Liver Patterns

Question 1

Liver Patterns can be categorized as Full or Empty. List as many Full and Empty Patterns as you can (do not include combined or Full/Empty Patterns).

Answer 1

FULL: 
LR Qi Stagnation
Stagnant LR QI turning into Heat
Rebellious LR Qi
LR-Blood Stasis
Liver Fire Blazing
Damp-Heat in LR
Stagnation of Cold in LR Channel

Empty:
Liver-Blood Deficiency
Liver-Yin Deficiency

Question 2

Name two pathogenic factors that affect the LR

Answer 2

Wind and dampness

Question 3

How does wind attack the LR?

Answer 3

It does not do it directly, Wind invades the LU defensives Qi portion giving rise to an aggravation of interior wind in the LR.

Question 4

Anger and Worry can cause which two patterns in the LR?

Answer 4

Liver-Yang Rising and Liver-Qi stagnation

Question 5

The Liver regulates ______and ______.

Answer 5

Qi and Blood

Question 6

LR blood has 3 pathology categories:

Answer 6

LR Blood - Deficiency
LR Blood- Irregular Bleeding
LR Blood- Stagnation

Question 7

A tight tongue with pinched, red sides is which LR pattern?

Answer 7

LR Qi stagnation

Question 8

A wiry pulse is which LR pattern?

Answer 8

LR Qi Stagnation

Question 9

How can the LR be affected by diet?

Answer 9

LR Heat from the consumption of spicy food, red meat, alcohol.

LR Blood Deficiency from inadequate consumption of warming and blood building foods. Not enough meat and grain can lead to not enough quality Gu Qi.

LR Qi Stagnation from too much greasy and rich foods and can lead to dampness.

Question 10

Etiology of LR Qi Stagnation

Answer 10

Emotional Stress
Often concurrent with LR Blood Deficiency
Stagnation of QI over time will lead to Blood Stagnation (more severe)

Question 11

What is the treatment for LR Qi Stagnation?

Answer 11

Regulate LR Qi
Excess pattern so must sedate or disperse
LR 3
GB 34
LR 6
PC 6
4 Gates - LR 3 and LI 4
LI 4
PC 6
LR 13
LR 14

Question 12

LR Qi stagnation with Heat signs - what are the signs and symptoms:

Answer 12

Any LR Qi stagnation plus heat signs:
Red face, feeling of heat in face, emotional outbursts.
Thirst?
Outburst of anger
PMS, difficult emotional cramping, heat in periods (heavy, bright red blood, short cycle)
Tongue: Pinched on sides and sides are red
Pulse: Wiry and Rapid

Question 13

What are the etiologies associated with LR Qi Stagnation with Heat?

Answer 13

Long term Qi stagnation leads to heat.
Emotional Stress - all things that cause Qi stagnation
Exacerbated by diet of hot foods, spicy, alcohol, red meat
Can turn into LR Fire which becomes more chronic and severe

Question 14

Treatment strategies for LR Qi stagnation with Heat

Answer 14

Regulate LR Qi - reduce or course LR Qi and clear depressive heat
Same Points for Qi stagnation
LR 3, GB 34, LR 6, PC 6
Add LR 2 to clear heat - Ying Spring to clear heat

Question 15

Rebellious LR Qi signifies what pathology?

Answer 15

LR invading SP and LR invading ST - Digestive Symptoms

Question 16

Signs and Symptoms of Rebellious LR Qi

Answer 16

Overacting on SP :
Abdominal Distention and pain, diarrhea, constipation, IBS
Premenstrual Diarrhea
Flatulence, gassiness
SP Qi deficient is tired with LR QI stagnation signs and symptoms (lower digestive)
Pulse: Wiry and weak, sometimes slippery or empty
Tongue:

Question 17

Etiology of Rebellious (overacting on SP and ST) LR Qi

Answer 17

Emotional Stress, anything making LR Qi stagnant: Compromised digestion, weak SP/ST
Poor diet, irregular eating, eating on the go, standing up, etc.

Question 18

Treatment Strategies for Rebellious LR Qi

Answer 18

Regulate LR Qi, and maybe ST/SP, may Tonify SP Qi if strong
LR 13 & LR 14 - can pair with other points that regulate LR Qi (LR 3, GB 34, PC 6)
PC 6 also calms Shen, descends ST Qi, Seasickness, pregnancy nausea - great for LR invading ST.

Question 19

LR Blood Stagnation - Signs and Symptoms

Answer 19

Fixed, stabbing pain
Menses pain with onset, feel worse with bleeding
Menstrual blood is darker, clots
Uterine masses fixed - fibroids
Sometimes Blood Stagnation and Heat is co-morbid with Phlegm
Difficult and long standing with have blood stasis and phlegm
Ovarian cysts
Endometriosis
Purple nails, dark under eyes, purple skin tone, lips
Irregular bleeding due to :

Heat - nose bleeds, blood shot eyes, coughing blood
Blood Stagnation - Painful nose bleeds, eyes, painful menses
SP Qi Xu Deficiency - not managing blood/Deficiency Bleeding - Tired and Mild, lower burner
Other signs and symptoms of Blood Stagnation

Varicose veins, spider veins, physical trauma - injury, bruising, surgery
Pulse: Choppy in LR, Earth, or ST
Tongue: Purple, sublingual veins purple, distended, dark, sides are big - side depends on where the injury is located.

Question 20

Etiology of LR Blood Stagnation

Answer 20

Physical trauma
Emotional Trauma
Coping mechanism compartmentalizing to not be suffering every moment, stagnate until ready to work through.
Complications of other patterns can become blood stagnation:

Qi Stagnation - feeling helpless
Blood Deficiency - already dry and can turn into Blood Stagnation
Qi Deficiency - can lead to Qi Stagnation and/or Blood Deficiency
Heat and Cold - Full and Empty
Empty Heat - deficiency of Yin, blood, making viscous, clotting, strokes
Full Cold - frostbite
Empty Cold - Uses so much Yang to break through stagnation, long term back pain, 
makes stasis worse.

Question 21

Treatment strategies for LR Blood Stagnation

Answer 21

Regulate Qi to move the blood
Invigorate/Move Blood
Sub-treatment: Break up stasis if needed (clumping, fibroids, tumors)
Treating the underlying pattern
LR 3, GB 34, PC 6

Points that invigorate blood:
LR 6
BL 17
BL 18
LR 14
SP 10
SP 8
SP 6

Question 22

Which point is added to clear heat when LR Qi Stagnation turns into Heat:
  LR-13 
  LR-14 
  LI-4 
  LR-2

Answer 22

LR 2

Question 23

Stress-induced nausea and belching are symptoms of:

LR Invading the ST or
LR Invading the SP

Answer 23

LR Invading the ST

Question 24

LR Qi Rebelling and Invading the SP is characterized by:

Epigastric distention
Belching
Diarrhea
Lack of appetite

Answer 24

Diarrhea

Question 25

True or False: With LR Qi Stagnation, symptoms are alleviated by the onset of menstruation:

Answer 25

True

Question 26

All of the following are signs and symptoms of LR Blood Stagnation EXCEPT:

Short menstrual cycles
Abdominal cramping during menses
Choppy pulse
Distended sublingual veins

Answer 26

Short menstrual cycles

Question 27

What LR pattern is indicated with red face, sudden onset of tinnitus, dizziness, and heavy menses?

Answer 27

Liver Fire Blazing

Question 28

What LR patterns is indicated with feeling of heaviness, thirst without desire to drink, yellow vaginal discharge, poor appetite and bitter (bile) taste in mouth?

Answer 28

Damp Heat in LR

Question 29

Stagnation of Cold in the LR Channel or LR Organ has what Signs and Symptoms?

Answer 29

Hypogastric pain, straining of testicles or contraction of scrotum, uterine issues from surgeries, c-sections, chldbirth, resulting in painful menses, bluish abdomen, nails, skin, vertex headaches, patient feels cold,
LR pulse is deep, slow
Tongue: Full coat, white

Question 30

What is the etiology of Damp Heat in the LR?

Answer 30

Diet
Emotional stress
If person is hot, dairy can exacerbate
EPF from contact or bacteria

Question 31

Etiology of LR Fire Blazing

Answer 31

Emotional Stress
Diet
Hot Fire damaging Yin - as in a raging fever