Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

Question 1

What are the types of Qi?

Answer 1

Organ Qi
Meridian Qi
Nutritive Qi
Protective Qi
Ancestral Qi

Question 2

What are the disharmonies of Qi?

Answer 2

Deficient Qi (Qi-Xu) - fatigue
Stagnant Qi - pain
Collapsed Qi - prolapse
Rebellious Qi - nausea

Question 3

What are the qualities of Yin?

Answer 3

Night, dark, cold, negative, passive, female, solid, fluids, calm, inward, water

Question 4

What are the Yin organs?

Answer 4

Liver, heart, spleen, lungs, kidney

Question 5

What are the qualities of Yang?

Answer 5

Day, light, warm, positive, active, male, hollow, fast, expanding, intense, outward

Question 6

What are the Yang organs?

Answer 6

Gall bladder, small intestine, stomach, large intestine, urinary bladder

Question 7

What are the five elements?

Answer 7

Fire
Earth
Metal
Water
Wood

Question 8

What are the mother relationships in 5 Element theory?

Answer 8

Fire -> Earth -> Metal -> Water -> Wood -> Fire

Question 9

What are the controlling relationships in 5 Element theory?

Answer 9

Fire -> Metal
Earth -> Water
Metal -> Wood
Water -> Fire
Wood -> Earth

Question 10

What are the 8 principles?

Answer 10

Internal/External
Cold/Heat
Deficiency (Xu)/ Excess (Shi)
Yin/Yang

Question 11

What are internal symptoms?

Answer 11

Chronic, organs, constitution, emotions, from internal environment or when external goes internal

Question 12

What are external symptoms?

Answer 12

Acute, sudden, from external environment, external pathogens (infectious, contagious)

Question 13

What are cold symptoms?

Answer 13

Slow, cold, clear urine, better with warmth, pale, introverted/withdrawn, constriction, chills, no thirst, loose stool, pale tongue

Question 14

What are heat symptoms?

Answer 14

Hot, extroverted, irritable, red face/eyes, thirsty, prefers cold, sweating, scanty yellow urine, constipation, red/dry tongue

Question 15

What are deficiency (xu) symptoms?

Answer 15

Fatigue, weak, incomplete engagement with life, relieved by pressure, chronic, weak resistance, worse after bathroom or menses, better after eat, dull pain

*Lack of/insufficiency: qi, blood, yin, yang

Question 16

What are excess (shi) symptoms?

Answer 16

Forceful, loud, coarse/heavy breathing, worse with pressure, acute or chronic, better after bathroom or menses, worse after eat, pain/distention, intense pain

*Too much of/overabundance: qi stagnation, blood stagnation, dampness, phlegm

Question 17

What are yin symptoms?

Answer 17

Cold, fluids, quiet, slow, tired, pale, passive

Question 18

What are yang symptoms?

Answer 18

Hit, energy/qi, loud, restless, active, red face, agitated

Question 19

What are Yin Xu symptoms?

Answer 19

Dry, low energy, night sweats, hot flashes, thirsty, not drink a lot, scanty urine, malar flush (cheeks) heat in afternoon/evening, heat in chest/palms/soles

*Lack of fluides/cold, deficiency heat, deficiency symptoms
*Hot, dry, depleted

Question 20

What are Yang Xu symptoms?

Answer 20

Cold, difficulty warming up, tired/exhausted, lack of drive/passion/enthusiasm, withdrawn, aversion to cold, low back and knee, cold/dull pain, pale frequent urine, edema, loose stool

*Lack of fire/energy, excess fluids, deficiency symptoms
*Cold, wet, depleted

Question 21

What are Excess Heat symptoms?

Answer 21

Hot, sweat a lot, loud, aggressive, runs hot, red face, thirsty for cold drinks and drinks a lot, constipation, agitation, yellow urine

*Too much heat, excess symptoms

Question 22

What are Excess Cold symptoms?

Answer 22

Cold, pale, tight, slow, heavy, lazy, not thirsty, loose stool, aversion to cold

*Excess fluids, excess signs, can’t burn off fluids

Question 23

What are Qi Xu symptoms?

Answer 23

Tired, diminished function, poor appetite, dizzy, pale, sweat easily

*Lack of qi/energy, deficiency symptoms
*Qi Xu -> Yang Xu

Question 24

What are Blood Xu symptoms?

Answer 24

Dry hair, skin, light periods, fatigue, dizzy, pal skin/mucous membranes/tongue, poor memory

*Lack of blood, deficiency symptoms
*Blood Xu -> Yin Xu

Question 25

What are Qi/Blood Stagnation Symptoms?

Answer 25

*Pain is key, blood stagnation more significant than qi stagnation *Lack of flow *Qi stagnation: dull pain, can move around or be vague, distention, tension *Blood stagnation: fixed pain, focalized pain, stabbing/severe pain, dark complexion, fixed masses, purple nails/lips, blood clots, purple distended veins under the tonge

Question 26

What are the 5 Pernicious Influences?

Answer 26

Damp: fluid build-up, congestion, mucus Wind: moving, changing, itch, tremor Cold: slow, immobile, heat helps, stiff, rigid Heat: red, hot, thirst, irritable, prefers cold Dry: skin nose throat

Question 27

What are Damp Excess symptoms?

Answer 27

Fluid build-up, congestion, heaviness, slow, downward, mucus, swelling, edema, fluid retention, poor metabolism

Question 28

What are the 5 Emotions?

Answer 28

Joy, anger, fear, grief, worry

Question 29

What does OPQRST stand for?

Answer 29

Onset: When and how did it start? Palliative: What makes it better or worse? Quality: Dull, achy, sharp, pulling, stabbing, tingling, radiating, etc. Region: Where is it? Point with one finger. Severity: Scale of 0-10. Time: Time of day, better or worse?

Question 29

What type of meridians are we accessing through this level of TCM?

Answer 29

Primary channels, and a couple of extraordinary channels.

Question 30

What is the job of the Yin organs?

Answer 30

Produce, regulate, and store

Question 31

What is the job of the Yang organs?

Answer 31

Breakdown, absorb, transport, and excrete

Question 32

What are the key understandings of the Earth element?

Answer 32

Nourishment and stability

Question 33

What are the organs for each of the elements?

Answer 33

Earth: Spleen and Stomach Metal: Lungs and Large Intestine Water: Kidneys and Urinary bladder Wood: Liver and Gall bladder Fire: Heart and Small intestine

Question 34

What are the seasons for each of the elements?

Answer 34

Earth: Late summer and seasonal transition Metal: Autumn Water: Winter Wood: Spring Fire: Summer

Question 35

What are the primary functions of the spleen?

Answer 35

Digestion (Western medicine = pancreas), rules transportation and transformation, governs blood, rules the muscles (You are what you MAKE of what you eat)

Question 36

What are the physical indicators for the elements?

Answer 36

Earth: lips Metal: breath Water: hair Wood: nails Fire: complexion

Question 37

What are the tendencies for imbalance with the earth element?

Answer 37

Liver (stress regulation) invasion and dampness (what should have nourished but became a burden) Qi and blood xu

Question 38

What are the primary functions of the stomach?

Answer 38

Receiving and ripening Caldron Descending

Question 39

What are the characteristics of the earth element?

Answer 39

Mother, providing, nurturing Grounded, caring, supportive Intention, attention, remembering, relaxed, social Nourish, take care of self and others Clear thoughts Peacemaker, considerate, attentive, sympathetic, appropriate worry

Question 40

What are the emotions associated with the elements?

Answer 40

Earth: Worry, concern, sympathy Metal: Grief Water: Fear Wood: Anger Fire: Joy

Question 41

What are the excess (shi), deficiency (xu), and difficulties of the earth element?

Answer 41

Excess: overprotective, meddlesome, overbearing, over-indulgent, selfish Deficiency: clinging, vacillating, scattered, martyr, needy, bored Difficulties: change, concentration, independence, metabolism, muscles, digestion, fluid balance

Question 42

How can you remember which sides of the body the yin meridians run vs. the yang meridians?

Answer 42

Yin = more sensitive Yang = less sensitive Yin: inside arm, inside the leg, front side of the torso Yang: back side of the arm, outside of the leg, back of the torso

Question 43

What are the main parts of the body to work with using yoga poses for the spleen and stomach meridians?

Answer 43

Grounding and standing poses Abdomen: sphinx, cobra, updog, back bends Quad: child's pose, virasana, behkasana Groin: low lunge, crescent