Welcome to new members

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We've had a number of new members join over the past two weeks, some of whom

have backgrounds in TCM and some which do not. Welcome to Chinese Traditional Medicine.

 

For the members who are new to TCM, here are some of the basics:

 

Common English words which have special meanings in TCM are capitalized -

Hot, Cold, Deficiency, Excess, Blood, Marrow, Liver, Spleen, etc. When

" liver " is spelled with a lower case " l " , the anatomical organ in the

Western definition is being referred to. When " Liver " is spelled with a

capital " L " , the meridian/ channel (pathway of energy flow) and/or the Organ

system is being referred to.

 

Traditional is more concerned with function than with

anatomy, especially with collections of functions. For example the Kidney

system includes not only the kidneys, but the adrenal glands, the bones, the

teeth, and the ears. Problems with the ears or hearing frequently will

indicate imbalances in the Kidney system (though not all hearing or ear

problems have a Root of Kidney imbalance). The Liver system includes the

eyes, and problems with the eyes or vision frequently will indicate

imbalances in the Liver system (though not all eye or vision problems will

have a Root of Liver imbalance.).

 

A good concept for those new to TCM to start with is that of Hot and Cold.

Some people (and conditions) are too Hot, and treatment for these people

will consist of cooling them down. Some people are too Cold, and treatment

for them will consist of warming them up.

 

Later on you'll learn about the concepts of Deficiency and Excess.

Deficiency problems arise because there's too little of something - i.e.,

Blood Deficiency, Qi (rough translation energy) Deficiency, Yang Deficiency,

Yin Deficiency, etc. Excess problems arise because there is too much of

something - i.e., Dampness accumulation, Phlegm (Dampness that has stayed

around too long and congealed), Qi Stagnation (the Qi is not flowing), Blood

Stasis (the Blood is not flowing properly), Food Stagnation, Yang Excess,

Yin Excess, etc.

 

Both Cold and Hot problems can be either Deficiency or Excess. Another term

for Deficiency Cold is Yang Deficiency. One of the roles of Yang is to warm

the body; thus, people who are Yang Deficient suffer from Deficiency Cold

because they lack enough Yang to warm the body properly. In general these

are people who are bothered by cold and have trouble warming up, have an

adversion to drinking liquids except for hot soups, produce a lot of clear

urine, often have diarrhea or colonic inertia problems, and move and speak

very slowly. The pulse also will tend to be slow because Cold slows things

down. Something else which Yang does is to activate body systems.

Hypoglandular states frequently have a Root of Yang Deficiency.

 

In contrast, the role of Yin is to cool and calm the body. Another term for

Yin Deficiency is Deficiency Heat. The person is too Hot because there's

not enough Yin to cool the body properly. These are people who hate hot

weather and have trouble cooling off. They're thristy a lot and prefer cold

drinks when they drink. They frequently suffer constipation of the hot, dry

type. The urine is concentrated, and there's little of it. They move and

speak rapidly, and the pulse tends to be rapid. Night sweats are a symptom

of Yin Deficiency. A red tongue is a sign of Heat in the body. (A pale

tongue is a sign of Cold.) People who are Yin Deficient frequently are

agitated and even nervous as there's not enough Yin to calm the body

properly.

 

An example of Excess Heat is what occurs when a person eats too many foods

with Hot or warm energy. The problem is coming from too much of something.

Heat exhaustion and heat stroke also are examples of Excess Heat. Being

exposed to very cold weather without adequate protection (frostbite) is an

example of Excess Cold. In addition External Cold can invade the Interior.

The Intestines, the Uterus, and the Stomach are particularly vulneralbe to

invasion by External Excess Cold. In addition, eating too many raw and cold

foods can trigger Excess Cold.

 

I especially recommend Dagmar's Letter From China newsletters. These can

give readers new to TCM an instinctive understanding of TCM. The July issue

in the archives is on the Spleen and Stomach and is very good.

 

Victoria

 

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