Exterior vs. Interior & Pernicious Evils

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Chinese medicine differenciates between Exterior and Interior conditions.

The Exterior includes the skin, muscles, bones, meridians (pathways of Qi

flow), the head, the neck, the arms, and the legs. The Interior is the

Organs of the trunk of the body.

 

Symptoms of an Exterior disorder can include things like a runny and stuffy

nose, sore muscles, some skin disorders, some headaches (especially those in

the back of the head), and arthritis (called Bi Syndrome in TCM, aka Painful

Obstruction Syndrome). Interior disorders are marked by changes in bodily

process (urination, breathing, digestion, reproduction, bowel movements,

etc.) and in bahavior.

 

Interior imbalances are more serious and harder to treat than Exterior

imbalances, though this does not mean that Exterior conditions can't be very

painful and debilitating. Consider the serverity of some cases of headaches

and arthritis.

 

Pernicious Evils are Cold, Heat, Wind, Damp, and Dryness (and Fire).

Pernicious Evils can be in the environment and attacking the person - for

example, freezing temperatures, very hot weather, very windy weather,

dryness, or humidity, or, they can arise in the Interior of the body due to

other factors. One of the possible causes of Interior Wind is Blood

Deficiency. Yang Deficiency is Interior Deficiency Cold. There is not

enough Yang to warm the body properly. Interior Deficiency Heat can arise

because of Yin Deficiency - not enough Yin to cool the body properly. Dairy

products can engender Interior Dampness. Etc.

 

But getting back to Exterior Pernicious Evils: When they attack the body,

Protective Qi keeps them at bay. If the Protective Qi is Deficient or the

Exterior Evil is particularly strong, the Evil will move deeper into the

Interior until stopped and expelled.

 

For example, the common cold usually is Wind Chill. (It can be Wind Heat.)

Cold and Wind will invade the body, affecting the Exterior first (skin,

muscles, nose, meridians) and then start to move into the Interior (the

Lungs). If the Wind Chill of the common cold becomes trapped in the

Interior (the Lungs), it will change into the Fire of pneumonia. Any

Pernicious Evil can change into Fire under the wrong circumstances.

 

Pernicious Evils can invade from the outside, or they can arise from the

inside. Freezing temperatures and hypothermia is an example of Exterior

Excess Cold invading to the Interior. But if Yang is too Deficient to warm

the body properly, Interior Deficiency Cold will develop regardless of how

warm it is in the environment. Too many foods and herbs with cooling energy

can cause Interior Excess Cold.

 

Wind can invade from the outside. But Wind can be created in the Interior

by Blood Deficiency. (Also by Liver Yang Rising under certain conditions.)

(Extreme Heat invading the body - as in the case of the Hot infections -

also can trigger Interior Wind.

 

Dampness can invade from the body or be created internally by too many

Damp-engendering foods like dairy, by Spleen Deficiency, etc.

 

Heat can invade from the Exterior and cause problems like heat stroke. Or,

it can arise internally due to Yin Deficiency (Deficiency Heat) or too many

foods or herbs with warming energy (Excess Heat).

 

Dryness can invade from the environment, or it can be created by Heat, by

disturbances in Fluid physiology, by Fluid loss (bleeding and too much

sweating), or by consuming too many herbs and foods that are drying in

nature.

 

Victoria

 

 

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