient or no milk production for various reasons!’
’What did this mean?’
’It meant an absolutely massive market demand!’
’According to rough estimates, the country needed over 1.2 million professional lactation consultants, but the actual number of practitioners in a mid-sized city might only be a few dozen, or even fewer.’
’The supply and demand were severely imbalanced!’
’Especially after the frequent baby formula safety scandals, like the melamine incident and cases of premature puberty, the concept of breastfeeding had become deeply ingrained in people’s minds.’
’To ensure their children could have a safe source of milk, mothers these days were extremely willing to spend money.’
’This had also caused the value of lactation consultants to skyrocket, to the point where they were even being categorized into levels like doctors or chefs: beginner, intermediate, advanced... ’
’Generally, modern lactation consultants made house calls, with a single session starting at two to three hundred.’
’A full course of treatment could cost anywhere from one or two thousand to over ten thousand.’
