Question | Answer |
TCM DDx Headache: | Exogenous patterns
- Wind cold
- Wind heat
Wind damp
- Endogenous patterns
- Liver yang rising
- Liver fire
- Phlegm damp
- Blood stagnation
- Qi and blood deficiency
- Kidney yin deficiency |
Describe TCM Exogenous DDx of headache: | Wind cold
Wind heat
Wind damp |
Describe Endogenous TCM DDx of headache: | Liver yang rising
Liver fire
Phlegm damp
Blood stagnation
Qi and blood deficiency
Kidney yin deficiency |
3 Qualities of Insomnia in TCM | Over-stimulation and/or agitation from heat
Constrained by qi and/or blood stagnation
Not anchored by sufficient blood, yin, or jing |
TCM DDx of Insomnia? | Liver fire
Liver blood deficiency
Phlegm heat disturbing the heart
Heart and/or kidney yin deficiency
Heart and spleen qi and blood deficiency
Heart and gallbladder qi deficiency
Stomach Heat
Restless organ syndrome |
Tx principles of Wind cold headache: | Release the exterior
Expel wind
Dispel cold
Relieve pain |
Tx principles of Wind heat headache: | Release the
Expel wind heat
Relive pain |
Tx principles of Wind damp headache: | Release the exterior
Expel wind damp
Relive pain |
Tx principles of Liver yang rising headache: | Soothe liver, move liver qi stagnation
Descend yang
Tonify yin
Clear heat
Relive pain |
Describe treatment of Liver fire headache? | Treated similarly to liver yang rising headache, with what important differences? |
Is liver fire headache shi or xu? | Shi |
Treatment principles of Phlegm damp headache? | Dispel damp
Resolve phlegm
Tonify stomach and spleen
Raise the clear yang
Relive pain |
Treatment principles of Blood stagnation headache: | Move qi and blood
Relive pain |
Treatment principles of Qi and blood deficiency headache: | Tonify ST and SP qi
Tonify KI qi
Tonify blood
Raise the clear yang |
Treatment principles Kidney deficiency headache: | Tonify KI qi
Tonify ST and SP qi
Raise the clear yang
Relive pain |
What are the general types of insomnia? | Difficulty falling asleep
Waking a lot during the night
Waking too early and not being able to get back to sleep
Waking feeling unrefreshed |
DDX of normal sleeping patterns: | Normal drowsiness present Early in am or Mid-afternoon
If sleepy at other times then probably not getting enough sleep
If tired but can’t fall asleep during the day then likely suffering from fatigue |
Describe chronic fatigue: | Associated with illnesses and treatments such as chemotherapy
Does not improve with rest or sleep |
Define Insomnia in TCM? | Shen dysfunction |
3 Qualities of Insomnia in TCM | Overstimulation and/or agitation from heat
Constrained by qi and/or blood stagnation
Not anchored by sufficient blood, yin, or jing |
TCM DDx of Insomnia? | Liver fire
Liver blood deficiency
Phlegm heat disturbing the heart
Heart and/or kidney yin deficiency
Heart and spleen qi and blood deficiency
Heart and gallbladder qi deficiency
Stomach Heat
Restless organ syndrome |
Tx principles of Lv Fire insomnia? | Clear heat from the heart
Soothe liver
Calm shen |
Tx Liver Blood Xu insomnia principles: | Tonify liver blood
Soothe liver qi
Reduce liver wind |
Tx principles of Phlegm heat disturbing the heart insomnia: | Clear heat from the heart
Calm shen
Transform phlegm
Disperse damp |
Main points and methods for Phlegm heat disturbing the heart insomnia: | ST 44, SP 4, SP 9, ST 40, HT 7, HT 8, PC 6, Ren 12, bleeding ghost points (3 max. per session) |
Tx principles Heart and/or kidney yin deficiency insomnia: | Clear deficiency heat
Calm shen
Tonify kidney and heart yin |
Tx principles for Heart and spleen (qi and blood) deficiency insomnia | Tonify heart and spleen
Tonify qi and blood
Calm shen |
Tx principles Heart and gallbladder qi deficiency insomnia | Calm shen
Tonify heart qi
Tonify gallbladder qi
Soothe liver |
Tx principles of (qi and blood) due to Restless organ syndrome: | Calm shen
Tonify heart yin
Tonify spleen qi
Soothe liver |
PMS Types: | Type A: Anxiety
Type C: Cravings
Type H: Hyperhydration
Type D - Depression |
According to Guy Abraham, MD who made the preceding categorizations, PMS has three generalized causal factors: | Diet
Hormonal irregularity
Stress |
Describe the 4 phase model of the menstrual cycle: | Phase 1: period
Phase 2: post-period
Phase 3: ovulation
Phase 4: post-ovulation |
Describe how the 4 phase model relates to Yin and Yang: | Yin half of cycle, phases 1 and 2
Yang half, Phases 3 and 4 |
Describe Phase 1 of Menstruation in TCM: | Phase 1, period
The chong empties
Endometrial lining is shed
Best time of cycle to regulate blood and qi (in cases of blood and/or qi stagnation) |
Describe Phase 2 of Menstruation in TCM: | Phase 2: post-period
Yin and blood re-fill ren and chong
Endometrial lining proliferates
Follicles ripen
From day 5 to ovulation best time to tonify blood and yin |
In general, when does yin change to yang? | At ovulation |
What do you think happens next in the cycle in terms of yin and yang? | Basal body temp drops |
Describe Phase 3 of menstruation cycle: | Phase 3: ovulation
Chong and ren are completely filled
Yin transforms to yang
Egg bursts from ripened follicle
Egg moves towards uterus
Regulate qi and blood |
Describe Phase 4 of menstruation cycle: | Phase 4: post-ovulation
Progesterone rises along with BBT, cervical fluid dries
At end of phase w/o fertilization, estrogen and progesterone levels sharply drop, along w/ BBT
Warm yang if implantation desired
Regulate qi and blood |
Describe PMS and PMDD* in TCM: | Yin fails to completely transform to yang
Resulting yang deficiency
Reduced flow of qi and stagnation of fluids |
Primary cause of PMS and PMDD* in TCM: | Liver qi stagnation. |
What else could cause yin to fail to completely transform to yang? | Yin Xu, Blood Xu. Blood Stagnation,(uterine Fibroids), Yang xu, (Cold), Dampness |
Define PMDD: | * Premenstrual dysphoric disorder |
DDSx of PMS/PMDD patterns: | Liver qi stagnation (may lead to liver fire rising)
Spleen and kidney yang deficiency
Heart and spleen qi and/or blood deficiency
Phlegm heat harassing the heart
Liver blood deficiency
Liver and kidney yin deficiency |
Tx principles Liver qi stagnation PMS: | Move liver qi
Soothe liver qi |
Tx principles Spleen and/or kidney yang deficiency PMS: | Tonify spleen qi and yang
Tonify kidney qi and yang |
Tx principles HT and SP qi and blood deficiency PMS: | Tonify spleen qi
Tonify heart qi and blood
Calm shen |
Tx principles Phlegm fire harassing the heart PMS: | Clear heat
Clear damp
Transform phlegm
Calm the shen |
Tx principles Liver blood deficiency PMS : | Harmonize liver
Tonify blood
Tonify spleen |
Tx principles Liver and kidney yin deficiency PMS: | Tonify liver yin
Tonify kidney yin
Soothe and move liver qi |