Pattern Identification according to meridians

[Guest guest]

" The Pattern Identification according to the channels is the oldest

of the pattern identification methods. It is found in the 'Spiritual

Axis' in chapter 10.1

 

" Basically, this method of pattern identification alows us to

distinguish symptoms and signs according to the involved channel: it

is therefore concerned with the pathological changes occurring in the

channel rather than the organ.

 

" Organ versus channel " (meridian)

 

" The organs and their relevant channels form an indivisible energetic

unit: problems of the internal organs can affect the relevant

channels, and conversely, problems which start as channel problems

can penetrate in the Interior and be transmitted to the organs. "

 

This is a very important paragraph. We've talked a lot on here about

how Pernicious Evils (Cold, Wind, Damp, Heat, and Dryness) can attack

the Exterior (head, neck, arms, legs, skin, muscles, bones, and

meridians (channels)) and move inward to the Interior (trunk of body,

Organs). This is the " problems which start as channel problems can

penetrate in the Interior and be transmitted to the organs " part. But

it's also true that Interior problems which arise can affect the

channels, showing up a pain, numbness, stiffness, redness,, heat,

cold, etc. along the course of a meridian. Later on Maciocia will

give an example of this.

 

" It is important, however, to appreciate both the unity and the

separation between the organ and the channel. They form a unity, but

they are also energetically separate: the channels pertain to what is

called the Exterior, i.e. the superficial energetic layers of the

body (including skin and muscles), and the organs pertain to the

Interior, i.e. the deep energetic layer of the body including the

organs and bones. " (My note: Bones usually are classified as

Exterior.

 

" In disease, there can be problems of the channels not affecting the

organs and vice versa. It is very important to appreciate (and be

able to identify) when a problem is situated in the Exterior and

affecting the channels only, as there has been a certain tendency in

Western acupuncture to overemphasize the role of the Internal Organs. "

 

One thing I want to emphasize here is that even though it is true

that Exterior problems are not as serious as Interior problems and

even though Exterior problems are easier to treat than Interior

problems, this does not mean that an Exterior problem is not very

painful and very debilitating. Just ask a person with arthritis, aka

Painful Obstruction Syndrome (Bi Syndrome).

 

In the next paragraph, Maciocia goes into an example of problems just

in a meridian and an example of problems which arose in an Organ in

time affecting the meridian.

 

" For example, if a person has a pain in the shoulder along the Large

Intestine channel without any Large Intestine-organ symptoms, one can

safely conclude that this is a channel problem only, not affecting

the Internal Organs. If, on the contrary, a person suffers from

chronic diarrhoea over a long period of time with mucus and blood in

the stools and, after some years, develops a pain in (sic) the

shoulder along the Large Intestine channel, then this channel problem

is possibly caused by its corresponding Internal Organ disease.

However, even in this case there could be an overlap of an internal

organ problem with a separate invasion of an exterior pathogenic

factor in the channel. "

 

In other words, go by the symptoms and signs. If there are only

problems in the meridian, the problem does not involve the Organs.

If there are symptoms and signs of Interior problems (changes in the

processes of the body and behavior) and after some time problems show

up in the corresponding meridian, the Root is in the Organ. The

Organ imbalance is causing the problems in the corresponding meridian.

 

Maciocia alludes to a third possibility in the final sentence of the

paragraph: " an overlap of an internal organ problem with a separate

invasion of an exterior pathogenic factor in the channel. " The person

gets hits with a double whammy. An imbalance exists in an Organ (or

Organs), and this Organ imbalance already is causing problems in the

corresponding meridian (or meridians - more than one Organ may be in

imbalance). And each time a Perncicious Evil invades the Exterior

(the meridians), it adds even more problems to the existing ones in

both the meridian and Organ (if allowed to progress to the

Interior). Indeed, if the meridian already is weakened by Organ

imbalance, the Exterior Pernicious Evil has the equivalent of a

straight, smooth superhighway through the meridian and into the

Organ. To put this another way, if the person already has certain

Inteior problems like say Interior Cold (due to Yang Deficiency or

due to Interior Excess Cold), it is a lot easier for the Exterior

Cold to invade. AND, the effects of the Cold will be much more

severe than they would have been if the Organs and meridians weren't

already having problems. The pain can be excruciating along the

course of the meridian, and the Interior symptoms can be extremely

intense. Remember the example I gave of the incredible nausea I

experienced (due to Wind Cold invading) if one of the headaches I

used to have progressed to that stage. The pain also was incredible.

Problems already existed in certain Organs and their corresponding

meridians, and each time the weather got cooler or I got chilled

(like from sweat evaporating off the skin, being exposed to air

conditioning (even though it felt good at the time), the pain and

other problem in the meridians and Organs became worse. A double

whammy.

 

Maciocia also lists the 4 factors which can give rise to channel

problems. I'm just going to list them here, but go into more detail

in a separate post. There is some good information in his

elaborations on the 4 factors. But for now, here is just the four

factors that can give rise to channel problems:

 

1. Invasion by Exterior Pernicious Evils.

2. Overuse of an arm or leg or another part of the body. Think

repetitive motion injury. The person uses an arm too much, or bends

over too much, or whatever.

3. Sports injury. This also could include trauma from accidents.

4. Internal Organ imbalance.

 

Informtion taken from The Foundations of , Giovanni

Maciocia, pp. 307-308.)

 

Victoria