TCM 1 Flashcards
TCM
an ancient and natural form of healing that recognizes the inseparable relationship of body, mind, and spirit and nature
Principles of TCM
- your body is integrated as a whole
- connection to nature
- innate self-healing capacity
- prevention is the best cure
what concept is the single most important and distinctive theory of Chinese medicine
Yin Yang Theory
Yin
- material
- produces form
- grows
- matter
- contraction
- descending
- below
- water
- female
Yang
- immaterial
- produces energy
- generates
- energy
- expansion
- rising
- above
- fire
- male
Function of Yin
- cooling
- nourishes
- provides space for rest
- substance that is moved
- creates the space for conception
Function of Yang
- warming
- transforms
- protects
- moves
- holds
- creates the spark for conception
? is the material basis for ?
yin and yang
? is the functional manifestation of ?
yang and yin
? is black
yin
? is white
yang
four aspects of Yin/Yang
- opposition
- interdependence
- mutual consumption
- inter-transformation
opposition
- yin and yang are relatively opposite
- never exactly 50/50
- always changing to maintain homeostasis
- even if something is yin, it contains yang as well
interdependence
- cannot exist without the other
- “cannot have activity without having rest”
- “amount of activity correlated to amount of rest”
mutual consumption
- too much of one will deplete the other - too much yin depletes yang and vice verse
- not enough of one will show more of the other - not enough Yang will look similar to too much
intertransformation
- yin and yang transform into one another
- wake into sleep, life into death, summer into winter, etc.
- occurs when the timing is right
- female menstrual cycle: follicular phase into luteal phase
Yin Excess
- excess yin produces cold symptoms
- abdominal pain better with warmth
- dysmenorrhea better with warmth
- local pain better with heat
- chills
Yang Excess
- excess yang produces heat symptoms
- feeling hot all day
- red face
- thirst for cold drinks (gulps)
Yin deficiency
- decrease in yin produces heat symptoms
- red cheeks
- dry stools
- anxiety at night
- night sweats
- hot flushes
- 5 centre heat
- thirst for cold drinks in sips
Yang Excess
- Excess yang produces heat symptoms
- feeling hot all day
- red face
- thirst for cold drinks (gulps)
Stuff to examine the tongue
- body colour
- body shape
- tongue coating
- tongue moisture
- spirit/shen
Tongue Body Colour
reflects the condition of the yin organs, blood and nutritive Qi
and reflects the true condition of the body irrespective of temporary conditions
Tongue Body Shape
Observing whether the tongue is thin or swollen, long or short, and whether specific parts of the tongue are swollen
Tongue Coating
AKA Fur or Moss
- consists of the tips of the papillae
- physiological by-product of the stomach’s digestion
- tongue coating can provide information about variety of internal conditions
