Fwd: [discusschineseherbs] re: Fibromyalgia

[Guest guest]

I'm forwarding this over from discusschineseherbs because it has some

excellent info in it not only for the sufferers of FMS and CFIDS on this

list but in terms of analysis. This will give you some idea of what to do

when there is a complex clinical picture and you can find no or little info

in the literature.

 

Long-time readers of this of this group and those with a background in TCM

know that there are 5 basic approaches to analyzing in TCM: The 8 Principal

Patterns, the Fundamental Processes, Pernicious Evils, Organ Analysis, and 5

Element Analysis. The first three are usually taught before the student

starts putting all the info together with Organ Analysis where it is

determined exactly which Organ systems are being affected. Analysis by 5

Elements often is not taught in the West.

 

To review for those new to TCM, examining a case according to the 8

Principal Patterns looks at Heat/ Cold, Exterior/ Interior, Excess/

Deficiency, and Yang/ Yin. This is the most basic and easiest analysis of

all.

 

The Fundamental Processes refers to Qi, Blood, Fluid, Jing, and Shen

imbalances. These include things like Blood Deficiency, Qi Deficiency, Qi

Stagnation, Blood Stasis, Rebellious Qi, Hot Blood, etc.

 

You can answer the questions about the tongue by using the 8 Principle

Patterns Approach and the Fundamental Processes approach. Just remember

what pale, red, and purple tongue tissue colors mean.

 

The Perncicious Evils refer to the 6 Pernicious Evils: Wind, Heat,

Dampness, Dryness, Cold, and Fire. Any of the other 5 Pernicious Evils can

turn into destructive Fire in the body. (Destructive Fire is a Pernicious

Evil; there also is life-giving Fire in the body like that of the Life

Gate.)

 

The section where she groups symptoms together calls for an analysis

according to Organ Systems. The way this works is to know which types of

symptoms generally are associated with which Organ systems. For example, if

someone comes in complaining of low back and knee pain, changes in libido

(sex drive), problems with the ears and hearing, automatically suspect

Kidney imbalance and rule in or out because all these things can be

associated with the Kidneys. Remember, TCM is concerned more with

collections of functions than with the actual organs in the Western sense.

If breathing problems are especially marked, suspect Lung imbalance. Etc.

 

Some of these symptoms can appear under more than one category. For

example, fatigue is listed in category 1, but it also could appear in

categories 2 and 4. She placed it just in one to simplify this analysis for

beginners. The hint for answering this question is which two Organ Systems

of the body is most concerned with the extraction of Qi, and of those two,

which also has the symptom of diarrhea or loose stools very prominent when

there is Deficiency? Disturbances in appetite also can be very marked when

this Yin Organ System is disturbed and when the paired Yang organ. Whenever

someone has a loss of the sense of taste, Deficiency of this Organ system

automatically is considered. Whenever there is muscle atrophy, TCM healers

automatically look at this Organ system.

 

I'm going to give another, more advanced hint by telling you that numbness

and tingling can be symptoms of Phlegm. Which Organ System is most

concerned with production of Phlegm? (Actually, any Organ System can

produce Phlegm, but this particular one which also is so responsible for Qi

extraction, has diarrhea and loss of taste and muscle atrophy as prominent

symptoms, is the number one culprit in the production of Phlegm. (BTW,

system 4 in this analysis also ranks high as a possible factor in the

production of Phlegm as does the Lungs.)

 

I encourage beginners to try to answer her questions as you can learn a

great deal. This does get clearer the more TCM you read and the more you

start trying to analyze. And with the more questions you ask.

 

Victoria

 

>Colleen DeLaney <herbdocs

>discusschineseherbs

>discusschineseherbs

>[discusschineseherbs] re: Fibromyalgia

>Thu, 19 Oct 2000 11:45:37 -0700

>

>John and I were asked to talk at a Fibromyalgia Support Group. While we

>had each treated about half a dozen fibromyalgia patients with mixed

>results, neither of us felt anywhere near " experts " in understanding

>it. We decided to have the audience teach us about fibromyalgia while

>we taught them about Chinese medicine.

>

>John wrote on the blackboard while I elicited symptoms from the 70 +

>people in the room. As John wrote the symptoms on the board, he

>automatically categorized them by organ, which is what I've done below,

>putting the symptom we heard the most frequently at the top of each

>list and then moving down.

>

>After all the symptoms were listed by organ, we explained what each

>organ did and how a weakness in that organ contributed to the syndrome.

>People were very gratified to see these " seemingly unrelated " symptoms

>fall together in TCM classification.

>

>We then went around the room and looked at tongues. I was surprised to

>find that perhaps 90% of the tongues were the same: pale, puffy, thin

>white coat, scallops, red tip. The other 10% were a mixture between

>purplish tongue body and deep red tongue body with a coat ranging from

>thin white to non-existent.

>

>Take a look through the grouped symptoms below-- I abbreviated them in

>some cases and doubled up in others. There may be some room for dispute

>as to which fits where, of course, given the interactive nature of the

>organs. (Liver affecting Spleen, or Kidney affecting Liver, of course.)

>

>This is the method I suggested a few months back-- what to do when

>you're faced with someone who has a multitude of symptoms and you don't

>know where to start. Write them all down and then firgure out which

>ones naturally go together in categories. The diagnosis will often

>follow easily from there.

>

>-----------

>Questions:

>-----------

>According to the tongues I saw above (and this may not be a

>representative group) what is the most common underlying imbalance for

>fibromyalgia?

>What are the main organ systems affected below?

>How would the tongue look for each group?

>Froma TCM perspective, what do ALL these symptoms have in common?

>What would be the general herbal treatment plan?

>Anyone want to suggest a formula?

>

>--------

>Group I

>Muscle pains that move about (soft tissue rather than joint pains)

>pain during palpation of defined “trigger points”

>Fatigue

>Tendency to hypogylcemia

> Poor appetite and/or excessive appetite.

>Weight loss and/or weight gain.

>Various bowel disorders: Diarrhea, constipation, colonic inertia. (More

>PWCs suffer from diarrhea than constipation. Some experience both,

>alternating.)

>Highest percentage of nondiscocytes (misshapen, inflexible red blood

>cells) found in any medical disorder.

> Actual muscle atrophy in some PWCs and PWFSes though doctors often

>cannot identify a cause.

>numbness

>tingling in hands & feet

>

>Group II

>Insomnia/Sleep disturbance/hypersomnia

>Poor memory.

> " Brain fog " . AKA " spaciness " , " being out of it mentally, " , " the lights

>are on but no one is home " , etc.

>anxiety

>stress

>Mitral Valve Prolapse is common

>

>-----------

>Group III

>depression

>Digestive system problems. IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)

>Incredible nausea.

>headaches and " Headaches from hell, " migraines

>Waxing and waning of various symptoms.

>Allergies

>Can react in strange and unexpected ways to common medications. Drug

>reactions are common, especially to antihistamines.

> Alcohol makes the condition worse.

>Swelling of the liver and/or spleen.

>Depth perception problems.

>Circulation problems.

>Seizures in the people who are the most sick.

>

>------------

>And With some overlap with Group III, Group IV

>dizziness

>Tendency to Neurally Mediated Hypotension. Blood pressure doesn't

>maintain and doesn't rise when it should.

>Sore throat or throat red without soreness.

>Tendency to hypo- and hyper-glandular states (though the hypo- states

>predominate.

>PWCs frequently have to rest up for any special activity (like going to

>town) and then rest up afterwards. Recovery time can be several days

>for

>the ones who are the most sick.

>sensitivity to weather

>sensitivity to temperature changes

>Lower than normal body temps and/or low grade fevers.

>Urinary problems - infections, incotinence, etc.

>Hypersensitivity to sensory input. (fear)

>

>Have fun!

>

>---->Colleen

>

>--

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