Ankle pain (Arthritis - General TCM info)

[Guest guest]

This is a very basic post for the list members who are new to TCM so

they can follow this discusion too.

 

First some basic TCM info: 1. TCM considers if a condition is

Exterior or Interior (or both). The Exterior of the body includes

the skin, muscles, bones, meridians, head, neck, shoulders, and

legs. The Interior of the body is the Organs. 2. When Blood or Qi

stagnate (from any cause), it produces pain.

 

What is called arthritis in the West is called Painful Obstruction

Syndrome (POS) (aka Bi Syndrome) in TCM.

 

Treatment for Painful Obstruction Syndrome will vary according to if

it's acute (or semi-acute) or chronic. The acute (or semi-acute)

cases are Exterior problems. The chronic cases involve both the

Exterior and the Interior. In order for POS to be chronic, there is

some kind of weakness in the Interior (Organs) which is causing Qi

and/or Blood Deficiency. Chronic POS is both Exterior and Interior.

 

TCM pays far more attention to weather conditions (and artificial

weather conditions - heating systems, cooling systems, fans, etc.)

than Western allopathic medicine does. These environmental

influences which can " invade " the body are called Pernicious Evils.

They are Heat, Cold, Dampness, Dryness, and Wind.

 

Many Western arthritis sufferers recognize that cold and damp make

their arthritis worse. Not as many realize that Wind also

aggravates/ triggers their episodes. The concept of " Wind " in TCM

includes not only the actual wind but changes in barometric pressure

and ion concentrations. Some people who are weather sensitive are

affected by changes in barometric pressure before the wind actually

starts. (From a Western biomedical standpoint what is happening is

that tissues are swelling slightly in some people when the

barometric pressure drops, and this is triggering pain.)

 

There is a special kind of Qi called Protective (aka Defensive) Qi

that cirulates at the surface of the body and which gives people

resistence to Pernicious Evils in the environment. Protective Qi may

be temporarily low due to things like staying up late too many

nights to study or to get a report ready for work, eating too many

sweets at a party, etc. In susceptible individuals this allows Wind

Cold Damp to " invade " , and the result is an acute episode of

arthritis. Or, the Pernicious Evil may be so unusually strong that

it overwhelms Protective Qi that is otherwise sufficient. An

example of this would be say a 30 degree F drop in temperature

within a few hours. Unseasonable weather can do it too. Like an

unusual cold spell in summer. The body can't adjust to the changing

conditions fast enough. In people prone to arthritis, these are

episodes of acute POS. In order for the pain to stop, the Pernicious

Evils must be expelled from the Exterior.

 

But some people are chronically Qi Deficient due to imbalances and

weaknesses in the Spleen and/or Lungs. In people prone to arthritis,

this means chronic POS. It's not enough to expel the Wind, Cold,

and/or Damp from the Exterior (bones, mucles, sinews,

channels/meridians), the Qi Deficiency also needs to be corrected.

Unless that underlying Qi Deficiency is corrected, the person is

going to hurt every time the weather changes for the worse.

 

Weak Defensive Qi isn't the only thing that can render a person

prone to invasion by Pernicious Evils in the environment. Blood

Deficiency can do it too. Some readers may have noticed that I

capitalize the word " Blood " when it's used in a TCM context. This

is because Blood is not equivalent to blood. In TCM things are

defined by their functions. Two of the functions of Blood are

moistening and nourishing the tissues. If the tissues are not being

properly moistened and nourished, they lack resistence to Perncious

Evils. (For the beginning TCM students on the list: Long term Kidney

Yang Deficiency also can render a person vulnerable to Pernicious

Evils in the environment.)

 

Modern Chinese medicine classifies POS according to the primary

Pernicious Evil the person is vulnerable to: Wind POS, Damp POS,

Cold POS. Usually, all 3 will be present, but one will predominate.

The pain will differ according to which it is. The pain from Wind

POS will move around a lot. One day the wrist is affected, and the

next day it's the elbow. This is the least severe POS pain. Damp POS

is characterized by pain that stays in one place and joints that

swell. Also, there will be feelings of heaviness and maybe even

numbness in the arms and/or legs. Cold POS is the most severe pain.

It too is fixed, and the limitation of movement is particularly

marked. The pulse will be different for the 3 too.

 

A fourth classifiation is Heat Painful Obstruction Syndrome. TCM

recognizes that any Perncious Evil can transform to Heat (and

eventually to Fire). For example, Cold can cause Qi to Stagnate. It

blocks the free flow of Qi. Qi is warm. If Qi becomes " trapped " ,

heat builds up. Cold has transformed to Heat. The joints feel hot,

and there is redness and swelling. This pain is fixed, and there's

also marked limitation of movement. Heat POS is more likely if

there is an underlying Yin Deficiency.

 

The fifth classification is Bone Painful Obstruction. There is

swelling and in time mucles can atrophy and there can be changes in

the bones.

 

The pain of Blood Stasis is a more severe pain than that of Qi

Stagnation. TCM recognizes that localized Blood Stasis can still

exist years after trauma to tissues or bones. Even though the

bruises faded long ago, there is still Blood Stasis in the area.

This is why people who are prone to arthritis tend to be prone to

having it worse in an area that was injured previously than in areas

that have never been injured severly enough to produce long-term

Blood Stasis.

 

When Blood Stagnates, tissues aren't being properly moistened and

nourished because the Blood can't sufficiently get to them. Blood

Stasis can be generalized or or it can be localized. Deficiency of

Blood also can trigger Blood Stasis, just as Blood Stasis can

trigger localized Blood Deficiency.

 

When pain and stiffness are worse in the morning than at other

times, suspect and rule in or rule out the possibility of Blood

Deficiency. When a person lies down and sleeps or just rests, Blood

is stored in the Liver. In a person who has sufficient Blood, this

doesn't create any problems. There's still enough flowing to moisten

and nourish the tissues of the body. BUT if the person is Blood

Deficient, when a lot of the Blood is stored in the Liver, some

tissues are not properly moistened and nourished. Note: The Liver is

not equivalent to the anatomical liver. Like Blood, Organs are

defined in TCM according to their functions. A better term for

Westerners might be Organ systems.

 

A trained TCM healer also is going to look closely at the Liver and

Kidneys in cases of chronic POS. The Liver has a particular

influence over the sinews and tendons, and the Kidneys have a

particular influence over the health of the bones. BTW, whenever the

color black is present or there is a blackish cast to to the skin,

suspect and rule in or rule out Kidney imbalance. Liver imbalance

sometimes will manifest with a greenish discoloration.

 

There are some older classifications that the the TCM students will

be learning about.

[Guest guest]

I was also told that all arthritis is a chi blockage and the reason that

arthritis gets worse in the winter is because we have 30% more chi in our bodies

than in the summer.

 

Amy

 

 

 

victoria_dragon <victoria_dragon wrote:

This is a very basic post for the list members who are new to TCM so

they can follow this discusion too.

 

First some basic TCM info: 1. TCM considers if a condition is

Exterior or Interior (or both). The Exterior of the body includes

the skin, muscles, bones, meridians, head, neck, shoulders, and

legs. The Interior of the body is the Organs. 2. When Blood or Qi

stagnate (from any cause), it produces pain.

 

What is called arthritis in the West is called Painful Obstruction

Syndrome (POS) (aka Bi Syndrome) in TCM.

 

Treatment for Painful Obstruction Syndrome will vary according to if

it's acute (or semi-acute) or chronic. The acute (or semi-acute)

cases are Exterior problems. The chronic cases involve both the

Exterior and the Interior. In order for POS to be chronic, there is

some kind of weakness in the Interior (Organs) which is causing Qi

and/or Blood Deficiency. Chronic POS is both Exterior and Interior.

 

TCM pays far more attention to weather conditions (and artificial

weather conditions - heating systems, cooling systems, fans, etc.)

than Western allopathic medicine does. These environmental

influences which can " invade " the body are called Pernicious Evils.

They are Heat, Cold, Dampness, Dryness, and Wind.

 

Many Western arthritis sufferers recognize that cold and damp make

their arthritis worse. Not as many realize that Wind also

aggravates/ triggers their episodes. The concept of " Wind " in TCM

includes not only the actual wind but changes in barometric pressure

and ion concentrations. Some people who are weather sensitive are

affected by changes in barometric pressure before the wind actually

starts. (From a Western biomedical standpoint what is happening is

that tissues are swelling slightly in some people when the

barometric pressure drops, and this is triggering pain.)

 

There is a special kind of Qi called Protective (aka Defensive) Qi

that cirulates at the surface of the body and which gives people

resistence to Pernicious Evils in the environment. Protective Qi may

be temporarily low due to things like staying up late too many

nights to study or to get a report ready for work, eating too many

sweets at a party, etc. In susceptible individuals this allows Wind

Cold Damp to " invade " , and the result is an acute episode of

arthritis. Or, the Pernicious Evil may be so unusually strong that

it overwhelms Protective Qi that is otherwise sufficient. An

example of this would be say a 30 degree F drop in temperature

within a few hours. Unseasonable weather can do it too. Like an

unusual cold spell in summer. The body can't adjust to the changing

conditions fast enough. In people prone to arthritis, these are

episodes of acute POS. In order for the pain to stop, the Pernicious

Evils must be expelled from the Exterior.

 

But some people are chronically Qi Deficient due to imbalances and

weaknesses in the Spleen and/or Lungs. In people prone to arthritis,

this means chronic POS. It's not enough to expel the Wind, Cold,

and/or Damp from the Exterior (bones, mucles, sinews,

channels/meridians), the Qi Deficiency also needs to be corrected.

Unless that underlying Qi Deficiency is corrected, the person is

going to hurt every time the weather changes for the worse.

 

Weak Defensive Qi isn't the only thing that can render a person

prone to invasion by Pernicious Evils in the environment. Blood

Deficiency can do it too. Some readers may have noticed that I

capitalize the word " Blood " when it's used in a TCM context. This

is because Blood is not equivalent to blood. In TCM things are

defined by their functions. Two of the functions of Blood are

moistening and nourishing the tissues. If the tissues are not being

properly moistened and nourished, they lack resistence to Perncious

Evils. (For the beginning TCM students on the list: Long term Kidney

Yang Deficiency also can render a person vulnerable to Pernicious

Evils in the environment.)

 

Modern Chinese medicine classifies POS according to the primary

Pernicious Evil the person is vulnerable to: Wind POS, Damp POS,

Cold POS. Usually, all 3 will be present, but one will predominate.

The pain will differ according to which it is. The pain from Wind

POS will move around a lot. One day the wrist is affected, and the

next day it's the elbow. This is the least severe POS pain. Damp POS

is characterized by pain that stays in one place and joints that

swell. Also, there will be feelings of heaviness and maybe even

numbness in the arms and/or legs. Cold POS is the most severe pain.

It too is fixed, and the limitation of movement is particularly

marked. The pulse will be different for the 3 too.

 

A fourth classifiation is Heat Painful Obstruction Syndrome. TCM

recognizes that any Perncious Evil can transform to Heat (and

eventually to Fire). For example, Cold can cause Qi to Stagnate. It

blocks the free flow of Qi. Qi is warm. If Qi becomes " trapped " ,

heat builds up. Cold has transformed to Heat. The joints feel hot,

and there is redness and swelling. This pain is fixed, and there's

also marked limitation of movement. Heat POS is more likely if

there is an underlying Yin Deficiency.

 

The fifth classification is Bone Painful Obstruction. There is

swelling and in time mucles can atrophy and there can be changes in

the bones.

 

The pain of Blood Stasis is a more severe pain than that of Qi

Stagnation. TCM recognizes that localized Blood Stasis can still

exist years after trauma to tissues or bones. Even though the

bruises faded long ago, there is still Blood Stasis in the area.

This is why people who are prone to arthritis tend to be prone to

having it worse in an area that was injured previously than in areas

that have never been injured severly enough to produce long-term

Blood Stasis.

 

When Blood Stagnates, tissues aren't being properly moistened and

nourished because the Blood can't sufficiently get to them. Blood

Stasis can be generalized or or it can be localized. Deficiency of

Blood also can trigger Blood Stasis, just as Blood Stasis can

trigger localized Blood Deficiency.

 

When pain and stiffness are worse in the morning than at other

times, suspect and rule in or rule out the possibility of Blood

Deficiency. When a person lies down and sleeps or just rests, Blood

is stored in the Liver. In a person who has sufficient Blood, this

doesn't create any problems. There's still enough flowing to moisten

and nourish the tissues of the body. BUT if the person is Blood

Deficient, when a lot of the Blood is stored in the Liver, some

tissues are not properly moistened and nourished. Note: The Liver is

not equivalent to the anatomical liver. Like Blood, Organs are

defined in TCM according to their functions. A better term for

Westerners might be Organ systems.

 

A trained TCM healer also is going to look closely at the Liver and

Kidneys in cases of chronic POS. The Liver has a particular

influence over the sinews and tendons, and the Kidneys have a

particular influence over the health of the bones. BTW, whenever the

color black is present or there is a blackish cast to to the skin,

suspect and rule in or rule out Kidney imbalance. Liver imbalance

sometimes will manifest with a greenish discoloration.

 

There are some older classifications that the the TCM students will

be learning about.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stay in the know. Pulse on the new .com. Check it out.

 

 

[Guest guest]

Chinese Traditional Medicine , Amy Shaw <amymshaw wrote:

>

> I was also told that all arthritis is a chi blockage and the

reason that arthritis gets worse in the winter is because we have

30% more chi in our bodies than in the summer.

 

Qi does not cause pain. It's the blockage of Qi that results in

pain. (Blood Stasis also results in pain.) A person can have

tremendous amounts of Qi, and as long as it is flowing freely and

properly there will be no pain.

 

The nature of Cold is that it slows and contracts. A good analogy to

keep in mind is that of a stream in summer and winter. In summer

(provided there is no drought (Dryness)), the stream flows quickly

and powerfully. When the stream ices over in winter, water flow

stops where there is ice and slows considerably beneath the ice. If

it gets very cold, ice dams can be created.

 

The effect of Cold on the Exterior of the body is it shuts pores

tightly and it causes muscles to contract. It's why chiropractric

treatments may not last in people who are unusually sensitive to

cold. The muscles contract so much and stay contracted that they can

pull the body out of alignment again. Aside from considerations of

Qi Stagnation, these overly contracted muscles can affect nerves and

this too plays a role in pain. Think tension headaches.

Unfortunately in the West there is a tendency for many healers to

assign all tensed muscles to psychological causes. There are other

things beside psychological tension that can cause muscles to

contract excessively. Cold will do it. So will magnesium deficiency.

 

Dampness interferes with the free and proper flow of Qi. A good

analogy to keep in mind is the difference between wading through

water and walking through air. Wading through water is harder and

slower than walking through air because of the resistence.

 

Wind interferes with the proper circulation of Defensive Qi. It

attacks the most exterior channels first - the Bladder and Small

Intestine meridians. Because of the way these meridians run, the

results can be pain and stiffness in the neck and in the outer

(lateral) wrist, elbow, and shoulders. (Because Wind tends to attack

the upper body (goes high, is " light " ), the symptoms tend to

predominate in the upper body. Dampness is " heavy " and tends to

manifest most strongly in the lower part of the body. This doesn't

mean that there won't be Dampness problems in the upper body and

Wind problems in the lower body, just that Wind will tend toward the

upper, and Dampness toward the lower.)

 

Whereas Cold causes pores to contract tightly, Wind opens them up.

Those wide open pores provide a very easy route for other Pernicious

Evils. In TCM parlance, this is part of what is meant by the

expression " Wind readily teams up with other Pernicious Evils. " This

tendency of Wind to team up in various ways with other Pernicious

Evils is why Wind plays a role in so many different disorders.

 

When Wind teams up with Cold (Wind Cold), the Cold causes the pores

to close, trapping the Wind and Cold in the body. The treatment for

Wind Cold in the first two stages of the Six Stages of Cold-Induced

Illness is to induce sweating. This provides a route for the Wind

and Cold to leave the body. An oft-used analogy in Chinese medicine

is comparing the Wind Cold to a thief in one's house. One doesn't

want to lock the thief in the house but provide the thief with a way

of exit before the thief can further harm oneself and one's

valuables. (As the Wind Cold moves deeper into the body, the

treatment changes. After the Wind Cold has moved deeper into the

body, inducing sweating can make the person sicker.)

 

The nature of Wind also is that it moves around a lot and moves

quickly. In cases of Painful Obstruction Syndrome (arthritis) where

Wind is the predominate influence, the pain will migrate. One day

the fingers may hurt, the next day the pain may be in the wrists,

and the next in the elbows. Symptoms also tend to change a lot in

conditions where Wind is a major factor.

 

Besides Qi Stagnating, flowing sluggishly, and even becoming

blocked, there's something else that can go wrong with Qi flow in

the body. It can " Sink " , or it can " Rebel " . There is a proper

direction of Qi flow in the meridians. When Qi is supposed to

ascend (like in the Spleen meridian) but descends instead, this is

called Qi Sinking. When Qi is supposed to descend (like Stomach Qi)

but instead rises, this is called " Rebellious Qi " . (Note for the

beginning TCM students: Spleen Qi Sinking is classified as a

Deficiency condition, and is a subset of Spleen Qi Deficiency.

Stomach Qi Rebeling is classified as an Excess condition. Later

you'll need this info in diagnosis and treatment.)

 

Both Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis can result in pain. Qi

Stagnation pain is milder and more diffuse than that caused by Blood

Stasis. It's like the pain of gas in the intestines. It also has

a " distending " quality. In contrast the pain of Blood Stasis has a

boring quality. It's " margins " are more clearly defined than that of

Qi Stagnation. The person is better able to tell where the pain

begins and ends than with the pain of Qi Stagnation which is more

diffuse. If Qi Stagnation is not treated, in time it can trigger

Blood Stasis. This is what happens when a headache that was

bearable becomes crippling. The Qi Stagnation has triggered Blood

Stasis.

 

If you're ranking the pain (and amount of Qi Stagnation) in Painful

Obstruction Syndrome, the pain from Wind is the least severe. The

pain (and Qi obstruction) of Dampness is more severe than Wind, and

that of Cold is the most severe of the three. If Blood Stasis

develops, it can trump all three in terms of pain. The pain from

Blood Stasis can be (not always) what I describe as " Oh my God! I've

GOT to have something for this " pain. Blood Stasis pain can be so

severe there's no ignoring it and carrying on regardless.

 

Another note for the TCM students on the list: Just as Qi

Stagnation can trigger Blood Stasis, Blood Stasis can result in Qi

problems. Severe pain can cause Qi to rebel. This is why medical

conditions with very severe pain - like the passing of a gall stone

or a kidney stone - also can have vomiting as a symptom. The severe

pain triggers Rebellious Stomach Qi. (Severe pain isn't the only

thing that can cause Qi to rebel, but one of the things.)

[Guest guest]

X-ray of my heal and ankle has diagnosed spurs as the cause of pain. Will apple

cider and salt heat pack help in spur pain. Can something else help with spur

pain.

 

Thanks.

 

Atul

 

victoria_dragon <victoria_dragon wrote:

This is a very basic post for the list members who are new to TCM so

they can follow this discusion too.

 

First some basic TCM info: 1. TCM considers if a condition is

Exterior or Interior (or both). The Exterior of the body includes

the skin, muscles, bones, meridians, head, neck, shoulders, and

legs. The Interior of the body is the Organs. 2. When Blood or Qi

stagnate (from any cause), it produces pain.

 

What is called arthritis in the West is called Painful Obstruction

Syndrome (POS) (aka Bi Syndrome) in TCM.

 

Treatment for Painful Obstruction Syndrome will vary according to if

it's acute (or semi-acute) or chronic. The acute (or semi-acute)

cases are Exterior problems. The chronic cases involve both the

Exterior and the Interior. In order for POS to be chronic, there is

some kind of weakness in the Interior (Organs) which is causing Qi

and/or Blood Deficiency. Chronic POS is both Exterior and Interior.

 

TCM pays far more attention to weather conditions (and artificial

weather conditions - heating systems, cooling systems, fans, etc.)

than Western allopathic medicine does. These environmental

influences which can " invade " the body are called Pernicious Evils.

They are Heat, Cold, Dampness, Dryness, and Wind.

 

Many Western arthritis sufferers recognize that cold and damp make

their arthritis worse. Not as many realize that Wind also

aggravates/ triggers their episodes. The concept of " Wind " in TCM

includes not only the actual wind but changes in barometric pressure

and ion concentrations. Some people who are weather sensitive are

affected by changes in barometric pressure before the wind actually

starts. (From a Western biomedical standpoint what is happening is

that tissues are swelling slightly in some people when the

barometric pressure drops, and this is triggering pain.)

 

There is a special kind of Qi called Protective (aka Defensive) Qi

that cirulates at the surface of the body and which gives people

resistence to Pernicious Evils in the environment. Protective Qi may

be temporarily low due to things like staying up late too many

nights to study or to get a report ready for work, eating too many

sweets at a party, etc. In susceptible individuals this allows Wind

Cold Damp to " invade " , and the result is an acute episode of

arthritis. Or, the Pernicious Evil may be so unusually strong that

it overwhelms Protective Qi that is otherwise sufficient. An

example of this would be say a 30 degree F drop in temperature

within a few hours. Unseasonable weather can do it too. Like an

unusual cold spell in summer. The body can't adjust to the changing

conditions fast enough. In people prone to arthritis, these are

episodes of acute POS. In order for the pain to stop, the Pernicious

Evils must be expelled from the Exterior.

 

But some people are chronically Qi Deficient due to imbalances and

weaknesses in the Spleen and/or Lungs. In people prone to arthritis,

this means chronic POS. It's not enough to expel the Wind, Cold,

and/or Damp from the Exterior (bones, mucles, sinews,

channels/meridians), the Qi Deficiency also needs to be corrected.

Unless that underlying Qi Deficiency is corrected, the person is

going to hurt every time the weather changes for the worse.

 

Weak Defensive Qi isn't the only thing that can render a person

prone to invasion by Pernicious Evils in the environment. Blood

Deficiency can do it too. Some readers may have noticed that I

capitalize the word " Blood " when it's used in a TCM context. This

is because Blood is not equivalent to blood. In TCM things are

defined by their functions. Two of the functions of Blood are

moistening and nourishing the tissues. If the tissues are not being

properly moistened and nourished, they lack resistence to Perncious

Evils. (For the beginning TCM students on the list: Long term Kidney

Yang Deficiency also can render a person vulnerable to Pernicious

Evils in the environment.)

 

Modern Chinese medicine classifies POS according to the primary

Pernicious Evil the person is vulnerable to: Wind POS, Damp POS,

Cold POS. Usually, all 3 will be present, but one will predominate.

The pain will differ according to which it is. The pain from Wind

POS will move around a lot. One day the wrist is affected, and the

next day it's the elbow. This is the least severe POS pain. Damp POS

is characterized by pain that stays in one place and joints that

swell. Also, there will be feelings of heaviness and maybe even

numbness in the arms and/or legs. Cold POS is the most severe pain.

It too is fixed, and the limitation of movement is particularly

marked. The pulse will be different for the 3 too.

 

A fourth classifiation is Heat Painful Obstruction Syndrome. TCM

recognizes that any Perncious Evil can transform to Heat (and

eventually to Fire). For example, Cold can cause Qi to Stagnate. It

blocks the free flow of Qi. Qi is warm. If Qi becomes " trapped " ,

heat builds up. Cold has transformed to Heat. The joints feel hot,

and there is redness and swelling. This pain is fixed, and there's

also marked limitation of movement. Heat POS is more likely if

there is an underlying Yin Deficiency.

 

The fifth classification is Bone Painful Obstruction. There is

swelling and in time mucles can atrophy and there can be changes in

the bones.

 

The pain of Blood Stasis is a more severe pain than that of Qi

Stagnation. TCM recognizes that localized Blood Stasis can still

exist years after trauma to tissues or bones. Even though the

bruises faded long ago, there is still Blood Stasis in the area.

This is why people who are prone to arthritis tend to be prone to

having it worse in an area that was injured previously than in areas

that have never been injured severly enough to produce long-term

Blood Stasis.

 

When Blood Stagnates, tissues aren't being properly moistened and

nourished because the Blood can't sufficiently get to them. Blood

Stasis can be generalized or or it can be localized. Deficiency of

Blood also can trigger Blood Stasis, just as Blood Stasis can

trigger localized Blood Deficiency.

 

When pain and stiffness are worse in the morning than at other

times, suspect and rule in or rule out the possibility of Blood

Deficiency. When a person lies down and sleeps or just rests, Blood

is stored in the Liver. In a person who has sufficient Blood, this

doesn't create any problems. There's still enough flowing to moisten

and nourish the tissues of the body. BUT if the person is Blood

Deficient, when a lot of the Blood is stored in the Liver, some

tissues are not properly moistened and nourished. Note: The Liver is

not equivalent to the anatomical liver. Like Blood, Organs are

defined in TCM according to their functions. A better term for

Westerners might be Organ systems.

 

A trained TCM healer also is going to look closely at the Liver and

Kidneys in cases of chronic POS. The Liver has a particular

influence over the sinews and tendons, and the Kidneys have a

particular influence over the health of the bones. BTW, whenever the

color black is present or there is a blackish cast to to the skin,

suspect and rule in or rule out Kidney imbalance. Liver imbalance

sometimes will manifest with a greenish discoloration.

 

There are some older classifications that the the TCM students will

be learning about.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a burning question? Go to Answers and get answers from real people

who know.

 

 

[Guest guest]

Chinese Traditional Medicine , tulu 489 <tulu489 wrote:

>

> X-ray of my heal and ankle has diagnosed spurs as the cause of

pain. Will apple cider and salt heat pack help in spur pain. Can

something else help with spur pain.

>

> Thanks.

>

> Atul

 

I am not sure with regards to TCM, but there definately are

situations where apple cider vinegar will help with arthritis or

bone spurs. You would most likely want to use it for releif, and

figure out why your body is making the bone spurs (for example, you

could have too much mineral build up in your body so deposits start

forming in an area of low blood circulation, this is more of a

western description, but I am sure there are TCM patterns that can

be described that would fit). Vinegar is a good solvent for

minerals such as lime magnesium or calcium outside of the body, so

it's got potential inside of the body.

 

On a second note I thought I would respond about the actual apple

cider vinegar. If you buy the apple cider vinegar from the grocery

store to drink for this purpose it can cause problems with your

body. This is most likely because it isn't really apple cider

vinegar it's just a malt vinegar. An easy way to tell is most malt

vinegars you buy in the grocery store are clear, where as real apple

cider vinegar is usually roughly the color of apple juice and

becomes cloudy and not transparent when shaken (if they haven't been

shaken for a while you'll notice some stuff sitting on the bottom

and you might think it's gone bad, but that's really the stuff you

want, it's called mother). One popular brand in the US that I have

had good luck with is Bragg apple cider vinegar. You can look

around at www.bragg.com. This advice applies to consumtion of the

vinegar rather than soaking. I don't have much experience with

soaking the body, although for plumbing any vinegar will take off

heavy mineral deposits in a short time. Good luck, and I hope this

helps =)

[Guest guest]

Thank you for the informative posts... being new I find them very

helpful... Thanks Hazel