Liver-Blood (Liver Blood Deficiency)

[Guest guest]

The two Organs most affected by Blood Deficiency are the Liver and

the Heart.

 

The following is taken from The Foundations of ,

Giovanni Maciocia. My comments are in parentheses.

 

" Clinical manifestations

 

" Dizziness, numbness of limbs, insomnia, blurred vision, 'floaters'

in eyes " (this refers to dark spots in the field of vision), " scanty

menstruation or amenorrhoea, dull-pale complexion " (the paleness of

Yang Deficiency is shiny), " pale lips, muscular weakness, muscle

spasms, cramps, withered and brittle nails, dry hair and skin.

 

" Tongue: Pale body especially on the sides which, in extreme cases,

can assume an orange colour, and Dry. " (As far as I know, this

orange coloration on the sides of the tongue is specific to Liver

Blood Deficiency. Dryness anywhere in the body also can be a key

symptom in Blood Deficiency.)

 

" Pulse: Choppy or Fine.

 

" Key symptoms: blurred vision, scanty periods, dull-pale complexion,

Pale tongue.

 

" Pathology

 

" The Liver stores Blood and any deficiency of Blood often manifests

in the Liver sphere. As the Liver opens into the eyes, when Liver-

Blood is deficient the eyes will lack nourishment and moisture so

that they cannot see clearly. " (The visual symptoms are one of the

key factors that differentiates Liver Blood Deficiency from Heart

Blood Deficiency. Because the Liver " opens into the eyes " , suspect

and rule in or rule out Liver imbalance any time there are problems

with the eyes and/or vision.)

 

" The Liver controls the sinews and when Liver-Blood is deficient

these will lack nourishment and moistening and the person will

experience muscular weakness or cramps. " (In some individuals this

will be the key symptoms and the most troubling ones. The muscular

weakness and cramping can occur any time, but will be particularly

bad and regular at night. This is because when a person is at rest

and lying down, the Liver " stores " Blood. Some Blood is diverted

from the muscles and sinews because it's no longer needed there like

it is when the person is active. In a person with enough Blood, this

is not a problem because the extra Blood is not needed when the

person is at rest. But in a person who is Blood Deficient or even

borderline Blood Deficient, there's not enough Blood to

properly " nourish " and " moisten " the sinews when Blood " returns " to

the Liver when the person is at rest. Symptoms being worse at night

when the person is resting is another difference between Liver Blood

Deficiency and Heart Blood Deficiency. "

 

" Dizziness, pale lips, dull-pale complexikon are all signs of

general Blood deficiency. As the Liver manifests in the nails, when

Liver-Blood is deficient they will lose nourishment and become

withered and brittle.

 

" Liver-Blood is closely related to the Directing and Penetrating

Vessels which are dependent on the Liver for their Blood supply.

Thus, when Liver-Blood is deficient, the Directing and Penetrating

Vessels will also lack Blood, resulting in scanty periods or no

periods at all. " (Any time there are scanty or no periods, suspect

and rule in or rule out Liver Blood Deficiency. The terms Directing

Vessel and Penetrating Vessel aren't going to mean anything to

readers who are new to TCM, but keep them in mind. Later on when

you start to get into the TCM perspective on scanty and no periods

in more detail, you'll be learning exactly what they are and how

they can play a role in cases of scanty or no periods. For now,

just remember the two terms.)

 

" The tongue is of course Pale and in severe cases it becomes

slightly orange on the sides. "

 

(Once it's established that a person is Blood Deficient, the next

very important question is why is this person Blood Deficient. The

etiology of Blood Deficiency varies, and thus the treatments will

vary.)

 

" Aetiology

 

" A diet poor in nourishment or lacking in protein can weaken the

Spleen which, in turn, cannot make enough Blood. When not enough

Blood is produced by the Spleen, not enough Blood is stored by the

Liver. " (In TCM physiology, the Spleen plays a critical role in

production of Blood. Keep in mind that many of the functions of the

anatomical pancreas fall under the classification of " Spleen " in

TCM, and some Western writers even refer to this Organ as the Spleen-

Pancreas. Bottom line: If there is something wrong with digestion,

the body isn't getting what it needs to make proper Blood.)

 

" A serious haemorrhage (such as during childbirth) can also lead to

deficiency of Liver-Blood.

 

The Kidneys play a role in the formation of Blood and a deficiency

of Kidney-Qi or Kidney-Essence can lead to deficiency of Blood.

Therefore, any of the causes of Kidney deficiency, can also lead to

deficiency of Liver-Blood. " (In TCM physiology, the Spleen,

Kidneys, and Heart play the major roles in the production of Blood.

Students, when you start your clinical training, you'll eventually

see cases of Blood Deficiency where there has been no loss of blood

and Spleen imbalance can't sufficiently account for the Blood

Deficiency. Suspect and rule in or rule out Kidney imbalance in

these cases. Keep in mind that passage about " a deficiency of Kidney-

Qi or Kidney-Essence can lead to deficiency of Blood " . Then keep in

mind how Kidney Qi is produced. It's produced through the

interaction of Kidney Yin, Yang, and Essence. In other words, be

alert for the symptoms and signs of Kidney Yin Deficiency, Kidney

Yang Deficiency, and/or Kidney Essence Deficiency.)