TCM Week 1 Flashcards
Citizens in the US became aware of acupuncture as a result of
President Richard M. Nixon’s trip to China during the 1960’s.
Traditional Chinese practitioners included the four aspects of___into the examination and evaluation of their patients.
Looking, Asking, Hearing/Smelling and Touching
The branches of Chinese Medicine are:
Acupuncture, Herbs, Feng Shui, Taichi/Qigong, Daoist Philosophy, Manual Therapy, Food Therapy and Meditation.
Today acupuncture is one of the key modalities used and the World Health Organization lists over 40 diseases for which acupuncture is the appropriate therapy. This list consists of diseases ranging from
depression to stroke, to addiction cessation.
The Chinese believe that the practice of acupuncture began during the
and were used to
Stone Age
puncture and drain abscesses.
The _____ is the earliest Daoist book, the first book to ever be printed and contains some of the oldest theories known to mankind.
I Ching
Acupuncture raises levels of specific hormones and overall anti-body levels, stimulates the secretions of endorphins in the body, affects certain neurotransmitter levels, has the effect of constricting or dilating blood vessels and is associated with the “Gate Control” Theory.
Acupuncture raises levels of specific hormones and overall anti-body levels, stimulates the secretions of endorphins in the body, affects certain neurotransmitter levels, has the effect of constricting or dilating blood vessels and is associated with the “Gate Control” Theory.
Qi
energy
Everything in the universe results from the movements and changes of _____.
Qi
The various functions of Qi are all performed by its movement. We can put them in four basic ways:
ascending, descending, exiting and entering.
bright, warm, and in motion. male, day, hot, summer, birth, hollow, dorsal side
yang
dark, still and cold, female, night, cold, winter, death, solid, ventral side
yin
Yin organs
Lung, heart, liver, spleen
Yang organs
Large Int, Sm Int, Gall Bl, Stom, Urin Blddr, Sanjiao
one of the most important organs in the body. It circulates the blood and stores the human spirit.
The Heart
mix the Qi and blood and regulate the Qi of the entire body. They are the organ most susceptible to harmful outside effects. Because they circulate the Qi, dysfunction here can affect the entire body.
The Lungs
transforms food into blood and Qi and regulates the digestion. It governs the muscles, flesh, and limbs. Weak limbs may indicate a problem
Spleen
responsible for the smooth movement of the harmony blood, bodily substances, and movement throughout the body. Dysfunction can manifest itself in emotional turmoil or digestion difficulties.
Liver
the source of Jing–the substance that all the body’s organs require to survive and thrive. Jing can be thought of as the “life force”–when it grows, the body grows, when it decays, the body ages. Responsible for regulating the flow of water and fluids within the body as well as for strong teeth and bones. .
Kidneys
organs responsible for taking in food, absorbing nutrients, and discarding the excess, unusable by products.
Yang Organs
secretes bile, an important part of the digestive process. Bile is produced by the liver, thus the liver and gall bladder are mutually dependent upon each other. Rules the decision making process. Hastily made decisions or those made in anger are thus a sign of too much Qi there. Conversely, the inability to make a decision or timidity can be a sign of a lack of organ Qi.
Gall bladder
responsible for receiving and breaking down food.
The stomach
Receives digested food from the stomach and then further refines it.
The small intestine
finishes the work of the small intestine and the stomach and removes the final “pure” substances and sends them to the spleen, eliminating the rest.
The large intestine
secretes urine, removing the final impurities distilled from the kidneys. Bladder dysfunction results in painful urination or incontinence.
The bladder
an organ without an exact location. The body itself is divided into “burners.” The upper burner is the head and chest, as well as the heart and lungs. The middle burner is the area of the body below the chest but above the navel. The lower burner is the area below the navel, including the kidneys, small and large intestines, and bladder that remove impure substances from the body.
The triple burner
In traditional Chinese medicine, illness is believed to be caused by
an imbalance of yin and yang.
The body has __different meridians .
12
meridians flow from:
from the chest into the hands, and from the hands back to the face, face to the feet, from the feet to the chest
The solid organs (Zang) are associated with
Yin channels,
the hollow organs (Fu) are matched with
Yang channels
Yin Foot Meridians
Liver, Kidney & Spleen travel from the foot to the chest.
Yin Hand Meridians
Lung, Heart, Pericardium flow from the chest to the fingertips, upward along the forward portion of the arm.
Yang Meridians flow
along the outward side of the limbs and along the back of the body.
Yin Foot Meridians
pass along the inward side of the limbs and along the front of the body.
Yang foot meridians
Gallbladder, Urinary Bladder, Stomach, travel from the head to the foot.
Yang Hand Meridians
Large Intestine, Small Intestine, and the San Jiao, from the fingertips, downward on the back part of the arm, to end their flow in the face.
Name the 5 elements in TCM
Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, Wood
Fire color and organs
Red-Heart, Small Int, PC, SJ
Earth color and organs
Yellow-SP, ST
Metal Color and organs
White-LU/LI
Water color and organs
Blue KD/UrBl
Wood color and organs
Green-LiveR/GalBlad
Wood promotes
fire
Fire promotes
EARTH
Earth promotes
Metal
Metal promotes
Water
Water promotes
wood
What are the functions of the heart
A) Houses the mind
B) Governs Blood
What are the functions of the Spleen
A) Governs transformation and transportation
B) Controls the Blood
What are the functions of the Lungs
A) governs qi and respiration
B) control dispersing and descending
What are the functions of the Kidneys
A) Stores essence and governs birth, growth, reproduction and development
B) produces marrow, fills up brain and controls bones
What are the functions of the Liver
A) Stores blood
B) Ensures the smooth flow of qi
What do meridians do?
Move Qi and Blood
Balance Yin and Yang
Moisten Tendons and Bones
Benefit the joints
How many Main Meridians in TCM
12
The Four Protectors in Feng Shui
Black Tortoise (back of house) Red Raven (or phoenix) (front of house) Green Dragon (left side) White Tiger (right side)
What is a bagua
Feng shui map
