Formulas that Regulate Qi

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The following is taken from Chinese Herbal Medicine Frmulas & Strategies by

Dan Bensky & Randall Barolet, pp. 289-290. These are some general

considerations for the use of formulas that Regulate the Qi.

 

" In regulating the qi, it is important to distinguish deficiency from

excess. Stagnation is regarded as a form of excess; when it occurs, the

appropriate strategy is to promote the movement of qi. If, instead, the qi

is tonified, the stagnation will increase and the patient's condition will

worsen. "

 

Think of the analogy of a garden hose with a blockage in it. If you keep

forcing water into it, the hose may burst. The hose is not able to handle

the extra water (qi) until the blockage is removed. And like the analogy of

the blockage in the hose, water (qi) may not be reaching areas it needs to

reach. Whenever there is a need for a Qi tonic, always rule in or rule out

any Qi Stagnation problems.

 

" Conversely, promoting the movement of qi when it is deficient will only

serve to aggravate the deficiency. "

 

Formulas that move Qi also tend to scatter and deplete it. If the person

has Qi Stagnation, also rule in or rule out Qi Deficiency.

 

So what happens if the person is both Qi Deficient and has Qi Stagnation "

 

" When the qi is both stagnant and deficient (a relatively cmmon occurrence),

both aspects must be addressed. Balancing a formula between tonifying and

promoting the movement of qi is a difficult task. "

 

Yes it is. Personal experience speaking here.

 

" The ingredients of these formulas are mostly bitter or acrid and warming or

drying, and can easily injure the fluids and scatter the qi when improperly

used. They should therefore be prescribed only with the utmost caution in

patients with both qi stagnation and depleted fluids. Moreover, once the

condition improves, their use should be discontinued. "

 

One needs to be careful in using these formulas if just Qi Deficiency is

present as they can deplete Qi further. But if both Qi Deficiency and Fluid

Deficiency are present, one needs to be extra careful in using them because

they also can be drying. Some herbs and formulas that Regulate Qi are safer

to use in cases of Qi Deficiency than others are. Your TCM Materia Medica

(list of herbs) and book of formulas should tell you which are the safest to

use in cases of Qi Deficiency.

 

" When diagnosing qi stagnation it is important to determine which organ is

affected (usually the Liver, Spleen, Stomach, or Lungs), whether the pattern

is hot or cold, and the area of the body in which the stagnation is located

(chest, hypochondria, epigastrium, or abdomen). All of these factors will

influence treatment. "

 

Hot or Cold will have a great bearing on selecting the best strategy -

especially if Cold is involved. I can tell you from person experience that

if Cold is lodged in the lower abdomen and if Kidney Yang Deficiency is also

present (and has been so for some time), Formulas that Regulate the Qi are

not going to be enough by themselves. Even though the Qi Regulating herbs

and formulas do tend to to be acrid (spicy) and warming, that underlying

Kidney Yang Deficiency is going to have to be addressed and at least

partially resolved (Kidney Yang Deficiency can take a long time to be

resolved) before the Qi will flow smoothly in that area. Cold is one of the

things that can cause Qi to Stagnate. When a person has been Kidney Yang

Deficient for some time, this can cause the person to be prone to invasion

by Exterior Evils. This is a weather sensitive person. Exterior Cold can

invade the Uterus, the Intestines, and the Stomach directly. In cases of

long-time Kidney Yang Deficiency, very often the person is contending not

only with Deficiency Cold (Yang Deficiency - Yang warms and activates the

body - not enough Yang to warm the body properly), the person also is prone

to invasion by Exterior Excess Cold. In these cases Qi Regulating herbs and

formulas are not enough by themselves. The Kidney Yang needs to be tonified

and the Interior warmed. This can be quite a balancing act, and formulas

may need to be changed frequently. The more replenished the Yang becomes

(this can take time), the more problems resolve and are easier to treat.

Conversely, if the Qi is Stagnant, it may be harder to resolve the Cold

because the warming Qi is not reaching some areas like it should. It's

blocked from reaching those areas and flowing freely and smoothly.

 

" The primary clinical manifestations of stagnant qi are pain and distention.

This is reflected in another adage, 'Interruption (in the flow of qi)

results in pain.' Facilitating or opening up (tong) the proper flow of qi

is therefore the primary objective of the formulas in this chapter. They

are said to regulate the qi (li qi), and thereby the functions of the

organs. "

 

So what are some of the other things which can cause Qi to Stagnate?

 

" When Pathological change occurs in any area, organ, or channel of the body,

it is usually the flow of qi that is first affected. Thus the adage, 'In

its initial stage, disease resides in the qi.' This refers to the

stagnation of qi. Emotional disturbances, irregular eating habits, trauma,

and externally-contracted pathogenic influences " (External Evils like Cold,

Heat, Damp, etc.) " may interrupt the flow of qi and cause it to stagnate.

Long-term qi deficiency may also lead to qi stagnation. " (Think of a creek

bed which is almost dry. There are isolated puddles of water (qi) but not

enough to flow down the creek bed.) " Constrained Liver qi is the type of qi

stanation most closely related to emotional factors. " Though Liver Qi

Stagnation etiology is not limited to emotional causes. It's that emotional

factors are the most common cause of Liver Qi Stagnating. Bensky and Barolet

don't spell it out in the introduction, but Dampness is a biggie (along with

Cold) for interfering with Qi flow. Blood Stasis (if it goes untreated long

enough) also can cause Qi Stagnation, just as untreated Qi Stagnation

eventually can trigger Blood Stasis. Trauma from accident or surgery can

interfere with Qi flow. One of the possible causes of infertility can be a

prior miscarriage, surgical procedure, or IUD that caused problems. Spinal

misalignment can interfere with Qi flow. Phlegm (Dampness that has hung

around too long and congealed) can block Qi flow.

 

In Bensky's and Barolet's book, they divide Formulas that regulate the Qi

into two different categories. " The first promotes the movement of qi, or

unblocks the stagnation of qi, and is used in treating pain. The second

directs the rebellious or abnormal flow of qi downward and is used in

treating such problems as vomiting, belching, hiccough, and some forms of

coughing or wheezing. "

 

QI Gong exercises can be especially good for getting both Qi and Blood

moving. Qi Gong exercises are one way to get around the problems involved

in balancing a formula where both Qi Deficiency and Qi Stagnation are

present. If the person is doing Qi Gong, there usually will be less need

for Qi Regulating herbs or formulas. One may still have to use some - at

least in the initial stages - but with a regular program of Qi Gong, the

person no longer is dependent on just herbs or acupuncture or massage for

helping the problem.

 

Acupuncture, acupressure, and massage often can take the place of Qi

Regulating herbs and formulas though not always and perhaps not entirely.

 

Victoria

 

 

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