How to Recover From a Coining Treatment

Coining, or cao gio, has been used for centuries in many Southeast Asian countries to treat minor ailments such as a cold or the flu. The treatment involves creating skin abrasions using a coin so that excess wind can escape the body. The belief is that the ailments are a symptom of a build-up of excess wind, or "wind illness." The coining procedure itself can be painful or uncomfortable to endure, but recovery is rather easy. Many of the things you do to recover from a coining treatment are the same things you would do to recover from a common cold or the flu.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Warm clothes
• Blanket
• Warm liquids
• Makeup

1. Keep the body warm. Dressing in warm clothes for a couple days and wrapping the body with a warm blanket is recommended to recover after a coining treatment. Keep your home warm as well, and avoid drafts. Stay inside if there is cold weather outside.
2. Drink warm fluids after coining. Hot water, tea or rice soup are all good options. The goal is to keep your insides warm as well as your outside.
3. Avoid taking a cold bath for a couple days. Warm baths and showers are acceptable, but be sure the air is warm when you finish bathing and that you have a warm robe or blanket waiting for you.
4. Take acetaminophen if any aches persist as you recover. Coining often leaves you pain free, but it's okay to take an over-the-counter analgesic if need be.
5. Check the color of the coining markings daily to see how quickly they disappear. If the markings take more than a couple days to diminish, that is an indication that the "wind illness" is on the serious side. An additional coining treatment or some other type of treatment may be needed.

Tips & Warnings

• Cover coining marks with clothing such as long-sleeved shirts and turtlenecks. These marks are often mistaken for abuse, and it's easier not to draw attention than to have to explain what coining is and why you did it.
• Use makeup to camouflage any coining marks that are not covered by your clothes. This is particularly useful for coining marks on your forehead from a headache treatment.
• If your illness does not improve or gets worse after a coining treatment, consult with a physician to see if another treatment might be in order.