Congrats to everyone who finished up this semester. Three weeks from today we start up again. Even though we'll probably have double to studying next semester, at least we have all gotten into the groove of how to study and how to organize our stuff! :)
Enjoy the holidays!
Check back in at the blog over the next couple weeks for cools link and/or articles of interest.
-Leah
Reasons for not getting Qi:
- wrong point
- improper depth
- some patients just won't get Qi
Ways to Gather Qi:
- Twisting
- Lift and Thrust
Supplemental Ways:
- Pressing
-Absorbing
-Tapping
-Vibrating/Trembling
-Waving
-Flying
-Scraping
-Sparrow Pecking
Tonification and dispersion-types of needle manipulation
Tonification
-Used for deficiency
-Eg. Asthma
-Helps to strengthen body’s defenses and build a weakened system
Dispurtion
-Used for excess
-Eg. Phlegm
-Eliminates pathogenic factors and helps to harmonize an overactive system. Also expels heat and stops spasms.
5 Methods
1. Lifting and Thrusting- get needle in to desired depth, find qi
- to tonify: life needle slowly, and insert forcefully
- to disperse: lift rapidly, insert slowly
2. Twisting and Thrusting- amplitude, speed, direction
- to tonify: gentle amplitude, slowly, clockwise emphasis
- to disperse: strong , fast, counterclockwise emphasis
3. Opening or closing hole
- to tonify: close hole after removing needle
- to disperse: leave hole open after removing needle
4. Direction of needle (channel)
- To tonify- go with the channel
- To disperse- go against the channel
5. Breathing
- to tonify – insert on exhale, remove on inhale
- to disperse- insert on inhale, remove on exhale
Even Method- no tonifying or dispersing
I've added notes for everyone to download. Go here to download a sheet for each of the channels. I've erased the points that we do not need for the practical and you can use these sheets to fill in the descriptions. Enjoy and good luck.
I noticed that when the document from the previous post is downloaded on some computers, it loses a few formats. Make sure to go through and check the alignments of the pictures and the names of the muscles they are associated with.
I made a very detailed study guide for the Anatomy exam, but it loses it's formatting on this blog. So go to this link where I posted the document and you can download it. Believe me, you won't regret it. This contains everything for the palpation section.
Find it HERE
All the way to the right near the file name, there is a download button.
After a lovely break, I'm back to school today. Getting ready for final week will be brutal. I'll post something related to finals when I get a clearer picture.
The tongue is a useful gauge for monitoring the improvement or decline of the patient's condition.
The tongue is also useful to determine the location of disharmony related to the organ systems.
Important points for Tongue examination:
2 Fundamental Diagnosis Principles:
Excessive Physical Work (and lack of exercise):
Excessive physical work most often impacts the Spleen and the Liver. Excessive use of one part of the body will also cause stagnation of Qi in that particular part.
Lack of exercise is also a cause of disease. Regular exercise is essential for a proper circulation of Qi. Lack of exercise will lead to stagnation of Qi and , in some cases, Dampness. In particular, exercise such as Yoga or Tai Ji Quan aimed at developing Qi rather than just the muscles, are very beneficial and should be recommended to patients suffering from deficiency of Qi who do not have enough energy to undertake Western-type exercise.
Excessive Sexual Activity:
By 'excessive sexual activity' is meant actual ejaculation for mend and orgasm for women. Sexual activities not culminating in orgasm are not though to be depleting to the Kidney Essence.
One can, however define sexual activity as 'excessive' it if results in marked fatigue, and even more so if it causes certain other specific symptoms, such as dizziness, blurred vision, a lower back ache, weak knees and frequent urination. The important thing to realize is that sexual activity should be adjusted according to age, physical condition, and even the seasons.
Sexual activity should be reduced if there is a deficiency of Qi or Blood, and particularly a deficiency of the Kidneys.
Many sexual problems, such as impotence or premature ejaculation often require a decrease in sexual activity first, for there to be successful treatment.
Chinese medicine also considers the circumstances in which sexual activity takes place. For example, having sexual intercourse in a state of drunkenness is considered extremely harmful to any resulting fetus. Catching a cold after sexual intercourse can severely weaken KH Yang. As the energy of the Kidneys is temporarily weakened after intercourse, it is important not to be exposed to any cold at this time.
Differences Between Men's and Women's Sexuality:
There are some important differences between men and women's genital physiology from TCM perspective. It could be said that men's sexual energy is more directly related to the Kidney-Essence, whereas women's sexual energy is more directly related to Blood. The Red Field in men contains the Room of Essence, whereas in women it contains the Uterus. It follows that ejaculation is a more direct loss of Kidney-Essence than orgasms for women (even though there is some loss of Essence in women also) as there is not menstrual blood loss during orgasms for women.
Insufficient Sex as a cause: Sexual desire depends on the Minister Fire, and a healthy sexual appetite indicates that this Fire is abundant. When sexual desire builds up, the Minister Fire blazes up and Yang increase. The orgasm is a release of this accumulated Yang energy and it is a beneficial discharge of Yang Qi and it promotes the free flow of Qi. When sexual desire builds up, the Minister Fire is stirred; this affects the Mind and the organs, specifically the Heart and Pericardium. The Heart is connected to the Uterus via the Uterus Vessel and the orgasmic contractions of the uterus discharge the accumulated Yang energy of the Minister Fire.
When sexual desire is present but does not have an outlet in sexual activity and orgasm, the Minister Fire can accumulate and give rise to both Blood Heat and to stagnation of Qi in the Lower Warmer. This accumulated Heat will stir the Minister Fire further and harass the Mind, while the stagnation of Qi in the lower warmer can give rise to GYN problems such as dysmenorrhea.
Sexual Desire:
Sexual desire itself is also related to the Kidney energy. A healthy sexual desire reflects a good and strong kidney energy. It the Kidneys are weak, and if, in particular the Kidney yang is deficient, there may be a lack of sexual desire or inability to enjoy sex and reach an orgasm. On the other hand, if Kidney Yin is severely deficient leading to rising of Empty-Fire, there may be an excessive sexual desire with inability to be ever satisfied. The person may also have vivid sexual dreams resulting in nocturnal emissions in men and orgasms in women. For this reason, lack of sexual desire can be stimulated by strengthening Kidney yang and the Gate of Vitality, and excessive sexual desire can be dampened by nourishing Kidney-Yin.
Beneficial Effects of Sexual Activity:
Finally, it should be stressed that what has been said so far only concerns the relation between excessive sexual activity and the Kidney energy, and that many other factors are included in determining a happy sex life Although Chinese Medicine is mostly concerned with excessive sexual activity as a cause of disease, an unhappy sexual life with inability to reach orgasm or lacking in warmth and affection is also an important and frequent cause of disease. This often causes deep unhappiness or anxiety that become causes of disease in themselves.
Diet:
Insufficient Eating:
Malnutrition is an obvious cause of disease. In its broad sense, malnutrition exists not only in poor third world countries, but also in rich industrialized countries where it is present in certain less obvious forms. People amy suffer from a more mild form of malnutrition by adhering rigidly to very strict 'diets', the number and variety of which is becoming mind-boggling. Some of those who adhere to such strict diets may unwittingly lack essential nutrients in their diet.
Cold Foods:
Excessive consumption of what Chinese medicine considers to be cold-energy foods and raw foods may weaken the Spleen, in particular the Spleen Yang, However, from the Chinese point of view , the spleen likes dryness and warmth in food and dislikes excess of fluids and cold: an excessive consumption of the above foods will be very difficult to digest and may weaken Spleen-Yang causing diarrhea, chilliness, cold mucus, abdominal pain and distention. This, particularly those who have a tendency to Spleen deficiency should not consume raw and cold foods in excess.
Sweet Foods and Sugar:
Excessive consumption of sweet foods and sugar, also extremely common in our society, clocks the Spleen function of transformation and transportation and gives rise to Dampness, with such symptoms as upper respiratory catarrh, abdominal distention and fullness, mucus in the stools and vaginal discharges.
Hot foods:
Excessive consumption of hot energy and spicy foods gives rise to heat symptoms, especially of the Stomach and Liver, such as a bitter taste, a burning sensation in the epigastrium and thirst.
Trauma:
Physical traumas cause local stagnation of Qi or Blood in the area. A slight trauma causes stagnation of Qi and a severe one causes stasis of Blood. In either case, it gives rise to pain, bruising and swelling. Although trauma may seem only a transient cause of disease, in practice, the effect of trauma can linger for a long time manifesting with local stagnation of Qi and/or Blood in the area affected.
Old traumas can also become a concurrent cause of disease together with a later one. For example, a trauma to a knee may seem to have cleared up completely, but when the person later in life contracts Painful Obstruction Syndrome cause by exposure to cold and damp condition, the exterior pathogenic factor often will settle in that knee.
Miscellaneous Causes of Disease includes:
The causes of disease are divided into three major categories:
| Internal emotions | External weather, climate | Miscellaneous ‘other’ |
| Anger | Wind | Diet |
| Joy | Cold | Overwork |
| Sadness | Summer-Heat | Excessive sexual activity |
| Worry | Dampness | Trauma |
| Pensiveness | Dryness | Poisons |
| Fear | Fire | |
| Shock | | |
Six Qi:
Climate as a Cause of Disease:
The weather becomes a cause of disease only when the equilibrium between the body and the environment breaks down, either because the weather is excessive or unseasonable (for instance too cold in summertime or too hot in wintertime), or because the body is weak in relation to the climatic factor.
Each of the 6 climatic factors is associated with a certain season during which it is more prevalent and a relationship to a particular Yin Organ:
| Climatic Factor | Season | Organ |
| Wind | Spring | Liver |
| Cold | Winter | Kidney |
| Summer-Heat | Summer | Heart |
| Dampness | Late Summer | Spleen |
| Dryness | Autumn | Lungs |
| Fire | Summer | Heart |
Wind versus Bacteria and Viruses:
Climatic Factors as Patterns of Disharmony:
Artificial Climates as Causes of Disease:
Pathology and Clinical Manifestations of Exterior Pathogenic Factors:
Each of the climatic factors causes certain clinical manifestations that are typical of that particular climate. As a practitioner of Chinese medicine you will be able to infer the cause of the disease from the particular manifestations:
Pathology and Clinical Manifestations
Symptoms and Signs of Exterior Pathogenic Factors Patterns:
The following is a brief description of the clinical manifestations arising from the invasion of each of the exterior pathogenic factors
Wind:
Cold:
Cold contracts and causes pain and watery discharges
Summer-Heat
Heat and Fire give rise to sensations of heat, thirst and mental restlessness
Dampness:
Dampness invades the body gradually and causes turbid, sticky discharges
Aversion to Cold and Fever:
When the symptom of aversion to cold occurs simultaneously with the objective sign of the body feeling hot (or having an actual fever), this indicates an acute invasion of external Wind and it denotes that the pathogenic factor is still on the Exterior.
Four degrees of aversion to cold:
Phlegm
Substantial Phlegm:
Uterus
Functions:
These are called the extraordinary yang organs because they function like a Yin organ (eg. storing the Yin essence and not excreting) but have the shape of a Yang organ (eg. hollow).
All 6 extraordinary yang organs store some sort of refined essence, such as Marrow, bile or Blood.
6 Extraordinary Organs:
I'm really sorry that I didn't have a chance to put up the Small Intestine Locations before the test this morning. It's been a crazy week, right?
For the second exam in the Living Anatomy class, we have been learning about muscles of the neck, spine, face, and breathing muscles.
Here is a condensed version:
Sternocleidomastoid
Origin: Manubrium and mid clavicle
Instertion: Mastoid
Masseter
O: Zygomatic Arch
I: Angle and ramus of the mandible
Temporalis
O: Temporal bone fossa
I: Coronoid of the Mandible
Quadratus Lumborum
O: Iliac Crest and Iliolumbar ligament
I: 12th rib and transverse process (TP) of L1-4
Diaphragm
O: xiphoid process
I: central tendon
Rectus Abdominus
O: pubic symphasis
I: cartillage of ribs 5-7, xiphoid process
Transverse Abdominus
O: ingunial ligament, iliac crest, thorocolumbar fascia, cartillage of lower 6 ribs
I: linea alba via abdominal aponeurosis
External Obliques
O:Lower 8 ribs
I: Linea alba via abdominal aponeurosis
Internal Obliques
O: Iliac Crest, lumbar vertebrae
I: linea alba via abdominal aponeurosis
Suboccipitals
Rectus Capitus Posterior Minor
O: Arch of Atlas
I:middle inferior nuchal line
Rectus Capitus Posterior Major
O: SP axis
I:Inferolateralnuchal lines
Oblique Capitis Superior
O: TP atlas
I: between inferior and superior nuchal lines
Oblique Capitis Inferior
O: SP axis
I: TP atlas
The large intestine is a yang organ. It is paired with the lungs. This meridian has 20 points on it and its element is metal.
The internal pathway begins in the supraclavicular fossa and swings around the neck to GV14. It then goes back and enters at the supraclavicular fossa and connect to the Lungs then the Large intestine. There is one bramch that at ST12 (supraclavicular fossa) goes up the neck to the inside of the mouth (lower gums), then crosses to the other side of the face and then connect to the stomach channel. Another branch travels to ST 37 (a lower HeSea point).
The Luo Channel begins at LI6 and travels to LI15, then splits to the ears and teeth.
LI1- .1 cun from radial corner of nail on the index finger
LI2- on the radial border of the index finger, in the depression distal to the metacarpophalangeal (MP) point (under the bone, between the muscle and bone)
LI3- radial side of the index finger, in the depression proximal to the MP joint
LI4- (no needle or moxa at pregnancy) on dorsum of hand, on the radial side of the 2nd metacarpal, at the midpoint of the shaft, near the edge of the bone.
LI5- level with the wrist crease in the center of the hollow created with extensor pollicis longus and brevis
LI6- 3 cun proximal to LI5, on the line connecting LI5 and LI11 (Luo point)
LI7- 5 cun proximal to LI5, on the line connecting LI5 and LI11
LI8- 8 cun proximal to LI5, on the line connecting LI5 and LI11
LI9- 9 cun proximal to LI5, on the line connecting LI5 and LI11
LI10- 10 cun proximal to LI5, on the line connecting LI5 and LI11
LI11- midwat between LU5 and lateral epicondyle - found with the elbow flexed
LI12- with the elbow flexed, in depression 1 cun proximal to LI-11 and 1 cun lateral
LI13- 3 cun proximal to LI11, on a line connected to LI11 and LI15
LI14- 7 cun proximal to LI11, on a line connected to LI11 and LI15
LI15- in a depression inferior and anterior to the acromiom process
LI16- (Caution deep needling) in a depression, medial to the acromiom process, between the lateral end of the clavicle and the spine of the scapula
LI17- (caution with corroded and jugular artery) 1 cun inferior to LI18 and posterior to the SCM
LI18- between the two heads of the SCM, level with the laryngeal prominence
LI19- below the lateral border of the nostril, level with GV26
LI20- in the nasolabial groove, level with the midpoint of the Ala nasi
Moxa: Mugwart (Latin name: Artemesia Vulgaris)
These are emergencies that can occur during needling and some ways to avoid and react to them.
1. Stuck or bent needle
- stuck due to muscle cramps or patient movement or muscle binds to needle.
What to do:
These posts are derived from class notes written by the teacher. They are shortened versions of the notes and only include the parts that I need to study for the tests that I have every two weeks in this course.
Very little , if any part at all, of the posts beginning with "TCM-Functions of ...." have been modified by me. They are the words of my teacher, Valerie Smith.
(just to give clear ownership of those posts)
Everything else- The different points on the channels, and my rants and complaints, are fully written by be.
Thanks for reading.
Small Intestine
Functions:
Controls Receiving and Transforming
Separates Fluids
Large Intestine
Functions:
Controls Passage and Conduction
Transforms Stool and Reabsorbs Fluids
Bladder
Functions:
Removes Water by Qi Transformation
Organs that work in conjunction with Bladder to control urination:
-Small Intestine and Bladder work together to move fluids in the Lower Burner as the Bladder receives the clean part of fluids separated by the Small intestine.
-Heart exerts an influence on urination as the heart qi needs to descend towards the Small intestine and bladder to help the excretion of urine.
-The Triple Burner assists the bladder in it's function of fluid transformation. More specifically, the lower burner, which has the function of making sure that water passages int eh lower part of the body are open and free.
- The liver also exerts and influence on urination as its channel flows around the end of the eruthra. Free flow of liver qi ensures smooth urination
-The Lungs are related to the Bladder via the Kidneys. Lung Qi descends to the KD to promote the transformation of fluids and excretion of urine. For this reason, a deficiency of Lung Qi, may cause urinary retention due to the failure of Lung Qi to descend to the Bladder to promote urination.
Stomach
Functions:
Controls 'receiving'
Controls the Rotting and Ripening of Food
Controls the transportation of Food Essences
Controls the Descending of Qi
Is the origin of fluids
Here are some of those functions in a little more detail:
Controls the Transportation of Food Essences:
The stomach transports some 'dirty dampness' to the tongue, producing a normal tongue coating
Controls the Descending of Qi:
-If stomach qi fails to descend, food will stagnate in the stomach and lead to feelings of fullness and distension, sour regurgitation, belching, hiccups, nausea and vomiting.
-The Stomach and the Spleen occupy a very important, strategic central place among organs and structures, the ascending of Spleen Qi and descending of Stomach Qi are crucial to the proper movement of Qi in the 3 burners.
Is the Origin of Fluids:
-To rot and ripen food, the Stomach needs an abundance of fluids, just as sufficient fluids are needed to extract the vital principles from an herbal concoction or a soup. Furthermore, fluids themselves are derived from the food and drink ingested, The Stomach ensures that the part of food and drink that does not go to make essences of food condenses to form Body Fluids.
Gall Bladder
Functions:
Stores and Excretes Bile
Controls decisiveness
Controls sinews
Here are some of those functions in a little more detail:
Controls Decisiveness:
Whereas Liver is said to control the ability of planning one's life, the Gall Bladder controls the capacity to make decisions. The two functions have to be harmonized so that we can plan and act accordingly.
-GB controls the capacity to make dcisions
-GB's decision making helps all other 11 Internal Orgams
Controls Sinews:
This function is almost identical to the Liver's function of controlling sinews. The only slight difference is how:
-the liver nourishes the sinews with it's Blood
-the GB provides Qi to the sinews to ensure their proper movement and agility.
Organ Comparison in Decision Making:
-Liver has the capacity for planning our life, to have dreams and plans is conferred by the Ethereal Soul of the Liver
-Kidneys have the drive and will power to want to make something out our lives
-Small Intestine has the capacity to discriminate between issues, to analyze issues with clarity and to distinguish what is relevant and what is not
-GB has the capacity to take a decision with resoluteness once all issues have been analyzed, and displays the courage to act
Triple Burner
Functions:
Mobilizes the Original Qi
Controls the Transportation and Penetration of Qi
Controls the Water Passages and the Excretion of Fluids
Here are some of those functions in a little more detail:
Mobilizes the Original Qi:
1. The original qi represents the transformation of power of Qi in all directions.
2. The Triple Burner mobilizes the Original Qi by making it differentiate for different functions
3. The Triple Burner allows the Original Qi to perform its various functions in relation to several organs.
The Triple burner can be seen as a system of canals and waterways to channel irrigated water through the proper fields and out. This ensures that body fluids are transformer, transported and excreted.
Four Views of the Triple Burner
1. The Triple Burner as one of the Six Yang Organs
2. The Triple Burner as a Mobilizer of the Original Qi
3. The Triple Burner as Three Divisions of the Body
4. The Triple Burner as Body Cavities
The Triple Burner as Three Divisions (in more detail):
-According to this view, the TB has no form
-It Mobilizes the Original Qi
3 divisions, their Qi and their fluids
-Upper Burner- from diaphragm up (Lungs, Heart and Pericardium)- Gathering Qi, mist (sweat)
-Middle Burner- Between diaphragm and umbilicus (Stomach, Spleen, Gall Bladder)- Nutritive Qi, Maceration chamber (stomach fluids)
-Lower Burner- below the umbilicus (Liver, Kidneys, Bladder, Intestines)- ditch (urine)- Original Qi
Kidney
Functions:
Stores Essence and Governs Birth, Growth, Reproduction & Development
Produces Marrow, Fills up the Brain and Controls the Bones
Governs Water
Controls Reception of Qi
Opens into the Ears
Manifests in Hair
Controls Spittle
Controls the 2 Lower Orifices
Houses Will Power
Controls the Gate of Life
Here are some of those functions in a little more detail:
Stores Essence and Governs Birth, Growth, Reproduction and Development:
2 Aspects of Storing Essence function:
1. KDs store the Pre-Heaven Essence
a. The Essence determines our basic constitution, strength and vitality. It is also the basis of secual life, and the material foundation for the manufacture of sperm in men and the ova and menstrual blood in women
b. Menstrual blood is different from other types of Blood in that it derives directly fromthe Kidney-Essence
c. Insufficient essence may be a cause of infertility, impotence, underdevelopment in children (mentally and/or physically, retarded frowth or premature senility.
2. KDs store the Post-Heaven Essence, that is, the refined essence extracted from food through the transforming power of the Internal Organs
Produces Marrow, Fills up the Brain and Controls Bones:
The TCM definition of Marrow is a substance that is the common matrix of bones, bone marrow, brain and spinal cord.
The Marrow is also the basis for the formation of bone marrow, which nourishes the bones.
If KD Essence is strong, the bones will be strong and the teeth will be firm.
If KD Essence is weak, the bones will be brittle and the teeth loose.
Weak KD Essence in children will cause poor bone development, pigeon chest, etc.
The decline of KD Essence occurring with menopause in women means that the Essence does not nourish the Marrow and bones so that they become brittle, leading to osteoporosis.
Governs Water:
-The KDs can be compared to a gate that opens and closes in order to control the flow of Body Fluids in the Lower Burner. Under normal physiological conditions there will be a correct balance between Kidney- Yin and Kidney-Yang resulting in the correct regulation of the opening and closing of the 'gate.' Urination will be normal in quantity and color. In disease, there is an imbalance between Kidney-Yin and Kidney-Yang resulting in a malfunctioning of the 'gate' in opening and clsoing: it will either be too open (deficiency of KD Yang causing profuse and pale urination, or too closed (deficiency of KD Yin) causing scanty and dark urination.
-The KDs receive fluids from the Lungs, some of which are excreted and some of which are vaporized, in which form they return to the Lungs to keep them moist.
- Finally, the SP plays an important role in the transformation and transportation of Body Fluids. KD Yang provides the SP with the heat it needs to carry out its function of transforming and transporting fluids.
Opens to the Ears:
The ears rely on nourishment of the Essence for their proper functioning, and are therefore physiologically related to the KDs. If the KDs are weak, hearing may be impaired and there may be tinnitus.
Functions of the Gate of Life:
1. Is the Root of the Original Qi
a. If the Fire of the Gate of Life is deficient then Original Qi will suffer, and will inevitably lead to a general deficiency of Qi and Blood.
2. Is the Source of (physiological) Fire for all the Internal Organs
a. All the organs rely on the heat provided by the Fire of the Gate of Life to function properly.
- The Spleen needs its heat to tranform and transport food essences
- The Stomach needs it to rot and ripen food
- The Heart needs it to house the mind
- The Lungs needs it to send and diffuse Qi
- The Liver needs it to ensure the free flow of Qi
- The Intestines need it to move fod and stools
- The Gall Bladder needs it to secrete bile
- The Triple Burner needs it to transform and excrete fluids
b. If the Fire of the Gate of Life declines, the functional activity of all organs will be impaired, leading to tiredness, mental depression, lack of vitality, negativity and a promounced feeling of cold
3. Warms the Lower Burner and Bladder
4. Warms the Stomach and Spleen to aid digestion
5. Harmonizes the sexual function and warms the Essence and Uterus
a. The Fire of the Gate of Life is essential for a healthy sexual function and to warm the Essence and the Uterus. The Fire of the Gate of Life (Minister Fire) could be seen as the Yang aspect of the Essence. Sexual performance, fertility, puberty and menstruation all depend of the Fire of the Gate of Life.
6. Assists the KDs function of reception of Qi
7. Assists the Heart's function of housing the Mind
Liver
Functions:
Stores Blood
Controls Sinews
Controls Smooth Flow of Qi
Manifests in Nails
Opens into Eyes
Controls tears
Houses the Ethereal Soul
Is Affected by anger
Here are some of those functions in a little more detail:
Stores Blood:
1. Liver regulates the volume of blood
- according to physical activity
2. Liver blood regulates menstruation
- function of storing influences menstruation
a. if normal, then menses are normal
b. if deficient, scanty periods
c. if in excess, heavy menses
3. Liver blood moistens eyes and sinews
- brightens eyes
a. if deficient, then dry eyes
b. if liver heat, then eyes are red and painful
Controls Sinews:
1. State of sinews affects capacity for movement and physical activity. Contractions and relation ensures movements of joints, which depends on nourishment and moistening of blood
2. If Liver blood is deficient, then there will be contractions and spasms, numbness and cramps
3. If there is Liver Wind, then there will be tremors
Ensures A Smooth Flow of Qi
1. Smooth flow in relation to emotion
- deep influence on emotional state
- may give rise to premenstrual tension
2. Smooth flow assists in digestion
- middle burner
LV Qi---> ST---> belching, acid reflux
LV Qi---> SP---> bloating, diarrhea
3. Ensures flow of bile
Opens into Eyes:
1. Deficient LV Blood causes blurred vision, myopia, floaters, dry and gritty eyes
2. LV heat causes bloodshot eyes, pain and burning
Spleen
Functions:
Governs transformation and transportation
Controls ascending qi
Controls blood
Controls Muscles and 4 Limbs
Opens into mouth and manifests on lips
Controls Raising of Qi
Houses the Intellect
Is Affected by pensiveness
Here are some of those functions in a little more detail:
Governs transformation and transportation:
1. Spleen's transportation and transformation of food essences and Qi:
- transforms food to qi
2. Spleen's transportation and transformation of fluids:
- controls transformation, separation and movement of fluids
- If this is impaired, fluid will not be T+T and may accumulate to Dampness, phlegm, or edema
Controls Blood:
1. 'holds' blood in vessels
- Spleen Qi performs this function
- Deficient Spleen Qi results in hemorrhage
2. Makes blood from food qi
- Spleen extract food qi and forms blood in the heart with assistance of original qi from kidneys
Controls muscles and 4 Limbs
1. Food Qi nourishes all tissues in the body and this is transported through body by spleen
- If it's strong, the refined qi is directed to muscles (of limbs)
- If deficient, leads to fatigue, muscles weakness and possibly atrophy
Lung
Functions:
Governs Qi and respiration
Controls channel and blood vessels
Regulates all physiological activities
Manifests in body hair
Opens into the nose
Houses the Corporeal Soul
Is Affected by worry/grief, and sadness
Here are some of those functions in a little more detail:
Governs Qi and Respiration:
1. Weak Lung Qi can manifest in fatigue, weak voice and slight breathlessness
Controls Channels and Blood Vessels
1. Lungs govern qi and Qi is essential to aid the Heart to circulate the blood.
Diffusing of Qi:
1. If Lung Qi is weak and diffusing function is impaired, the defense qi will not reach the skin and the body will be easily invaded by exterior pathogenic factors (EPF).
Diffusing of Body Fluids:
1. Lungs diffuse fluids to skin and to space between skin and muscles in a fine mist. The mist moistens the skin and regulates the opening and closing of pores.
-When this function is normal, pores opena nd close normally
a. normal physiological amount of sweating
-When this function is in excess, pores become blocked
a. no sweating
-When this function is deficient, pores are over relaxed and stay open
a. spontaneous sweating
Controlling the Skin and Space between Muscles:
1. When this is normal, skin- has a luster, sweating- normal,there is a good resistance to EPF.
2. When this is impaired, skin- dry and rough
Opens to the Nose:
1. The nose is the opening of the lungs. This is where respiration occurs.
- If Lung Qi is strong:
a. Nose opens, breathes easy, sense of smell is normal
- When EPF infade:
a. Nose is runny, loss of smell, sneezing
- When invaded by dampness:
a. nose is blocked
- When Lungs have heat:
a. nose may bleed, loss of send of smell
