TCM Foundations – Eight Principles & Mechanisms of Disease Onset

The Eight Principles in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are a foundational diagnostic framework used to analyze and classify imbalances within the body. They include:

• Yin/Yang: This core principle describes the two fundamental, opposite, yet complementary forces in the universe and within the body. Imbalance here indicates disharmony.

  • Yin: Associated with darkness, cold, stillness, interior, substance, and structure.

  • Yang: Associated with lightness, heat, activity, exterior, function, and energy.

• Interior/Exterior: This principle determines the location and depth of a disease.

  • Exterior: Indicates that the pathology is superficial and affects the skin, muscles, and channels.

  • Interior: Suggests the pathology has penetrated deeper, affecting the internal organs or deeper structures.

• Heat/Cold: This principle classifies the nature of the disease by its thermal properties.

  • Heat: Manifests as symptoms like fever, inflammation, redness, rapid pulse, and thirst.

  • Cold: Characterized by symptoms such as chills, aversion to cold, pain, slow pulse, and lack of thirst.

• Deficiency/Excess: This principle assesses the balance of vital substances (Qi, Blood, Jin-Ye, Essence) and pathogenic factors in the body.

  • Deficiency: Implies a lack of vital substances or a general weakness, leading to symptoms like fatigue, pallor, and weakness.

  • Excess: Denotes an overabundance of pathogenic factors or stagnant substances, resulting in symptoms like pain, distension, and strong pulse.

Mechanisms of Disease Onset in TCM are diverse and interact with the body's internal balance. These include:

• External pathogens (Six Evils): Environmental factors that can invade the body.

  • Wind: Characterized by sudden onset, shifting pains, and symptoms like colds, flu, and allergies.

  • Cold: Contracts and obstructs, leading to pain, stiffness, and aversion to cold.

  • Summer Heat: Arises from excessive heat and humidity in summer, causing fever, thirst, and fatigue.

  • Dampness: Heavy, sticky, and turbid, leading to swelling, heaviness, and digestive issues.

  • Dryness: Damages fluids, causing dry skin, cough, and constipation.

  • Fire: Extreme heat, manifesting rapidly with high fever, delirium, and inflammation.

• Internal factors: Dysfunctions originating within the body's organ systems.

  • Imbalances in Qi (energy), Blood, and Body Fluids (Jin-Ye).

  • Dysfunctions of the Five Zang Organs (Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lung, Kidney) and Six Fu Organs (Gallbladder, Small Intestine, Stomach, Large Intestine, Bladder, San Jiao).

• Emotional stress: Prolonged or intense emotional states can disrupt Qi flow and harm specific organs.

  • Anger affects the Liver.

  • Joy (excessive) affects the Heart.

  • Worry affects the Spleen and Lungs.

  • Sadness affects the Lungs.

  • Fear affects the Kidneys.

• Lifestyle choices: Daily habits and environmental exposures.

  • Improper diet: Malnutrition, overeating, or consumption of certain foods (e.g., greasy, cold foods) can damage the Spleen and Stomach.

  • Lack of exercise or overexertion: Can lead to Qi and Blood stagnation or depletion.

  • Irregular living: Disruptions to sleep patterns or daily routines can weaken the body's natural defenses.