TCM II - Traditional Chinese Medicine Concepts

Course Assignments

  • Two assignments for those who haven't participated before, like Jenna.

  • Discussion:

    • A link to the question is in the chat box.

    • Ask at least one question per lecture (14 weeks, but only 13 with lectures).

    • Questions should be thoughtful and reflective.

    • The best question from each lecture will be marked.

  • Case Study:

    • Pick one case (yourself or a family member with access).

    • Diagnose using the course methods.

    • Collect information and analyze signs and symptoms.

    • Determine the direct etiology, pathogenesis (using the course structure).

Questions and Clarifications

  • Type course-related questions in the Excel spreadsheet.

Origin of Disease Explanations

  • The explanation of disease causes is inspired by mister Yao Mei Lin.

  • This perspective on direct cause of disease is not commonly explained this way outside of his students.

  • Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can be difficult to understand.

  • TCM Explanation example : For example, explaining wind as cause of disease (more than just wind in the air helping bacteria).

Direct Causes of Disease: Three Layers

  • Listed in three layers:

    • First Layer:

      • Resembles external pathogens in TCM one, but not exactly the same.

      • Also referred to as: Primary etiology.

      • These are the first factors that show up when you first get the disease.

    • Second Layer:

      • Occurs if the first layer isn't treated in time.

      • Secondary etiology: phlegm, fluid, water. These are always secondary.

      • Can still be acute.

    • Third Layer:

      • Occurs if the first and second layers are not treated appropriately.

      • Severe or chronic cases.

      • Including: Blood stasis (in between secondary and third).
        *Remember the Layers!

External vs. Internal Six Excesses (六淫)

  • Common idea in TCM society.

  • Two types of etiology/access:

    • External: From outside.

    • Internal: Generated inside (direct cause).

  • When discussing disease, we focus on internal factors, not just the weather.

  • In TCM one, external etiology included wind, cold, summer heat, dampness, dryness, and fire.

  • Internally, there is no summer heat, only heat.

Wind

  • Wind is the first factor (begin with wind).

  • Ji Sang Wang: “Wind is the leader”.

  • Wind Defined:

    • In nature: Movement from cold to hot air.

    • In TCM: Communication between yin and yang.

      • Separated yin and yang with no communication = no life.

      • Communication begins = life.

  • Pathological vs. Biological Wind:

    • Biological: Harmonized, smooth; allows life to grow.

    • Pathological: Disharmony (too much, not enough, or stops).

  • Yin and Yang: Three Layers in the Body

    • Yin and Yang: Fundamental character, big classifications (name of the group).

    • Yin Deficiency, Yang Deficiency: Not talking about big concepts, but specifics.

    • Yin and Yang also exist as materials in three layers:

      • Surface:

        • Nutritive Qi (ying qi 營氣): in capillaries, blood; nourishing.

        • Defensive Qi (wei qi 衛氣): energy on the surface.

        • Acupuncture primarily regulates these two.

      • Middle:

        • Qi and Blood: Qi is yang, Blood is yin.

        • Qi: strength to push (energy).

        • Blood: blood.

      • Lower/Kidney/Inner:

        • Yin and Yang: Material not yet confirmed, could be hormones.

  • Wind = Disharmony Between Layers

    • Superficial Layer:

      • Wind can cause more or less sweat (disharmony = wind).

      • Too much sweat or not enough

    • Middle Layer:

      • Fluctuations, trembling, shaking = wind.

      • Example: Parkinson's (often due to blood stasis; blood-breaking treatments can reduce shaking).

    • Innermost Layer:

      • Convulsions.

      • Aggressive, huge wind.

Wind: Chief of All Pathogens

  • Common cold symptoms: sneezing or headache.

    • Originates from the exterior of the body.

    • Wind is always involved: wind-heat, wind-cold, wind-dryness, wind-dampness.

  • Wind isn't necessarily opening the door for pathogens but is involved when pathogens invade.

  • Pathogens can directly trigger the wind.

  • Invasion and Yin/Yang:

    • Nutritive level invasion: Young pathogen.

      • Nutritive level: capillaries, blood = yin.

    • Defensive level invasion: Yang.

      • Defensive Qi: warms and protects = yang.

  • Cold pathogens disturb the yang (wei qi 衛氣), while heat pathogens disturb the yin (ying qi 營氣).

    • Wind-heat cold: rashes (originate from capillaries).

    • Cold: no sweat because defensive qi is disturbed.

  • External or internal pathogens will disturb the yin or wei, generating wind.

  • Almost all exterior syndromes (headache, body ache) involve wind due to disturbance of defensive qi and nutritive qi.

Clinical Manifestations of Wind

  • Sweating disorders.

  • Itching: capillaries level involved (nutritive qi).

  • Migratory pain: moving pain.

    • Moving pain is a sign of wind.

  • Observe the character of the symptoms.

  • Compare with wind (everything moving).

  • Sweating/itching = disharmonies between yin and yang = wind.

Middle Layer: Qi and Blood

  • Qi and blood in the torso (transportation in big vessels).

    • Qi deficiency or stagnation can show signs of wind.

      • Low blood pressure, Qi deficiency: Dizziness (not supplying the head).

      • Vertical (spinning).

  • Blood deficiency: Dizziness.

  • Blood stasis: Parkinson's, shaking.

  • Qi and Blood Disharmony: Dizziness, trembling hands, emotional swings/bipolar (emotions not coordinated smoothly).

Innermost Layer: Yin and Yang Disharmony

  • Severe and aggressive.

  • Examples: Opisthotonos (muscle rigidity).

    • Sudden onset = typical character of wind.

  • Muscle rigidity, loss of consciousness (inner bleeding caused by blood stasis).

  • Any kind of flow that's not flowing is wind.

  • Need to recognize wind and its location.

  • Different points and herbs regulate wind in different layers.

  • Recognize the layer where the wind exists, then use specific herbs to reorganize qi and blood, yin and wei, or yin and yang.

Cold

  • Low temperature.

  • Sources of Cold in the Body:

    • Loss of heat: Standing outside in the cold.

    • Eating cold foods: Ice cream, too much water, fruits, raw salad (generating internal cold).

      • Body should take everything above body temperature.

      • Cold intake cannot be transformed, stays as dampness.

  • Improper Diet example

    • Smoothies

    • Salads

    • Raw vegetables

  • Normal Diet changes

    • Everything should be above body temperature

  • Yin Pathogens:

    • Dampness, Cold and Dryness can Damage:
      *Excess causes: (excess Cold)

    • Emotional disturbance: Desperation, feeling alone can make people feel cold, cover with blankets.

*The result: (effects on the body)
* Low temperature.
* Cold limbs, cold local temperature (touch the stomach: if colder than other places, food is too cold).

Cold effects on Body

  • Slows down the movements.

  • Slow paws

  • Cold Contracts

  • Muscle rigidity

  • tightness

  • Aversion to code

  • Code condense fluid.

  • Muscle stiff and resistant pressure means code.

  • The 2nd etiology, The Primary is Wind> Cold> Heat> Dryness

  • Produces internal fluid dampness and accumulations (cold transforms normal water into fluid retention).

  • Often combined with dampness (transforms things into dampness).

  • Clear copious urine in old people.

  • Runny nose.

  • Loos stool.

  • Edema swollen with water retention.

Cold and Digestion

  • Congestion of everything

  • Influence.

  • Stomach loves heat because fire allows water to Cook and cook rice.

  • Digestion, and absorption process influenced. Transformation of speed.

  • If you too cold transformation absorbed and is not using will still absorb.

  • The transformation spleen and tea includes the sales level.

  • Transformations of the spleen is not only absorbed, what the used of and sale transport, transform. It happens everywhere at the same time.

Dryness

  • Dryness:

    • From pathogens (consume your fluid).

      • Heat: can consume your fluid (always thirsty).

  • Insufficient Fluid Production:

    • Insufficient water intake.

  • Combinations:

    • Sometimes with heat.

    • Sometimes with cold.

  • Dry weather depletes more moisture.

  • Body Fluid Consumptions: *Dry skins

    • Dry throats

    • Scanty urinations

  • The different: (heat or dryness)

    • Pain and heat

    • Reduce urination do not discomfort.

    • Constipation is also a common theme.

  • Condensed sputum and it could be gray and white.

  • Dryness not nourishing

  • Dryness creates Earth.

  • Dryness damaged tissue

  • Chapel lip

  • Broto hair

  • Severe dryness causes necrotic or tissue.

Questions from the Class

  • Questions and clarification

  • Wind seem to be the elements that break everything used for curing yes but only yes you can treat it by resolve wind (Wind

  • The blood is going into blood level

There several level and three Yin level
* Qi is the creative fountain
* Yin and Yang are not the same as Q and Yin
* Yin and are represented by a yin huy black and yin and on material level 3.

  • There for a is not enuff quantity of global.

  • Is not anemic So we must be you can have wind from the blood definition. How do the recognize the blood definition

    • Puls and eyelid

Three Types of Heat: Six Pathogens

  • Heat is: (promote Sweating) *Heat excess

    • Infection diseases or from outside
      *Heat deficiency

    • Lack blood and water.
      *Heat stagnant

    • Stagnant and does not dispersing.

Difference Between Heat and Fire

  • Fire:

    • Extreme

    • Dead tissue or necrosis occurs

    • Bleeding might happen because blood cell damage occurs

    • Is tissue damage occurs

    • Localized: the heat damage localized is the fire.

    • Disrupt the disrupt
      *Agitated for heat

The three main differences

  • Fire disrupt Shin disruption is the fire.

  • The mental State and level.

Heat

*Rising upward
Fire:
*Red face
*Head ache without pulse is pressure
*Sore theot

The cold and Fire

*The tissues
*Enlarge= Fire
*Accelerate movement>Consumes Q= the heat
* Loss fluid
* restlessness.
*High volume of the intestine> constipations
*Dries up the fluid.
* Drin mouth
* Sky and urinations.
*Little tissue Damage
*Inflammable gum
Skin eruption*

Fire is Related Blood and Capilares

  • It is on is the outside.

  • Red eye (blood vessel, in heart)

  • Bleeding gum is the fire signs/level.

  • Blieding nose that fine signs. Does not always needed thirsty

    • Bolil up for fire sign.
      *Fire up and distrub
      *Does not like deep
      Insomnia

Three others the final why is called fina.
Mixed result that
There's a result.
It is because the result, so there is q stagnation and dry

Blood Stasis

  • Impeded blood circulation

  • We shall see pill, but Purpilsh blue is a blood stages since there's no oxygen.
    A dark skin, is a blood stases. And is uneven.
    The hand look and the face, this mean pigmentation.
    In the long term decease the patient, there is no longer nourishment
    See the cold limp.

  • Seen read vasall> spider vien
    Stasis is immovable.
    It is former it doesn't have room.
    The most of case is related to pain.
    Stepping draggin because vessels of the bladder vessels.
    Chlo is woman main strudel of or woman
    Blood stages. It does not need it does change
    Blood stages like a tumor.
    yes the stages causes toxi .
    loses to Chronic des
    the more chronic is the more deficency or stages.
    It does not nourishment
    nedle pricking/dragging with a line= indication

The tubidirry= from then dampnes<

It cell production:
It is like gyasy and cloudy. Has the characterist of dampnesse3.
Self production self propagation
Acus in the
loses block the three circular or the dame
Foul smelling secretion
Difficulty the expell
Smelly seate , badbneath fog.
Can be caused from hipory.
The toxi
The toxi is reproduction or self propogati
It cause
tissue damage necrosis which is the toxi
Very unpredictable
the body that damage will body react= a very quick reaction
It is very hard to from the buda
It cause the body energy too low!
A weak patient cannot all ford or be treated. And the treatm can be can afford
If the it it is notice and the body is wealt, then you can help the patient!!
The and internal can affect can affect an affect multi organe