Spider veins are small red or blue veins visible near the surface of the skin. Commonly found on the legs or the face, they get their name from their fine, weblike appearance. In traditional Chinese medicine, spider veins are thought to occur as a result of energy and blood stagnation, and a variety of acupuncture techniques are used to treat them. Consult your doctor before beginning an acupuncture treatment program.
Spider Veins and Traditional Chinese Medicine
Spider veins have a number of causes. According to Western medicine, they appear a result of hormone changes, injuries, sun exposure or backed-up blood. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), however, stasis of the blood and "qi," or vital energy, are thought to be the culprits behind spider veins. Practitioners of TCM distinguish between the "normal" spider veins that can occur in healthy individuals and "abnormal" spider veins, which are symptoms of deeper underlying illness.
Acupuncture Treatments for Spider Veins
Acupuncturists commonly use a technique known as "shiraku" to resolve the stagnation of blood and qi that is thought to cause spider veins. There are several methods of shiraku, a form of bloodletting, used in contemporary acupuncture. The type used to treat spider veins is called "sairaku shiraku," and it involves piercing and draining small amounts of blood from the spider veins.
Shiraku Tools
Several types of tools may be used for shiraku treatments. These include the fine, hairlike filiform needles used for most acupuncture treatments, as well as more specialized tools such as the lance-like three-edged needle, the plum blossom needle, and medical lancets. In their book "Japanese Acupuncture: A Clinical Guide," Stephen Birch and Junko Ida recommend the diabetic medical lancet for use in treating spider veins with shiraku. After piercing the skin, suction cups may be applied over the acupuncture sites in order to increase blood flow, or the acupuncturists may manually squeeze out the blood.
Shiraku Contraindications
Shiraku should only be performed by trained practitioners under the guidance of a health care professional. According to Birch and Ida, several categories of patients should not receive shiraku treatment, including those with hemophilia or those who are taking blood thinning medications. They note that pregnant women may be more sensitive to acupuncture treatments, and recommend against the use of cupping on pregnant patients. Finally, Birch and Ida recommend that practitioners exercise caution when treating patients with blood-borne diseases such as HIV or hepatitis.
References
- Women's Health: Varicose Veins and Spider Veins Fact Sheet
- "Acupuncture Today"; Bleeding Techniques: Ancient Treatments for Acupuncture Physicians; Skya Abbate, DOM; August 2003
- Yin Yang House; Japanese Acupuncture Techniques -- Shiraku (Bloodletting); June 2006
- Japanese Acupuncture: A Clinical Guide; Stephen Birch, et al., 1998
