Traditional Chinese Medicine Philosophy

A Chinese herbal medical practitioner begins his diagnosis of a patient from the first moment they meet. Diagnosis of a patient’s illness is made in four steps:

1.    Observing: The patient’s skin tone, posture, condition of the nails, the color and appearance of the tongue, and the eyes..... All of these things tell the Chinese herbal medical practitioner many things.

2.    Questioning: The patient will be asked a lot of questions such as the quality of his appetite, the color and frequency of urine, the frequency and consistency of bowel movements, fever, thirst, headaches, dizziness, and pain. At the same time that the herbalist is asking questions he is doing the third step of his evaluation.

3.    Listening: As he listens to the answers to his questions, the herbalist will also be noting the strength of the patient’s voice and the number of breaths he takes as he answers questions.

4.    Examination: Many times the physical examination of a new herbalist patient will consist of the taking of his pulse. The pulse is not only taken in the wrist, it is also taken at other points like the ankle and the neck.

The herbalist is ready to prescribe the herbal remedies to the patient after he has done these four steps. It may not look like there has been much of a physical examination done to those who are more familiar with the practice of physicians who practice Western medicine but the Chinese herbal medical practitioner will have established the chi of the patient and his Yin and Yang balance. His herbal prescriptions will be accurate, as well as, effective. Sometimes he will prescribe acupuncture in addition to herbs to help correct the Yin and Yang balance and to make the herbal prescriptions more effective.

One definition of Chi or Qi (they are one and the same) in the online dictionary is: “The vital force believed in Taoism and other Chinese thought to be inherent in all things. The unimpeded circulation of chi and a balance of its negative and positive forms in the body are held to be essential to good health in traditional Chinese medicine.”

Chinese herbalists ‘measure’ Chi in a patient by considering the conditions of:

Yin Yang
Hot Cold
Internal External
Empty Full

Chinese herbalists consider all conditions of their patients not just the physical condition but the condition of the mind and the emotions as well. When determining the strength of Chi in their patients they use what are called the six excesses of:
1. Wind
2. Dryness
3. Cold
4. Moisture
5. Fire
6. Heat

as well as excesses of the seven emotions:
1. Joy
2. Anger
3. Anxiety
4. Brooding
5. Sorrow
6. Fear
7. Fright

Illness is not thought to ever be caused by only one thing in Chinese herbal medical diagnosis. Just because pain is in the stomach doesn’t mean that the illness is only in the stomach. Neither does it mean that the illness is only physical, it may well be caused by or irritated by one of the seven emotional excesses.

The strength of Chi and the balance of Yin and Yang are all considered when a patient’s illness is being diagnosed and herbal remedies will be prescribed that address all of the potential causes.

Yin and Yang are opposites which depend upon each other for their existence. There would be no Yin without Yang and Yang without Yin. Think of the Chinese symbol for Yin and Yang. Half is light, half is dark and the two curl around one another. In the Yang part of the symbol there is a spot of dark (Yin) and in the Yin part of the symbol there is a spot of light (Yang).

Yin translates from Chinese to English literally as, “‘shady place, north slope (hill), south bank (river); cloudy, overcast’. Yin is female. Yin is characterized by sadness, darkness and passiveness. Yin corresponds to night and is often depicted by water.

Patients with an excess of Yin feel cold. They will have cold hands and/or feet, their face will appear white, they will move slowly, their heart rate will be slow, they will not be thirsty, they will not sweat, they will have much clear urine that is odorless, and their tongue will be covered with a white coating.

For a Yin related disease the Chinese herbal practitioner will order heat to be applied to specific areas of the body. He will prescribe warm/spicy food, warm drinks and warm herbs.

Yang translates from Chinese to English literally as, “sunny place, south slope (hill), north bank (river); sunshine”. Yang is male. Yang is characterized by light, happiness and activity. Yang corresponds to day and is often depicted by fire.

Patients with an excess of Yang feel hot. They will have hot skin, they will sweat profusely, they will be extremely thirsty, their urine will be infrequent and be a dark color with a strong odor, their movements will be quick and nervous, and their tongue will have a red or yellow coating.

For a Yang related disease the Chinese herbal practitioner will order cold baths, cold food, cold drinks, and cool herbs.

The Five Element Theory has a great deal to do with the practice of Chinese herbal medicine.

Each of the five elements represents organs of the body. Wood is representative of the liver; fire represents the heart; earth represents the spleen; metal represents the lungs; and water represents the kidneys.

The Five Elements and their functions is a diagnostic tool used by those who practice Chinese herbal medicine. Each element has a corresponding function to generate and, overcome and can be overcome by another element. Water, for example generates wood and overcomes fire but is overcome by earth while Wood generates fire and overcomes earth but is overcome by metal.

According to this theory: the kidneys (water) generate the liver (wood), overcomes the heart (fire) and is overcome by the spleen (earth). The Chinese herbalist uses this information to help him determine what herbs will make his patient feel better.

Since Chinese herbal medicine is based on the strength of Chi and the balance of Yin and Yang in the body, the object is to choose herbs that will strengthen Chi and restore the balance of Yin and Yang. The herb bai zhu (bulb) is used when there is a deficiency in the spleen (earth) and an excess in wetness (water), for example. BaiZhu strengthens the spleen and dries wetness.

When Chinese herbalists use the terms “good and evil” they are not referring to morality but rather the ‘good and evil’ atmospheres that are perceived within the body of their patient. They are speaking of Yin and Yang as each relates to specific organs and thereby to the specific elements.

Chinese herbalists believe that all disease is caused by the interruption of Chi and the resulting imbalance of Yin and Yang and that this interruption is caused by excesses....either excesses of heat and cold, or yin and yang, or internal/external, full/empty conditions AND/OR an emotional excess. The seven excess emotions are:

1. Joy
2. Anger
3. Anxiety
4. Brooding
5. Sorrow
6. Fear
7. Fright

It is believed that an excess of each emotion has a corresponding element, organ that is affected and effect on the Qi of a patient.

Excessive joy calms the Qi, the related element is fire and the organ affected is the heart.

Excessive anger stimulates the Qi, the related element is wood and the organ affected is the liver.

Excessive Anxiety obstructs the Qi, the related element is water and the organ affected is the kidney.

Excessive brooding coagulates the Qi, the related element is earth and the organ affected is the spleen.

Excessive sorrow reduces the Qi, the related element is metal and the organ affected is the lung.

Excessive fear suppresses the Qi, the related element is water and the organ affected is the kidney.

Excessive fright disturbs the Qi, the related element is water and the organ affected is the kidney.

Chinese herbalists have long known that our emotions affect our bodies. Western medicine has only recognized this since it has been scientifically proven beyond any reasonable doubt. Our emotions affect our physical health and the opposite is also true...our physical health affects our emotions.

There are herbs that can calm the nerves, help us to sleep, and raise our spirits that Chinese herbalists prescribe after they have diagnosed the cause and the source of a patient’s illness. Chinese herbal medicine practitioners treat the whole person...not just the physical body.