TCM II Flashcards
Are Body Fluids Yin or Yang in nature?
Body fluids are Yin in nature
A condensed form of Qi and related to Blood
What are the two types of Body Fluids?
- Thin fluids
- Thick fluids
What do Thin (body) fluids do?
- Thin fluids circulate with the defensive Qi (Wei Qi) to moisten the skin, muscles and mucous membranes.
- They include tears, sweat, saliva (protection)
What do Thick (body) fluids do?
- Lubricate the joints
- Precursor for blood and hormones
Where do body fluids originate?
- The stomach is the origin of all fluids.
- All fluids and all hydration are extracted from the food and drink we ingest
- There is an intimate relationship between Blood and Body Fluids: Body Fluids replenish the Blood so that it does not coagulate or stagnate
What is the relationship between Blood and Body fluids?
There is an intimate relationship between Blood and Body Fluids
Body Fluids replenish the Blood so that it does not coagulate or stagnate
What is Jing (Essence)?
Essence (Jing) is a condensed form of Qi
It is Yin in nature
What are the two types of Jing (Essence)?
- Pre-heavenly Essence
- Post-heavenly Essence
What is Pre-heavenly Essence?
- The blending of the life force of a man and a woman at conception
- Determines the constitution, strength and vitality of the child
- Fixed volume
- There is a resemblance to the concept of genetics in Western medicine
What is Post-heavenly Essence?
- Post-heavenly Essence Is continually being replenished from eating, drinking and breathing
- This can be likened to a epigenetics in Western medicine
How can Pre-heavenly Essence be depleted?
- If we live an unhealthy life and eat poorly, we draw on and deplete Pre-heavenly Essence
- By maintaining a healthy lifestyle we run on Post-heavenly Essence and stay well
What is shen?
One of the five vital substances
A collective term, shen *refers to the whole emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of the person
Note: not the brain as in general western thought
*with a small ‘s’
In which organs is shen found?
- Shen* (Heart)
- Hun (Liver)
- Po (Lungs)
- Zhi (Kidneys)
- Yi (Spleen)
*Capital ‘S’
Where does *Shen** reside and what does it govern?
*capital S
Shen resides in the Heart
* Sense of self
* Sense of purpose
Where does Hun reside and what does it govern?
Hun resides in the Liver
* Creativity
* Planning
* Dreaming
Where does Po reside and what does it govern?
Po resides in the Lungs
* Sense of integrity
* Opening up to inspiration
* Allowing it to awaken one’s sense of purpose
Where does Zhi reside and what does it govern?
Zhi resides in the Kidneys
* Willpower
* Destiny
Where does Yi reside and what does it govern?
Yi resides in the Spleen*
* Thought or intellect
*Digestive system - think Gut/Brain connection of western thought
What are the 12 TCM organs?
- Liver and gallbladder
- Spleen and stomach
- Kidney and bladder
- Lung and large intestine
- Heart and small intestine
- Pericardium (heart protector) and San Jiao * (related to fluid metabolism and similar to the concept of interstitial fluid in Western medicine)
*sometimes translated as Triple Burner
What is the significance of Yin / Yang in TCM organs?
- The 12 organs are grouped into six Yin/Yang pairs
- The Yin organs produce and store the Vital Substances
- The Yang organs are hollow and remove waste products from the body
How are the TCM organs paired?
What are the functions of the Heart in TCM?
- Circulates the blood
- Controls blood vessels by providing blood to them
- Houses the Shen (sense of self, imprinted on the blood)
- Opens into the eye: the spark in someone’s eye can tell us something about their spirit
- Opens into the tongue: we share what’s in our heart
What are the functions of the Small intestine in TCM?
- Separates the pure from the impure
- Sends the pure part of foods to the Spleen for absorption
- Sends impure foods to the large intestine for excretion
- Sends pure fluids to the large intestine for absorption
- Sends the impure part of fluids to the bladder for excretion
What are the functions of the Spleen in TCM?
- The TCM organ Spleen is not related to the Western organ!
- Governs the transformation (digestion) and transportation (absorption) of food
- It is the origin of blood and provides nutrition to the blood, tissues and cells
- Controls muscles/limbs by providing them with nutrients
What are the functions of the stomach in TCM?
- Controls rotting and ripening: By completing the processes of rotting (meats) and ripening (fruits, vegetables, grains) that occur in nature
- Controls the descending of food and Qi
- It is the origin of fluids: all fluids and hydration are extracted from the food/drink that we ingest
What are the functions of the lungs in TCM?
- Governs respiration
- Circulate Nutritive Qi in the channels and the organs
- Circulate Defensive Qi to the skin and muscles and thus play a key role in the immunity
- Control the skin pores (sweating) and skin hairs (regulation of temperature)
- Open into the nose
What are the functions of the Large intestine in TCM?
- Receives food from the small intestine for excretion
- Receives fluids from the small intestine for reabsorption
- Excretes the stool
What are the functions of the kidneys in TCM?
- The TCM organ Kidneys includes the Western organs of adrenals
- Store the Essence– our inherited or constitutional strength
- Govern growth, reproduction and water metabolism
- House the ‘will power’: Shyness may be a sign of constitutional weakness
- Open into the ears and manifest in the hair: hearing loss and prematurely grey hair indicate a decline of kidney energy
What are the functions of the bladder in TCM?
- Excretes the urine
What are the functions of the liver in TCM?
- Stores the blood
- Governs the free flow of Qi
- Manifests in the nails: Pale nail beds indicate blood deficiency
- Opens into the eyes: floaters, blurred vision or dry eyes indicate an imbalance of the liver or blood
- Provides blood for sexuality and reproduction
What are the functions of the gallbladder in TCM?
- Stores and excretes the bile
- Controls judgement: Indecisiveness may indicate an imbalance of the gallbladder
What is the Chinese clock in TCM?
The ebb and flow of Qi in the channels in a 24-hour cycle like tide
* Each two-hour section of the day represents an organ at their strongest, and another at its weakest
What are the Chinese clock times
What can recurring symptoms at specific times indicate on the Chinese TCM clock?
- Symptoms that always occur at certain times of the day may be linked to an organ or channel in distress
- Typically relates to the organ which is at its strongest at that time, or conversely at its weakest
ex: a headache at 5PM, or always waking at 3AM
What is the notion of Qi circulation?
- Qi needs to move freely in all directions
- Blood also needs to be able to move freely
- “No free flow, pain; pain, no free flow”
What are the Signs and symptoms of Qi deficiency?
Qi deficiency is a key imbalance of our times
- Pale face
- Weak voice
- Lack of motivation
- Feeling cold and tired
How is the Tongue in Qi deficiency?
- Pale
- Slightly purple
- Possibly wet and swollen
How is the Pulse in Qi deficiency?
- Weak, unenthusiastic
What is the Aetiology of Qi deficiency?
- Chronic illness
- Poor diet
- Weak digestion
- Lack of sleep
- Exhaustion
- Excessive worrying
- A lack of purpose
What organs are affected in Qi deficiency?
- Spleen
- Kidney
- Heart
- Lung
How is the Speen affected in Qi deficiency?
- Distension after eating
- Food intolerances
- Sugar cravings
- Weight gain
- Weak limbs
- Loose stools
- Lack of appetite
- Foggy head
- Poor concentration
How are the Kidneys affected by Qi deficiency?
- Sore back
- Feeling cold
- Copious urination
- Low libido
How is the Heart affected by Qi deficiency?
- Palpitations
- Pallor
- Lack of motivation
- Depression
How are the Lungs affected by Qi deficiency?
- Cough with watery sputum
- Spontaneous daytime sweating
- Dislike of speaking
- Propensity to catch colds
- Shortness of breath
What is the treatment principle for Qi deficiecy caused by poor diet?
Educate the patient
on diet and lifestyle
Look at the Spleen
What is the treatment principle for Qi deficiecy caused by weak digestion?
Strengthen digestion
Educate on diet
Look at Spleen, Kidneys
What is the treatment principle for Qi deficiecy caused by exhaustion/lack of sleep?
Rest, relax, slow down
Educate on diet
Look at Kidneys
What is the treatment principle for Qi deficiecy caused by Emotions (esp worrying)?
Let go of negative emotions
Look at Spleen
What is the treatment principle for Qi deficiecy caused by chronic illness?
Re-build strength
Look at Spleen, Kidneys
Educate on diet and lifestyle