TCM used to treat patients on flights

A recent in-flight medical emergency highlighted how traditional Chinese medicine techniques can complement emergency care in unexpected settings.

Four faculty members from the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine responded to a medical emergency aboard an overnight Air China flight from Paris to Beijing, using a combination of conventional assessments and TCM therapies to help an 11-year-old passenger whose condition later stabilized.

At about 3 am Beijing time on July 20, cabin crew issued an urgent call for medical assistance after the Chinese girl, who was returning from a performance in France, developed chest pain, alarming her family.

Four BUCM faculty members immediately came forward: Wang Ting, the university's vice-president; An Chao, deputy director of the International Cooperation Department; Chen Younan, associate dean of the School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Tuina; and Zheng Fengjie, dean of the School of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

After checking the girl's blood pressure, body temperature and heart rate, they identified persistent pain in the chest area as her primary symptom.

The team administered oxygen and placed a TCM pill under the girl's tongue to promote blood circulation and relieve pain.

They also applied acupressure and massage techniques, focusing on several acupoints including Neiguan, located on the inner forearm about two to three finger widths above the wrist crease, between the tendons of the palmaris longus and flexor carpi radialis muscles.

According to TCM theory, stimulating the Neiguan acupoint is believed to help regulate heart function, calm the mind and relieve chest discomfort.

Working in the cramped cabin, the four physicians took turns kneeling beside the girl while monitoring her condition. Her chest pain gradually subsided. After the aircraft landed in Beijing, the crew arranged for ground medical personnel to continue her treatment. Later reports revealed that her condition had stabilized.

Wang said the emergency response demonstrated that TCM can play a role in certain acute situations when used alongside standard medical assessments.

"The treatment combined sublingual administration of a traditional Chinese medicine pill with acupressure techniques," he said. "Together, they helped relieve the child's symptoms by promoting blood circulation and easing the chest pain."

He added that many people associate TCM mainly with chronic disease management and health maintenance, while overlooking its potential applications in emergency situations.

"Herbal medicine, acupuncture and tuina are not limited to long-term care," Wang said. "We hope more people, both in China and abroad, will gain a better understanding of the role traditional Chinese medicine can play in emergency care."

The July incident was not the first time faculty members and students from BUCM provided medical assistance aboard flights.

On June 28, 2024, doctoral student Cao Feng used acupuncture to help revive a woman who had lost consciousness aboard a flight from Beijing to Lanzhou in Gansu province.

And on Oct 9, 2024, student Gao Yingjun administered acupressure to assist a Russian passenger suspected of having a stroke on a flight from the Maldives to Shanghai.

More recently, on Jan 1 this year, doctoral student Yang Yao used acupuncture on the Neiguan acupoint to help treat a passenger experiencing a hypertensive emergency aboard a China Eastern Airlines flight.

For the university, these incidents illustrate how medical professionals trained in TCM can contribute when emergencies arise unexpectedly, even thousands of meters above the ground.