Stuck Food Part 2: How To Poke and Prick Your Fingers for Indigestion, Headaches, Dizziness, and Mor

Pricking your finger and letting a small amount of blood out has been a traditional Korean remedy for generations. It is very useful in helping Indigestion, Headaches, Dizziness, Nausea, Stomach Discomfort, Weird Vision, Feeling Spaced Out, and a variety of other symptoms which occurs as a result of Stuck Food. If you haven’t read the previous post on this topic, please check it out for more information regarding Stuck Food. In this post, I will explain how to use the remedy and what to expect.

Supplies

• A rubber band, small string, or shoelace

• Alcohol pads

• A few napkins

• A lancing device used for blood sugar testing. This is a small device which allows you put disposable lancing needles into. This can be any type as long as it will allow you to prick your finger effectively.

• Alternatively, they sell lancing pens specifically to be used for Stuck Food, but any lancing device is sufficient.

• Lancing needles

Where to Prick Your Finger

Traditionally, most people prick their thumb. You position your hand with your palm facing down, and you prick between the nail and the middle joint of your thumb. You also want to prick more towards the side of the thumb rather than the middle (black o’s pictured above). There is more flesh on the sides, which make it less painful as compared to the middle. Either side is fine. Poking the middle portion can still work, but it might be a bit more painful if you hit the bone (see red X above).

Alternatively, you can poke your index and middle finger as well, in the same region of those fingers as the thumb.

Another alternative is to poke the pads of your fingers, as you would when testing blood sugar levels.

The main objective is to prick your finger so that some blood can be released.

Instructions

1. Gather all of the supplies above

2. Make sure to thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water

3. Load the lancet into your lancing device

4. Sterilize the area of your finger to be pricked with an alcohol pad

5. With an open hand, start firmly slapping your upper chest to get a little blood flowing. Start moving down your chest as you continue to slap. You can also firmly push into your upper chest with an open hand and push downwards, as if you are trying to push something down your chest. Repeat a few times. You might notice that this alone might initiate a burp.

6. If possible, having someone to this for you on the back can help a lot. Have them slap your back a few times and push with a downward motion a few times.

7. Start squeezing the upper arm on the side you are going to poke. Continue to squeeze downwards towards your hand, as if trying to push the blood flow into your hands.

8. Taking your rubber band or string, gently wrap the base of your thumb or the middle section of the other fingers to build some pressure (gentle pressure is enough. Be careful not to wrap it too tightly).

9. Take the lancing device and place it on the area you have chosen to prick.

10. Engage the lancing device. You will feel a slight sting that is relatively painless.

11. Squeeze the blood out, and wipe with a tissue. Squeeze a few more times to let a little more blood out.

12. Wipe and sanitize the area again with an alcohol pad.

13. Repeat the above steps on the opposite hand.

That’s it. You are done.

What to Expect

When letting the blood out, it is believed that the color and density of blood can be an indicator of whether you are Stuck Food or not. Dark red blood is usually an indicator that you are Stuck Food, as the blood that comes out when you aren’t Stuck Food is usually lighter in color. In addition, thicker or clumpier blood is a good indicator of Stuck Food as well. The blood might almost seem gelatinous and ooze out in spurts, rather than just flowing out like water.

If done properly, you should begin noticing a small relief in symptoms within 30 minutes. You should begin burping and passing gas shortly as well. The amount of relief depends on the severity of the Stuck Food and in milder cases, you might notice complete relief within an hour or two.

For severe cases, you might notice some relief but not much. In those cases, drinking Ginger Ale will help in the process. In addition, eating lighter when experiencing severe cases can be helpful. This includes avoiding fried and fatty foods. When I have severe Stuck Food, I occasionally avoid a meal or two just to give my digestion some time to recover. Pricking your fingers again the next day or in a few days may also be needed for severe cases.

It is important to keep in mind that persistent and extremely severe Stuck Food can linger for weeks and even up to a month. Practicing all the tips mentioned above will help you get through it better. Above all, know that you aren’t crazy even if nobody can tell you what it wrong. You will get through it.

I wish you the very best.