Symptoms and Signs

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For the readers new to TCM, the term " symptoms " often refers to what

the client reports. For example, troubled sleep, pain, etc. " Signs

usually refers to what the TCM healer can observe. For example, the

pulse diagnosis, the tongue diagnosis, any color tones in the

complexion.

 

Often there is an overlap. For example, a client may report a

feeling of " tightness " , and the healer can feel the tightnessness in

the muscles. In some cases - like what occurs in *some* cases of

migraine headaches caused by Wind Cold invasion (not all migraines

are due to Wind Cold invasion) - the healer can actually see

the " tigthness " . The muscles on one side of the back of the neck

(the side the headache is on) will be noticably contracted whereas

the muscles on the other side appear normal. One effect of Cold is

that it contracts things, including muscles. But you want to check

and make sure the muscles are contracted due to Cold and not

something else. If the client says things like, " I have a lot more

of these headaches in winter than in summer. I hate the winter. I

do a lot better in the summer than in the winter. I hate rainy days

because I frequently get a headache. " , this supports a Wind Cold

invading diagnosis. The thing about rainy days is not only are they

damp, they usually are colder than it has been when the sun was

shining, and the barometric pressure is low. Changes in barometric

pressure fall under the TCM concept of Wind. What we're talking

about from a Western standpoint are headaches due to arthritis in

the neck. From a TCM standpoint, Painful Obstruction Syndrome, aka

Bi Syndrome. And Dampness, Cold, and/or Wind are the three big

causes of POS. (In chronic POS, there are also some other things

going on which make the person more vulnerable to invasion by Wind,

Cold, and/or Dampness. Like chronic Blood and Qi Deficiency.)

 

BTW, early and middle spring can be particularly hard times for

people who are vulnerable to Wind Cold Invasion. It's hard for them

to dress appropriately at this time of year. It's warm enough that

they frequently feel too warm in jackets or sweaters. So they remove

them. But because they have a vulnerability to cold, they

frequently then get too chilled. Not to mention that Wind is the

predominate atmospheric condition in the spring. Spring can be a

hard time on people vulnerable to either Wind Heat or Wind Cold.

The first group because the spring is already too warm for them, and

the latter because it's still not warm enough for them. So don't

assume that the problem is Wind Heat just because there are problems

in the spring, and temperatures rise at that time of year. Look at

the total picture.

 

Anyway, the term " signs " is usually reserved for the findings of the

pulse diagnosis, the tongue diagnosis, and color tones in the

complextion.