Spleen Syndromes Flashcards
Spleen Qi Deficiency
1) Symptoms
2) Pulse and Tongue
3) Pathology
4) Aetiology
5) Treatment
1)
Key symptoms: Tiredness, loose stools, undigested food in the stools, poor or abnormal appetite. AccompanYing symptoms: Abdominal distension after eating, lassitude, desire to lie down, pale complexion, weakness of limbs, inappropriate sympathy, over-thinking and worry.
2)
Pulse: Deficient, especially right, middle position.
Tongue Body: Pale or Normal, Quivering, Swollen. If chronic, sides may have transverse cracks.
3)
Pathology: Digestive symptoms are due to breakdown of Spleen’s Transformation and Transportation (T & T) function. The Spleen failing to transport Food Qi (Gu Qi) to the 4 limbs causes them to be weak. The Spleen also transports Food Qi (Gu Qi) throughout the body. Hence tiredness, lassitude and desire to lie down therefore result when Spleen Qi is weak.
4)
Aetiology: a) Poor diet – too much raw and/or damp-forming food, and irregular eating habits. b) Mental strain and over-thinking. c) Damp environment. d) Chronic illness.
5)
Treatment Principle: Tonify Spleen Qi.
Examples of Points: St 36, Sp 3, Sp 6, Sp 2, Ren 12, Bl 20, Bl 21, Bl 49. Needle technique: Tonification.
Other applicable techniques: Moxa.
Spleen Yang Deficiency
1) Symptoms
2) Pulse and Tongue
3) Pathology
4) Aetiology
5) Treatment
6) Precursors of pattern
7) Developments
1)
Poor appetite, slight abdominal distention after eating, tiredness, lassitude, desire to lie down curled up, pale complexion, weakness of limbs, loose stools, a tendency to obesity, feeling cold, cold limbs, oedema.
2)
Pulse: Deep, Weak, especially right, middle position, Slow. Tongue Body: Pale, Wet, Swollen.
3)
Pathology: Spleen Qi Deficiency PLUS Yang Deficiency. Digestive symptoms are due to breakdown of Spleen’s transformation and transportation (T & T) function. The Spleen failing to transport Food Qi (Gu Qi) to the 4 limbs causes them to be weak. The Spleen also transports Food Qi (Gu Qi) throughout the body. Hence tiredness, lassitude and desire to lie down result when Spleen Qi is weak. Feeling cold and cold limbs are due to the failure of Spleen Yang to warm the body. Oedema is due to a breakdown in the T & T function of the Spleen – fluids which are not transformed may accumulate under the skin as oedema. Tendency to obesity is also due to a breakdown in the T & T function of the Spleen, which may lead to a build-up of fluids in the form of Dampness.
4)
Aetiology: a) Poor diet – too much raw and/or damp-forming food, and irregular eating habits. b) Mental strain and over-thinking. c) Damp and cold environment. d) Chronic illness.
5)
Treatment Principle: Tonify and Warm Spleen Yang.
Examples of Points:
Ren 12
St 36
Sp 3
Sp 6
Sp 2
Bl 20
Bl 21
Bl 49
Needle technique: Tonification.
Other applicable techniques: Moxa.
Spleen Qi Sinking
1) Symptoms
2) Pulse and Tongue
3) Pathology
4) Aetiology
5) Treatment
1)
Key symptoms: Tiredness, loose stools, undigested food in the stools, poor or abnormal appetite, bearing down sensation in abdomen.
AccompanYing symptoms: Prolapse of stomach, uterus, anus or vagina, frequent/urgent urination, menorrhagia.
2)
Pulse: Deficient, especially right, middle position. Tongue Body: Pale or Normal.
3)
Pathology: Same as Spleen Qi Deficiency PLUS impaired function of Spleen Raising Qi. Digestive symptoms are due to breakdown of Spleen’s Transformation and Transportation (T & T) function. The Spleen failing to transport Food Qi (Gu Qi) to the 4 limbs causes them to be weak. The Spleen also transports Food Qi (Gu Qi) throughout the body. Hence tiredness, lassitude and desire to lie down result when Spleen Qi is weak. Frequent/urgent urination and menorrhagia usually occur only when there is Kidney Qi Xu too.
4)
Aetiology: a) Poor diet – too much raw and/or damp-forming food, and irregular eating habits. b) Mental strain and over-thinking. c) Damp environment. d) Chronic disease. e) Standing for long periods of time.
5)
Treatment Principles: Tonify Spleen Qi. Raise Qi.
Examples of Points: St 36, Sp 3, Sp 6, Sp 2, Ren 12, Bl 20, Bl 21, Bl 49, Du 20, Ren 6, St 21, Du 1.
Needle technique: Tonification. Other applicable techniques: Moxa.
Spleen not Controlling Blood
1) Symptoms
2) Pulse and Tongue
3) Pathology
4) Aetiology
5) Treatment
1)
Key symptoms: Tiredness, loose stools, undigested food in the stools, poor or abnormal appetite,
menorrhagia or metrorrhagia.
AccompanYing symptoms: Purpura, blood spots under skin (petechiae), blood in urine or stools, bruises easily, sallow pale complexion, abdominal distension after eating, lassitude, desire to lie down, pale complexion, weakness of limbs, inappropriate sympathy, over-thinking and worry.
2)
Pulse: Deficient or Thin, especially right, middle position. Tongue body: Pale or Normal.
3)
Pathology: All symptoms due to impaired function of Spleen controlling Blood. Deficient Spleen Qi cannot hold Blood in the vessels and bleeding appears from various sources, such as under the skin, in the stools or urine and from the uterus.
4)
Aetiology: a) Poor diet – too much raw and/or damp-forming food, and irregular eating habits. b) Mental strain and over-thinking. c) Damp environment. d) Chronic disease.
5)
Treatment Principle: Tonify Spleen Qi.
Examples of Points: St 36, Sp 3, Sp 6, Sp 2, Ren 12, Bl 20, Bl 21, Bl 49, Sp 10, Bl 17, Sp 1, Sp 4.
Needle technique: Tonification. Other applicable techniques: Moxa.
Spleen Qi Deficiency with Dampness
1) Symptoms
2) Pulse and Tongue
3) Pathology
4) Aetiology
5) Treatment
1)
Key symptoms: Tiredness, loose stools, undigested food in the stools, poor or abnormal appetite, abdominal distension after eating, heavy limbs.
AccompanYing symptoms: Lassitude, desire to lie down, pale complexion, weakness of limbs, inappropriate sympathy, over-thinking and worry, nausea, stuffy chest and epigastrium, muzzy head.
2)
Pulse: Weak-Floating or Deficient and Slippery, especially right, middle position. Tongue body: Pale or Normal and Swollen, especially on the sides.
3)
Pathology: Digestive symptoms are due to breakdown of Spleen’s transformation and transportation (T & T) function. The Spleen failing to transport Food Qi (Gu Qi) to the 4 limbs causes them to be weak. The Spleen also transports Food Qi throughout the body. Tiredness, lassitude and desire to lie down therefore result when Spleen Qi is weak. Dampness arises from lack of T & T of Body Fluids and may block the descending of Stomach Qi causing nausea, or reach the head via the Stomach channel causing a muzzy head.
4)
Aetiology: a) Poor diet – too much raw and/or damp-forming food, and irregular eating habits. b) Mental strain and over-thinking. c) Damp environment. d) Chronic disease.
5)
Treatment Principles: Tonify Spleen Qi. Resolve Dampness.
Examples of Points: (a) Ren 12, St 36, Sp 3, Sp 6, Sp 2, Bl 20, Bl 21, Bl 49. (b) Sp 9, Ren 9, St 28, Bl 22.
Needle technique: (a) Tonification.
(b) Even or Reduction.
Other applicable techniques: Moxa.
Cold-Damp Invading the Spleen
1) Symptoms
2) Pulse and Tongue
3) Pathology
4) Aetiology
5) Treatment
1)
Key symptoms: Stuffiness in chest, abdomen and/or epigastrium, feeling of heaviness in the head and body.
AccompanYing symptoms: Poor appetite, loose stools, feeling cold in the epigastrium – better with warmth, nausea, sweet taste or loss of taste, no thirst, or thirst with no desire to drink, white vaginal discharge, lassitude.
2)
Pulse: Slippery, especially right, middle positions, and may be Slow.
Tongue coat: Sticky, Thick, White.
3)
Pathology: Excess Syndrome. Can be acute or chronic - symptoms listed above due to acute stage.
Feeling of stuffiness is due to Damp obstructing the movement of Qi. Feeling of heaviness is from Damp obstructing the muscles. Damp prevents the clear Yang from ascending causing the feeling of heaviness of the head. Dampness prevents Stomach Qi from descending causing nausea. Spleen opens into the mouth, therefore Dampness obstructing Spleen affects the taste. Vaginal discharge may occur because Dampness is heavy and has a tendency to sink downwards.
4)
Aetiology: a) Invasion by External Pathogenic Damp – from climate or living conditions. b) Poor Diet – eating too much cold and/or damp-forming food.
5)
Treatment Principle: Resolve Damp.
Examples of Points: Sp 9, Sp 6, Ren 12, Sp 3, St 8, Bl 22. Needle technique: Even or Reduction.
Other applicable techniques: Moxa.
Damp-Heat Invading the Spleen
1) Symptoms
2) Pulse and Tongue
3) Pathology
4) Aetiology
5) Treatment
1)
Key symptoms: Poor appetite, feeling of heaviness.
AccompanYing symptoms: Stuffiness in epigastrium and/or lower abdomen, thirst with no desire to drink, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, loose stools with offensive odour, burning sensation in anus, scanty dark yellow urine, low grade fever, dull headache with a feeling of heaviness in the head, skin eruptions, sweating that does not relieve fever.
2)
Pulse: Slippery, especially right, middle position and Rapid. Tongue Coat: Thick, Sticky, Yellow.
3)
Pathology: Excess syndrome, similar pathology to previous syndrome but with Heat. Feeling of fullness, feeling of heaviness and nausea are all due to Dampness. Low-grade fever is caused by the steaming of Damp-Heat. Offensive odour of stools, bitter taste, burning sensation of the anus and scanty, dark yellow urination are all indicative of Heat.
4)
Aetiology: a) Invasion by External Pathogenic Damp-Heat (hot and humid weather). b) Eating unclean or contaminated food.
5)
Treatment Principles: Resolve Damp. Clear Heat.
Examples of Points: Sp 9, Sp 6, Du 9, LI 11, Bl 20, GB 34. Needle technique: Even or Reduction.
Other Spleen syndromes
Spleen Blood Deficiency
