Lecture 1 Flashcards
Comparison with western medicine
TCM
Based on centuries of clinical observation
Individualised
Emphasises stimulates self healing
Holistic whole body
Maintain health
Modern medicine
Based on experimentation
Standardised
Based on meds and procedures
Reductionist - function individual parts
Manage disease
8 principles
Yin - Yang: quality of disease
Interior - exterior
Deficiency (chronic weakness) - excess
Cold - heat
Yin and yang
Yin. Yang
Cold. Hot
Wet. Dry
Matter energy
Contraction expansion
Descending. Rising
Below. Above
Quiet. Loud
Stasis. Movement
Night. Day
Water. Fire
Yin and yang and body
Yin. Yang
Front. Back
Body. Head
Interior organs. Skin muscles
Below waist. Above waist
Structure. Function
Blood body fluids. Qi (energy)
Solid organs. Hollow organs
Conservation. Transformation
Yin and yang imbalances
Excess Yang: full heat
Deficient Yin: Yang not anchored leading to empty heat
Excess yin: full cold
Deficient yang: Yang doesn’t warm - empty cold
Excess yang
Red face
Hypertension
Angry
Headaches
Heat
Thirst
Constipation
Tongue: red poss yellow coating
Pulse: wiry, rapid
Stress diet inflammation
Clear heat: avoid heating foods, eat cooling foods, avoid stress, gentle exercise
Yin deficiency
Low grade fever
Dry throat at night
Night sweats
Weight loss
Malar flush
Tongue: red, peeled or cracked, dry
Pulse: floating, empty rapid
Chronic illness, overwork, old age, blood loss long term
Eat warming nourishing foods. Avoid energetically hot foods
Sleep more, avoid strong exercise
Yin Yang imbalance full cold empty cold
Excess yin. Deficient yang
Bright white. Sallow white
Pain: sharp worse on pressure. Dull better
Pulse: full tight deep. Weak tight deep
Tongue: thick white. Thin white coat
Scatter cold. Nourish yang
Excess yin
Sharp pain
Cramp
Pale/ blue complexion
Pulse: deep full slow
Cold diet, chronic exposure to cold
Avoid cold foods
Eat warming foods warm water
Stay warm
Moxa acupuncture
Yang deficiency
Tired
Chilly
Pale urine
Palpitations
Oedema
Lack of appetite
Tongue pale swollen wet
Pulse weak deep slow
Chronic illness old age cold diet cold exposure
Warming nourishing foods and spices, warm water
Avoid raw foods
Wrap up warm, moderate exercise
Functions of Qi
Transforming
Transporting
Protecting
Raising/stabilising
Warming
Nutritive Qi: flows in acupuncture channels
Defensive Qi: circulates to skin and muscles
Blood
Yin in nature
Animated by Qi which is Yang
Stomach and spleen process food and extracts its Qi which goes to the lungs
Lungs push food Qi to heart
Shen impregnates blood
Qi of kidneys acts as catalyst for all transformations of Qi
Body fluids
Yin in nature
Thin fluids circulate with defensive wei Qi to moisten skin, mucus membranes, muscles.
Thick fluids lubricate joints, use to make hormones
Stomach origin of all fluids.
Body fluids replenish blood so doesn’t coagulate or stagnate.
Jing
Condensed form of Qi
Yin in nature
Pre-heavenly determines constitution and post heavenly essence constantly replenished from eating drinking breathing.
If live unhealthy and poor diet we draw on pre-heavenly essence making us weak
Shen
Emotional and spiritual aspects
Resides in organs
Shen: heart - sense of purpose
TCM organ groups
Liver and gallbladder
Spleen and stomach
Kidney and bladder
Lung and large intestine
Heart and small intestine
Pericardium and san jiao
Yin organs produce vital substances
Yang removes waste and hollow
Heart
Circulates blood
Controls blood vessels
Houses Shen
Opens into eye
Opens into tongue
Small intestine
Separates pure from impure
Sends pure part of food to spleen for absorption
Sends impure food to large intestine for excretion
Sends pure fluids to large intestine for absorption
Sends impure fluids to bladder for excretion
Spleen
Transformation (digestion) of foods and transportation (absorption)
Origin of blood providing nutrition to blood.
Controls muscles limbs by proving them with nutrients.
Stomach
Controls rotting and ripening
Controls descending of food and Qi
Origin of fluids extracting fluid from food/drink
Kidneys and bladder
Kidney
Includes adrenals
Store the essence
Governs growth reproduction and water metabolism
Houses will power
Opens into ears and manifests in hair
Bladder - excretes urine
Lungs
Govern respiration
Circulates nutritive Qi in channels and organs
Circulates defensive Qi to skin and muscles hence immunity
Controls skin pores (sweating) and skin hairs (temp regulation)
Opens into nose
Large intestine
Receives food from small intestine for excretion
Receives fluids from small intestine for absorption
Excretes stool
Liver
Stores blood
Governs free flow of Qi
Manifests in nails
Opens into eyes
Blood for reproduction
Gall bladder
Stores and excretes bile
Controls judgement
Qi deficiency
Pale face
Weak voice
Cold and tired
Lack of motivation
Tongue pale slightly purple wet/swollen
Pulse weak unenthusiastic
Chronic illness, poor diet, weak digestion, lack of sleep, worrying
Yang deficiency more severe form of Qi deficiency - wiped out, severe diarrhoea
Spleen: distension after eating, poor concentration, weight gain
Kidney: sore back, cold, copious urine
Heart: palpitations, pallor, depression
Lung: cough watery sputum daytime sweating poor immunity sob
Resolve emotions and lifestyle issues
Keep warm
Meditate
Light exercise to build and move Qi
Spleen Qi
Warming meals easy to digest
Avoid cold foods need more energy
Avoid heavy meals to not stagnate Qi
Wet cooking
Warming herbs spices
Naturally sweet veg
Kidney Qi
Bone broths to nourish and strengthen
Salty flavour
Black beans kidney beans walnuts chia seeds tofu mushrooms seaweed fish root veg
Lung Qi
Pungent spicy foods help lungs expel mucus
Yoghurt honey fruits moisten
Broccoli cauliflower
Thyme pine nuts roasted almonds
Qi sinking
Aspect of Qi deficiency
Weak limbs
Haemorrhoids prolapses
Tongue pale
Pulse weak
Chronic disease, over exertion, long standing
Spleen affected
Food same as Qi def
Avoid things that cause downward movement
Qi stagnation
Distension
Moving place to place
Depression irritability mood swings sighing.
Pulse - wiry
Tongue - normal poss red sides
Eat moderate portions avoid heavy meals
Regulate emotions
Waking singing dancing
Alcohol and cigarettes make it worse.
Acupuncture, Epsom salt baths
Qi moving foods: fermented foods, steamed veg, cauliflower broccoli, leeks asparagus
Warming / moving herbs and spices
Liver yang rising
Liver fire blazing
Same as Qi stagnation plus signs of heat eg headaches red face tinnitus anger
Tongue red esp on sides, dry yellow/brown coating
Pulse wiry rapid
Chronic Qi stagnation plus heat from diet/emotions
Avoid heating foods
Eat cooling foods: bitter greens, fruits
Avoid stress and strong exercise
Blood deficiency
Numbness, blurred vision, floaters, grey pale face, pale tongue, dry skin hair
Tongue: pale and thin
Pulse: choppy/ thready
Poor diet, excess bleeding
Heart: palpitations may startle easily
Liver: scanty or no period, muscle cramps, brittle nails, infertility
Avoid coffee and tea depleting minerals
Iron supplement or Ferrum Phos
Mg, B12, vitamin C
Long term emotional issues can deplete blood
Nourish blood: red fruits/veg, avoid raw foods, slow cooked stews, dark leafy greens
Blood stasis
Dark complexion, purple lips
Tongue: dark, distended purple s/l veins
Pulse: wiry or tight
Qi deficiency qi stasis, blood def, interior cold, local trauma
Liver: painful periods dark clots
Stomach: epigastric pain, vomiting, blood in stool
Uterus: painful periods, endometriosis, fibroids
Blood def- nourish blood
Qi stagnation- move Qi
Foods that disperse stagnant blood: garlic, leek, chives, warming spices
Blood heat
Hot skin diseases visible blood vessels
Tongue red
Pulse rapid
Diet, blood infections, unresolved emotions
Liver heat making blood hot
Avoid heating foods
Blood cooling foods
Avoid stress, unresolved anger
Fasting
Deficiency body fluids
Dry skin lips mouth nose tongue muscle tears
Tongue dry
Pulse thin esp in middle position
Poor hydration, blood deficiency, dry climate/ heating
Lung dryness: dry cough, thirst, hoarse
Large intestine: constipation, dry stool
Stomach: dry tongue with horizontal cracks, no desire to drink
Avoid drying / dehydrating foods
Warm wet foods: pear melon grapes honey yoghurt
Healthy oils and fats
Excess body fluids
Swollen tongue
Slippery pulse
Qi/ Yang deficiency failing to transform fluids
Lung Qi def: oedema of upper body and hands
Spleen Yang def: oedema of abdomen
Kidney yang def: oedema of ankles and legs
Avoid dairy, gluten melon tomatoes grapes pears
Eat drying foods barley mushrooms, corn, rice
Damp
Spleen Qi or spleen yang def failing to transform food
Incomplete digestion so fluids come in to dilute.
Tongue wet sticky coating
Damp heat yellow sticky tongue
Pulse slippery
Spleen; diarrhoea loose stools candida
Bladder: cystitis symptoms
Head: fogginess
Skin: weeping skin conditions
Weight gain, high Chol, heavy limbs
Avoid fried foods, processed, alcohol, dairy gluten, sugar
Eat drying foods
Nourish digestive system
Radishes/ginger clear damp/ phlegm from lungs
Fennel seed and cinnamon tea
Phlegm
Substantial form of damp
Lungs: thick sputum/ sinusitis
Under skin: lumps and cysts,gall stones
Joints: bone deformities eg RA
Tongue: red, swollen, sticky coating
Pulse: slippery possibly red
