Symptoms of meridian problems

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Maciocia has deleted possible Organ symptoms (in cases where there

may be both meridian and Organ involvement) and is concentrating on

the meridian symptoms.

 

Meridians are pathways of Qi flow. Qi, also spelled chi or ch'i,

pronounced " chee " , is loosely and inadequately translated

as " energy " . Acupoints are spots along the course of a meridian

where Qi can be affected. Sometimes when there are problems in a

meridian, an acupoint will be sore, numb, the skin discolored, etc.

Sometimes there will be pain, numbness, discoloration, sensations of

heat or cold, etc. along the course of a meridian. Thus, problems in

the Large Intestine meridian or the Stomach meridian may manifest as

toothache because both these channels run through that area of the

body.

 

The Exterior of the body is the head, neck, arms, legs, skin,

muscles, bones, and meridians. The Interior of the body is the trunk

and Organs.

 

" Lungs

 

" Fever, aversion to cold, stuffiness of the chest, pain in the

clavicle, " (collar bone - runs from the shoulder across to the top of

the breast bone), " shoulders and arms.

 

" Large Intestine

 

" Sore throat, tooth-ache, epistaxis " (nose bleed) " , runny nose,

swollen and painful gums, swollen eyes, pain along the course of the

channel.

 

" Stomach

 

" Pain in the eyes, epistaxis, swelling of neck, facial paralysis,

cold legs and feet, pain along the course of the channel.

 

" Spleen

 

" Vaginal discharge, cold feeling along the channel, weakness of the

leg muscles.

 

" Heart

 

" Pain in the eyes, pain on the inner side of the arm, pain along the

scapula " (shoulder blade).

 

" Small Intestine

 

" Pain in the neck, pain in the elbow, stiff neck, pain along the

lateral side of the arm and scapula

 

" Bladder

 

" Fever and aversion to cold, headache, stiff neck, pain in the lower

back, pain in the eyes, pain behind the leg along the channel.

 

" Kidneys

 

" Pain in the lower back, pain in the sole of the foot.

 

" Pericardium

 

" Stiff neck, pain along the course of the channel, contraction of

elbow or hand.

 

" Triple Burner

 

" Pain along the course of the channel, pain in the elbow, alternation

of chills and fever, deafness, pain and discharge from the ear, pain

at the top of the shoulders.

 

" Gall Bladder

 

" Alternation of chills and fever, headache, deafness, pain in the hip

and lateral side of legs " (the lateral side is the outer side - the

right side of the right leg is the lateral side and the left side of

the left leg is the lateral side) " , pain and distention of breasts.

 

" Liver

 

" Headache, pain and swelling of the eye, cramps in the legs.

 

" As will be realized, some of the symptoms and signs of some of the

Yin channels are actually symptoms of the associated Yang channels.

For example:

 

" _Lungs: pain in the shouders (= Large Intestine)

 

" _Heart: pain in the scapula (= Small Intestine)

 

" _Pericardium: pain in the neck (=Triple Burner channel) " (Giovanni

Maciocia, The Foundations of , pp 309-310.)

 

What he's talking about above is pain in a Yin channel may be due to

its paired Yang channel. The Lungs and Large Intestine are

both " Metal " . The Lungs are Yin Metal, and the Large Intestine is

Yang Metal. This coupled relationship sometimes can be used in

healing. For example, one treatment for Heat in the Lungs (Organ) is

to purge the Large Intestine (Organ). Heart is Yin Fire; Small

Intestine is Yang Fire. Kidneys are Yin Water; Bladder is Yang

Water. Liver is Yin Wood; Gall Bladder is Yang Wood. Spleen is Yin

Earth; Stomach is Yang Earth. (Those new to TCM shouldn't worry

about remembering this. But for those planning on undertaking formal

studies in TCM, this classification does form the basis for 5 Element

Theory, one of the TCM approaches to diagnosis and treatment. In

addition there are some treatments - like the purging the Large

Intestine for Heat in the Lungs - that take advantage of the coupled

relationship and are widely used.

 

This is not a complete listing of signs and symptoms of problems in

meridians. For example, the leg cramps referred to under the Liver

section are more likely to be cramps on the inside of the leg because

the Liver channel runs up the inside of the leg. On the other hand,

cramps on the outside (lateral) part of the leg may be Gall Bladder

related (though they may be Liver-related. Paired meridians. (The

Gall Bladder runs up the outside (lateral) side of the leg.)

 

The Yang meridians transverse the back and the lateral sides of the

body. The Yin meridians transverse the front of the body and the

inside of the arms and legs.

 

Victoria