Body Movement

Question 1

In General

Answer 1

• Excess movement or rapid, jerky movements are ascribed to Yang and can indicate Excess or Heat patterns.
• Lack of movement or slow movement is attributed to Yin and can indicate Deficiency or Cold patterns.
• Tremors or convulsions can indicate the presence of Wind of the Liver (usually interior Wind). Always a Liver issue. Eg. Shaking of the sinews

Question 2

Tremor of the Head

Answer 2

Tremor of the head consist of shaking of head. This can range from slight movement to very pronounced movements. A tremor of the head is always due to Internal Wind (liver)

Question 3

Rigidity of the Neck: Patient finds it difficult to bend the head forward or backward and/or side to side

Answer 3

• Acute: trauma, external invaision (wind cold), Bi syndrome, etc
• Chronic: weakness in the muscles of the UB channel, Kidney deficency, Internal Wind.

Question 4

Deviation of the Eye and Mouth: (Internal)

Answer 4

This refers to the mouth’s being pulled toward the healthy side and an inability to close or open the eye completely. The patient may also find it difficult to grimace, bulge their cheeks, grin or whistle. When this deviation occurs following a stroke, it is called a central facial paralysis becuase it involves the central nervious system. In this case the nerves above the eyes are usually not affected.

Question 5

Facial paralysis (Bell’s palsy): External invasion/ Wind cold

Answer 5

Facial paralysis is due to an injury of the peripheral nerves. It is characterized by a deviation of the mouth, incomplete closure of one eye and loose facial muscles making it difficult to grin, grimace or raise the eyebrow on the affected side. This is due to invasion of Exterior Wind.

Question 6

Limbs:

Answer 6

Observing the limbs includes inspecting the skin, muscles and sinews. Although the limbs reflect the strength of the Spleen and Stomach, they may also reveal information about the Lungs, Liver and Heart as well.

Question 7

Atrophy of the Limbs:

Answer 7

Atrophy of the limbs can range from a slight thinning of the muscles to a complete wasting of the muscle. The most common cause is a deficiency of the Spleen and Stomach. Other possible causes include Qi and/or Blood deficiency and in more advanced stages of Liver and Kidney Yin deficicency or Spleen and Kidney Yang deficiency (Stagnation)

Question 8

Flacicidity of the four limbs: Indicates that the muscles are soft and limp.

Answer 8

Acute cases may be due to:

• Wind-heat invasion in the Lungs, later moving interior and injuring the body fluids of the Spleen and Stomach.

Chronic cases may be due to:

• Damp-Heat affecting the Spleen and Stomach (Excess)
• Spleen and Stomach deficiency

In severe cases faccidity is due to Kidney Yin deficiency and may eventually turn into atrophy of the muscles.

Question 9

Rigidity of the four limbs:

Means the patient is unable to flex and extend the wrist, elbow, knee or ankle joints. There are many possible cause of rigidity (Liver involvement/sinews)

Answer 9

Acute cases may be due to:

• Wind invasion (acute) - rigidity for short duration and resolving one the Wind is expelled.
• Painful obstruction (Bi) sydrome - especially Dampness Bi (ovetime leading to Phelgm)
  
  • in the elderly inability to flex the joints is often due to phelgm.
• Trauma - sport or otherwise related

Question 10

Rigidity of the four limbs:

Means the patient is unable to flex and extend the wrist, elbow, knee or ankle joints. There are many possible cause of rigidity (Liver involvement/sinews)

Answer 10

Chronic cases may be due to:

• Liver Yang rising or Liver Wind (inteiror excess conditons, elderly. eg stroke)
• Liver and Kidney Yin deficiency or Spleen and Kidney Yang deficiency (elderly)

Question 11

Paralysis of the four limbs:

can range from a slight limitation of movement, to complete paralysis.

Answer 11

Main causes are: (trauma)

• Spleen and Stomach deficiency
• General Qi and Blood deficiency
• Liver and Kidney Yin deficiency
• Blood stagnation or Damp retention in the muscles.
• Liver Yang rising or LIver Wind

Hemiplegia due to stroke is caused by Wind (usually interior) and, at times, Phlegm in the channels of the limbs on one side usually in the elderly.

Question 12

Contraction of the four limbs ( close to rigidity)

Answer 12

Acute cases may be due to:

• External Wind invasion

Chronic cases may be due to:

• Dampness obstructing the muslces.
• Heat injuring the Body Fluids of the channels of the limbs.
• Liver Blood or Liver Yin deficiency.

Question 13

*Convulsions of the four limbs

Answer 13

Convulsions are described as shaking of the tendons. Convulsions of the four limbs always indicate internal wind. (Shaking of tendons and ligament. Internal Wind associated with Liver)

Question 14

Tremor or Spasticity of the four limbs: (Cause: Liver Wind)

Answer 14

Tremor consist of shaking, trembling, or quivering of the limbs. Tremors can range from being very pronounced shaking that is easily visible to being fine and hardly noticeable. Tremor in the hands is more common than in the legs. The cause is typically Liver Wind but can also be due to Qi and Blood deficiency, Heat at the Blood Level or Phelgm.

Question 15

Edema of the four limbs:

Swelling caused by retention of fluids leaking from their normal pathways into the space between the skin and muscles.

Answer 15

Two cause of Edema

1. Yang deficiency (always pitting edema)

Fluids that are unable to be transformed, transported and excreted properly may accumulate.

Yang deficiency is the most common cause of edema in the limbs.

• Lung Yang deficiency - affects hands and face
• Kidney Yang deficency - affects legs and ankles
• Spleen Yang deficiency - affects abdomen and limbs

B. Qi stagnation or Dampness (skin does not pit)

Qi stagnation affecting the muscles may also cause edema of the limbs.