Acupressure: Based on the same principles as acupuncture, though the pressure of touch is used instead of needles.
Acupuncture: A Chinese medical technique that has been developed and refined for over three thousand years. Acupuncture consists of inserting a number of very fine steel needles into the skin at specific Meridian points to reestablish harmony within your Energetic systems.
An Mo: A massage therapy working primarily with soft tissues. An Mo is based on Chinese medical theory and focuses on acupuncture points and Meridians to achieve its effects.
Ancestral (Zong Qi): Originates from within the region of your chest (lungs and heart), and is closely connected to the air you breathe. Its main function is to support breathing and blood circulation.
Ascending: One of the basic tendencies of Energetic movement of herbs. Any herb that is Energetically uplifting, dispersing, opening up orifices, or inducing vomit, is considered Ascending in its property of Energetic movement.
Ascending Qi: Qi distributes and spreads nutrients and oxygen throughout your body as it ascends.
Assistant Herb: The herb or herbs in an herbal formula that assist and enhance the effects of the Primary and Secondary Herbs. Can also directly address the secondary disharmony or illness or secondary symptom, or be used as a buffer to moderate the harshness of the Primary and Secondary Herbs.
Auricular (Ear) Acupuncture: A branch of acupuncture that treats disharmonies or illnesses by needling acupuncture points exclusively on the ear.
Balance/Harmony: Normal or healthy state where all the components or aspects of the body come into optimal equilibrium.
Bitter: One of the Five Flavors. Any property that is Clearing or Drying is considered Bitter.
Bland: One of the Five Flavors. Any property that is draining (Dampness) or promoting urination is considered Bland.
Blood (Xue): One of the Four Vital Substances. The primary function of Blood is to nourish. Blood has an intimate connection with Qi. Blood circulation is powered and carried by the movement of Qi. Blood is the substance that circulates throughout the blood vessels. During this circulation all Five Major Energetic systems—Heart, Lung, Spleen, Liver and Kidney—are involved in maintaining Blood's movement and distribution.
Blood Stasis/Stagnation: Slowed or bogged-down circulation of Blood. It also refers to the Blood that is congealed, leaked or accumulated outside of the blood vessels/Meridians.
Chinese herbs: There are well over eight thousand herbs known to have medicinal qualities. Only about five hundred are commonly used. Herbal formulas contain combinations of roots, seeds, grains, flowers, berries, fruit peel, bark, leaves, stems, kernels, wood, shells, nuts, minerals, pollen, resin, seaweed, clay, fossilized bones and occasionally animal parts or proteins, depending on your condition.
Circulating Qi: Energy or Life Force circulating within your body.
Clearing: One of the principal treatment strategies or methods in herbal therapy. The herbal treatment strategy to eliminate Heat or Toxin. Any herb that has this type of effect is considered a Clearing Heat or Clearing Toxin herb.
Cold/Cold disharmony: Cold is both the name of one of the External Causes and also an Energetic property of herbs as well as an Energetic characterization of certain disharmony. Any pattern of disharmony that is Cooling, contracting, degenerative and decreasing or damaging Yang is considered Cold disharmony.
Cold: An External Cause. Associated with degeneration and a decrease in metabolism. Congealing, contracting and damaging or decreasing Yang Energy. Any External Cause that creates the patterns of disharmony or illnesses displaying these characters is considered Cold in nature. One of the basic Energetic temperatures of herbs. Similar to Cool but stronger or more extreme.
Constitutional Factors: Each individual has a unique configuration of Yin and Yang balance. This defines your Energetic individuality. Everyone has his or her own unique constitution. Some of us run Hot, others Cold. A Chinese doctor can predict which direction your health is heading in the future based on your constitutional tendency, and can take steps to prevent illness from occurring.
Cool: One of the basic Energetic temperatures of herbs. Any herb that can counteract or decrease Heat disharmony is considered Cool in its Energetic temperature.
Cun: A standardized unit of measure for locating the correct acupuncture point(s).
Cupping: A modality of treatment where a vacuum is created inside glass or bamboo jars placed upon certain locations of the body to stimulate the movement of Qi or Blood, or draw the stagnated Qi or Blood to the body surface away from the Meridians.
Dampness: An External Cause. Connected with properties such as abnormal accumulation of Fluid or moisture, swelling, sluggishness and a stubborn and protracted illness. Heavy, clinging, stagnating and sinking. Any External Cause that causes the patterns of disharmony or illnesses displaying these characters is considered Damp in nature.
Dan Tian: Energy centers upon which to focus the mind or consciousness in Qigong.
Dao/Tao: Often translated as “the Way.” According to Daoism/Taoism, it is the essence or the ideal of existence—a state of complete harmony with nature, unspoiled by any intellectual evaluations.
Daoism/Taoism: The philosophy of Taoism is a philosophical system derived chiefly from the Tao-te-ching, a book traditionally ascribed to Chinese philosopher Lao-tze but believed to have been written in the sixth century B.C. Taoism, a central influence of Chinese medicine, states that “the heaven and the human are one” and describes an ideal human condition of freedom from desire and of effortless simplicity, achieved by following the Tao (path)—the spontaneous, creative, effortless path taken by natural events in the universe.
Decoction: Dried herbal formulas are brewed into a concentrated tea called a decoction to extract the medicinal qualities.
Deficiency: Basic pattern of disharmony or imbalance where one or more combination of Yin, Yang, Qi, Blood, Jing, Jin Ye or Shen becomes weakened or lacking.
Deficient Cold: The complex of Cold symptoms created when the body's Warming Energy (Yang) is not enough to balance the Cooling Energy (Yin) in the situation of Yang deficiency.
Deficient Heat: The complex of Heat symptoms created when the body's Cooling Energy (Yin) is not enough to balance the Warming Energy (Yang) in the situation of Yin deficiency.
Deqi: Literally “gaining the Qi.” A term used in acupuncture treatment to describe the sensations of the physician and patient upon the insertion of the needle when the Qi can be felt. The patient experiences sensations of numbness, heaviness, distension or radiating tingles. The acupuncturist, on the other hand, experiences a subtle heaviness or pulling beneath the tip of the needle when deqi occurs.
Descending: One of the basic tendencies of Energetic movement of herbs. Any herb that is Energetically purging, draining, clearing, calming, dissolving, or constricting is considered Descending in its property of Energetic movement.
Descending Qi: Qi passes down metabolic waste and toxins for elimination, and can also deliver nutrients as it descends.
Diagnosis: Diagnosis in Chinese medicine includes an assessment of the basic substances that make up the human body: Yin, Yang, Qi, Jing (Essence), Blood, Fluid and Shen. The traditional Chinese medical diagnostic procedure follows what is called the Four Examinations: inquiring, looking, listening/smelling and touching. The Four Examinations determine the pattern of harmony and disharmony.
Differentiation of Patterns of Disharmony (Bian Zheng): Recognizing and identifying the patterns of imbalance or disharmony. It is the most important process and method of diagnosis in Chinese medicine, during which doctors collect information and weave it into a meaningful pattern, and upon which the treatment is targeted.
Dissolving: One of the principal treatment strategies or methods in herbal therapy. The herbal treatment strategy to disperse certain stagnations, soften hardness or masses, or assist digestion of old, undigested foods. It is usually used for abnormally accumulated Qi, Blood, Phlegm, Fluid and foods that cannot be eliminated through Clearing or Purging. Any herb that has this type of effect is considered a Dissolver.
D.O.M.: Doctor of Oriental Medicine.
Draining: One of the principal treatment strategies or methods in herbal therapy. The herbal treatment strategy to promote urination. It is usually used for edema (abnormal Fluid accumulation) or certain types of Dampness. Any herb that has this type of effect is considered a diuretic.
Dryness: An External Cause. Dryness mainly damages your body's Fluid—such as symptoms that can be seen in certain types of bronchitis where the patient has dry cough, accompanied by pronounced dry mouth, throat, lips and nostrils.
Eight Principal Differentiations: The most fundamental system of diagnosis or differentiation of Patterns of disharmony in Chinese medicine. The eight principles are Yin, Yang, deficiency, excess, Cold, Hot, Exterior and Interior.
Eight Strategies/Methods: Principal treatment strategies or methods in herbal therapy. They are Clearing, Dissolving, Harmonizing, Inducing Vomiting, Purging, Sweating/Releasing Exterior, Tonifying, Warming. Additional strategies include Draining and Moving.
Electroacupuncture: Acupuncture using a high-frequency stimulator that sends an electronic pulsation through electric wires connected to the acupuncture needles.
Essence (Jing): One of the Four Vital Substances. An entirely inherited specific part of Kidney Energy, which governs reproduction and development. It can be strengthened or depleted during the course of life. It is confined within the Kidney Energy system.
Evaluation of body language, posture and self-presentation: Part of the Four Examinations. Whether you are thin or heavy, slouched over or erect, pointed in your speech or mumbling, strong or weak, physically fit or out of shape, hyper or sedate are all factors that will give your Chinese doctor an impression of you as a whole.
Excess: Basic pattern of disharmony or imbalance where one or any combination of Yin, Yang, Qi, Blood, Jing, Jin Ye or Shen becomes accumulated or excessive. It can also result from abnormal settlement or accumulation in the body of External Causes or mucus, Phlegm, stagnated Blood, food, urine and fecal matter.
Excess Cold: The complex of Cold symptoms due to abnormal accumulation of certain Causes in the body such as Cold in the situation of Yin excess.
Excess Heat: The complex of Heat symptoms due to abnormal accumulation of certain Causes in the body such as Heat or Fire in the situation of Yang excess.
Exterior/Exterior disharmony: Exterior is the part of the body that is relatively superficial or closer to the body surface. Any pattern of disharmony that occurs in this part of the body is considered Exterior disharmony.
External Causes: Anything that can cause disharmony or illness by invading our body from the environment. They are labeled Wind, Cold, Summer Heat, Dampness, Dryness, Fire and Toxins.
External Causes and Internal Causes: When identifying the causes of illnesses, Chinese medicine refers to External Causes: Wind, Cold, Summer Heat, Dampness, Dryness and Fire or Internal Causes: imbalanced emotions and other Lifestyle Factors. A disease is typically caused by a combination of several Causes.
External Toxins: Chemical and biological toxins such as environmental pollutants, viruses and bacteria.
Fire/Heat: Consuming Fluid and Yin, ascending, stirring and accelerating. Any External Cause that causes the patterns of disharmony or illnesses displaying these characters is considered Fire/Heat in nature.
Five Element Theory: First formed in China at about the time of the Zhou dynasty (867 to 255 B.C.). Historically, it arose from observations of the natural world made in early times by people in the course of their lives and productive labor. Wood, fire, earth, metal and water were considered to be five indispensible materials for the maintenance of life and production, as well as representing five important states that initiated normal changes in the natural world. In other words, all phenomena in the universe correspond in nature either to wood, fire, earth, metal or water, and these are in a state of constant motion and change. Chinese medicine uses the properties associated with them to explain the makeup and dynamics of the world, including our bodies, as well as to organize the clinical data and provide guidance for treatments.
Five Flavors: Basic Energetic properties used to characterize herbs in Chinese herbal medicine. They are Sour, Bitter, Sweet, Acrid, Salty. Bland and Stringent were added later to the list.
Floating: One of the basic tendencies of Energetic movement of herbs. Similar to Ascending but primarily affects the upper part of the body.
Fluid (Jin Ye): One of the Four Vital Substances. Encompasses all of your bodily fluids (except Blood), including secretions such as gastric juices, tears, saliva and perspiration. Fluid contains many other nourishing substances that are important to your body.
Four Energetic Tendencies/Movements: Four basic tendencies of Energetic movement of herbs. They are Ascending, Descending, Floating and Sinking.
Four Examinations: Inquiring, Looking, Listening/Smelling and Touching.
Four Temperatures: Basic Energetic Temperatures (different from physical temperature) used in Chinese herbal medicine to characterize properties of herbs. They are Cool, Cold, Warm and Hot. Neutral was later added to the list.
Four Vital Substances: Blood (Xue), Fluid (Jin Ye), Essence (Jing) and Shen.
Fu: The (Yang) minor Energetic systems: Gall Bladder, Small Intestine, Stomach, Large Intestine and Urinary Bladder.
Gall Bladder: A Yang organ, one of the Fu/Six Minor Energetic Systems. Its main functions are storing and releasing bile. The Gall Bladder underlies one's ability in decision-making. Closely associated with Liver Energy, Gall Bladder Energy also assists in digestion, which is similar to the function in Western medicine perspective.
Harmonizing: One of the principal treatment strategies or methods in herbal therapy. The herbal treatment strategy to regulate or balance certain relationships or disharmony. It is usually used in the situations where neither simply eliminating nor strengthening is appropriate. Any herb that has this type of effect is considered a Harmonizer.
Harmonizing Herb: The herb in a formula that regulates or adjusts a Vital Substance or an Energetic System toward its normal level or balance, or that facilitates the synergy of the whole formula. It makes all the herbs of the formula work better together.
Heart: A Yin organ, one of the Zang/Five Major Energetic Systems. It provides the dynamic source for the Qi and Blood circulations. It governs Shen or Spirit and dictates much of the mind's cognitive activities. It has particularly close connections to tongue, blood vessels and sweats, and its predominant associating emotion is happiness.
Heat/Heat disharmony: One of the External Causes and also an Energetic characterization of certain disharmony. Any pattern of disharmony that is Warming, accelerating, inflammatory, consuming or damaging Yin is considered Heat disharmony.
Herbal transdermal ionization (HTI): The use of an electric ionizing device along with topical herbs. HTI delivers concentrated herbs deep into the affected sites by converting the herbs into electrically charged particles, then, through polarity, expelling or pulling the herbal application deep into the body.
Hot: One of the basic Energetic temperatures of herbs. Similar to Warm but stronger or more extreme.
Imbalance/Disharmony: Abnormal or suboptimal or diseased state where the balance is off or upset.
Inducing Vomiting: One of the principal treatment strategies or methods in herbal therapy. The herbal treatment strategy to induce vomiting. It is usually used for helping the body to expel Toxins or abnormally accumulated Foods and Phlegm or Mucus. Any herb that has this type of effect is considered an emetic (vomiting inducer).
Inquiring/Questioning: Part of the Four Examinations: In-depth questions about yourself, your history, your current complaints and symptoms or any thing else related to your condition.
Interior/Interior Disharmony: Interior is the part of the body that is relatively deep or closer to the body center. Any pattern of disharmony that occurs in this part of the body is considered Interior disharmony.
Intermediate Causes: At various stages, some diseases can create or generate disease-causing substances such as stagnation of Blood and Phlegm that cause other illnesses (imbalances). Others are Internal Toxins, which are mostly due to abnormally accumulated metabolic waste.
Internal Causes: Some are psychological in nature. The Seven Emotions are Anger, Joy, Sadness, Grief, Pensiveness, Fear and Fright. These emotions represent a wide range of emotional states. They are, by themselves, neither good nor bad. But when excessive or out of control, they can lead to imbalances and illness. Other Internal Causes include imbalanced behavioral patterns such as physical, mental or sexual overexertion or stress, lack of activity and improper diet.
Inward/Outward Qi: Qi supports and strengthens your body through inward movement. Qi disperses nutrients and expels toxins through outward movement.
Kidney: A Yin Organ, one of the Zang/Five Major Energetic Systems. It stores Jing and supplies the body with the most important life force or vitality. It governs the development and reproduction, and also regulates fluid and helps deep breathing. It generates bone marrow and is important for certain cognitive functions. It has particularly close connections to ears and bones, and its predominant associated emotion is fear.
Large Intestine: A Yang organ, one of the Fu/Six Minor Energetic Systems. It receives the impurity of foods and extracts moisture from them, then excretes the rest as waste. Associated with Lung Energy, the main function of Large Intestine Energy is the transportation and elimination of digestive waste.
Lic. Ac.: Licensed Acupuncturist.
Lifestyle Factors: Includes dietary patterns, stress levels and management, excessiveness and/or indulgence due to lack of moderation and discipline.
Listening: One of the Four Examinations. Some people have big voices, some quiet, some bright, some hoarse. Some people articulate and are clear, others are scattered and inarticulate. The strength of your breathing, rhythm and rate are all important, as are obstructions or wheezing and the sound of coughing. Listening also includes the sounds of your digestive track, heartbeat, hiccups, burping, sniffling, sneezing or coughing.
Liver: A Yin Organ, one of the Zang/Five Major Energetic Systems. It is the great regulator of the body. It regulates the Energy flow and circulation, digestion, emotions and menstruation; it has particularly close connections to eyes, connective tissues and tears; its predominant associating emotion is anger.
Looking/Inspecting: One of the Four Examinations. The Chinese doctor learns about you by observing your body build and body language, movement, appearance and complexion, behavior, tongue, eyes, ears, palms, hair, fingernails, tears, sweat, phlegm, nasal discharge, vaginal discharge, vomit, urine and feces.
Lung: A Yin Organ, one of the Zang/Five Major Energetic Systems. It is chiefly responsible for breathing, especially for intake of Qing Qi; also involved in regulating fluid, Qi movement and assisting the heart to govern the blood circulation. It has particularly close connections to the skin, nose and nasal mucus, and its predominant associating emotion is grief.
Meridian Affinities: Basic property of herbs that tend to selectively affect a particular part of the body or Meridian. An herb that enters the Heart Meridian would be said to be a Heart herb. Most herbs have multiple Meridian Affinities.
Meridian (Jin)Qi: This is the Qi that circulates within the Meridians. It connects all of the Energetic systems and parts of your body into an integrated whole. It nourishes, regulates and detoxifies. This is the Qi that acupuncture primarily R works through.
Meridians (channels): Meridians are invisible channels in your body in which Qi flows. Meridians connect most of the acupuncture points and weave the various parts of the body into an integrated whole.
Moving: One of the principal treatment strategies or methods in herbal therapy. The herbal treatment strategy to promote or invigorate the movement of Qi, Blood, Fluid and Foods. It is usually used for stagnation. Any herb that has this type of effect is considered a Mover.
Moxa/Moxabustion: Moxa is the dried and pulverized herb Mugwort (Ai Ye) prepared and used for moxabustion treatment. Moxabustion treatment involves burning the moxa in certain forms and with certain methods, and directing the heat toward the site of treatment, usually acupuncture points. It is often used for stagnated Qi or Blood, or deficient and Cold Disharmony.
Neutral: One of the basic Energetic temperatures of herbs. Even, or neither Warm nor Cool in temperature. Appropriate to be used for disharmonies other than Heat or Cold in nature.
Non-Internal, Non-External Causes: Constitutional Factors, Lifestyle Factors, Intermediate Causes and Unforeseen Events.
Nutritive (Ying Qi): This is the Qi most intimately associated with the Vital Substance of Blood. It circulates along blood vessels. Its primary function is to deliver nutrients to and throughout the body.
O.M.D.: Oriental Medical Doctor.
Organ (Zang Fu) Qi: This Qi belongs to and carries the functions of each individual major and minor Energetic system.
Patent formulas: Herbal formulas that are processed into standardized over-the-counter medications in the form of pills, tablets, capsules, tinctures, powders, plasters.
Phlegm: Concentrated and sticky bodily fluid created from abnormal accumulation of Fluid or moisture. It can cause a wide range of disharmonies or illnesses.
Primary herb: The most important and essential herb in an herbal formula. It is the chief therapeutic agent targeting the main disharmony or illness, or the main symptom.
Primordial (Yuan) Qi: The most fundamental and important Qi. It is primarily inherited (genetic). It can be strengthened or depleted throughout the course of life. It provides the most important part of vitality. It nourishes and supports all the other specific Energetic systems. It dictates growth, development and aging.
Protective (Wei) Qi: The Qi created from nutrients by Spleen Energy, supported and enhanced by Kidney Energy, and distributed by Lung Energy. It is active and circulates primarily along the exterior of your body to protect against the invasion of External Causes.
Pulse: Part of the Four Examinations. Aside from the pulse rate, the Chinese doctor feels for the depth, strength, width, shape, rhythm and length of the pulse.
Purging: One of the principal treatment strategies or methods in herbal therapy. The herbal treatment strategy to cleanse Stomach and Intestines or induce diarrhea. It is usually used to eliminate stagnation that settled in the digestive tracts such as abnormally accumulated foods, fecal matter, Blood, Phlegm and Fluid. Any herb that has this type of effect is considered a Purgative.
Qi (Vital Energy, Life Force): The basic substance (mass or matter), as well as the Energy necessary to create the physical world, which includes all living things. Qi is the singular common bond that connects all existence, thereby being able to pass back and forth and interact. Qi cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be transformed from one form to another. Qi is the most basic Vital Energy that provides all the actual physical building blocks that make up the human body. Qi supports and sustains your body's life functions such as breathing, metabolism, thoughts and feelings, but it is also the life function itself.
Qi Level: The second level in the evolution of disease. Qi level involvement is experienced as high fever, profuse sweating, thirst and strong pulse. Your body is actively fighting the invading Cause. In other words, both the Cause and your Qi are strong.
Qigong: Energy work of Chinese medicine for promoting health and treating disharmonies. It involves cultivating and guiding the movement of Qi through meditation. Certain poses or gentle movements are sometimes employed as well to assist the process.
Salty: One of the Five Flavors. Any property that is softening (hardness or any mass) or purging is considered Salty.
San Jiao (Triple Warmer): A Yang organ, one of the Fu/Six Minor Energetic Systems encompassing Upper (Heart and Lung), Middle (Spleen, Stomach, Liver and Gall Bladder), and Lower (Kidney, Small Intestine, Large Intestine and Urinary Bladder) Jiao. It especially refers to the functional connections of these parts of the body in the process of transforming and transporting Qi and Fluid.
Secondary herb: The herb or herbs in an herbal formula that enhance the effect of the primary herb, or act as the chief therapeutic agent for the secondary disharmony or illness, or the secondary symptom.
Seeds: The seeds of the Wang Bu Liu Xing plant (Vaccaria), or stainless-steel beads that are attached to surgical tape and adhered to certain specific acupuncture points on the ear. Stimulating the seeds with the tips of your fingers can provide relief from anxiety, stress or cravings, among other conditions.
Seven Emotions: Joy, Anger, Sadness, Pensiveness, Grief, Fear and Fright. They represent the full range of normal emotional response of life, but when extreme they can cause disharmonies or illnesses.
Shen: One of the Four Vital Substances. Spirit without a religious affiliation. Shen is all of the mental and psychological functions and activities of an individual.
Shen Nong: The divine husbandman. Believed to have lived around five thousand years ago. Shen Nong is mentioned in dozens of books dating as far back as 607 B.C. He is said to have discovered the medicinal properties of herbs by systematically trying herbs himself, sometimes with toxic or adverse reactions, compelling him to quickly find an antidote.
Shen Nong's Herbal Material Medica: Three volumes, attributed to Shen Nong, containing 365 medicinal substances. More than 60 percent of these 365 medicinal substances are still in use today. Shen Nong's Herbal Material Medica established the basic theory of herbology.
Sinking: One of the basic tendencies of Energetic movement of herbs. Similar to Descending but primarily affects lower part of the body.
Small Intestine: A Yang organ, one of the Fu/Six Minor Energetic Systems. It receives preliminarily digested foods from the Stomach and extracts the Purity (nutrients) from the Impurity (indigestible portion of the foods). Associated with Heart Energy.
Smelling: Part of the Four Examinations. Smelling includes the detection of unusual odor not only from bodily discharge, but from the patient's breath and overall body scent as well.
Sour: One of the Five Flavors. Any property that is contracting, holding or pulling back is considered Sour.
Spicy/Acrid/Pungent: One of the Five Flavors. Any property that disperses or promotes Qi movement is considered Spicy/Acrid, Pungent.
Spleen: A Yin Organ, one of the Zang/Five Major Energetic Systems. It represents much of the digestive functions and also participates in the regulation of Fluid and Blood. Its Energy is the primary supporter of the limbs and muscles. It has particularly close connections to the mouth and saliva, and its predominant associating emotion is pensiveness.
Stagnation: Lack of normal movement. It can involve Qi, Blood, Fluid or Food.
Stomach: A Yang organ, one of the Fu/Six Minor Energetic Systems. It stores and performs preliminary digestion of the foods. The descending energy of Stomach ensures the foods get passed along the digestive tract. Associated with Spleen Energy, Stomach Energy stores, transports and assists in the digestion of food. After food has left the stomach, Stomach Energy moves Purities downward through your gastrointestinal tract to the small intestines and, ultimately, the large intestine. As Stomach Energy pushes downward, the Purities are extracted by Spleen Energy, which moves these Purities upward and distributes them to nourish your body.
Stringent: One of the Five Flavors. Any property that is contracting, holding or pulling back, yet stronger than Sour, is considered Stringent.
Summer Heat: An External Cause. Hot, extremely dispersing, strictly seasonal (only occurring in Summer), and often combining with Dampness. Any External Cause that causes the patterns of disharmony or illnesses displaying these characters are considered Summer Heat in nature.
Sweating/Releasing Exterior: One of the principal treatment strategies or methods in herbal therapy. The herbal treatment strategy to create or induce perspiration. Any herb that has this type of effect is considered an Exterior Releaser.
Sweet: One of the Five Flavors. Any property that is Tonifying, Harmonizing or soothing urgency is considered Sweet.
Tai Chi: A Chinese exercise integrating energy work and physical movement. Known as “the meditation in motion,” it involves slow, fluid, dancelike sequences of movements with deep breathing, and can be of great value in promoting health and treating certain illnesses.
Three Treasures: Refers to Jing, Qi and Shen.
Tian Kui: A special type of Kidney Jing.
Tincture: A form of herbal preparation where a medicinal substance is soaked in alcohol for a certain length of time to produce an alcohol-based extract.
Tongue Diagnosis: Part of the Four Examinations. Observing the tongue is one of the most important diagnostic methods of Chinese medicine. The doctor looks at the form, including the size and shape, color, texture, movement, coating and moisture.
Tonifying: Part of the principal treatment strategies or methods in herbal therapy. The herbal treatment strategy to strengthen or support Vital Substance. It is usually used for conditions of deficiency. Any herb that has this type of effect is considered a Tonifier or Tonic.
Touching/Palpating: Part of the Four Examinations. Touching as a means of diagnosing involves two methods. One method is to palpate the body. Certain information about the nature of the imbalance can be acquired through feeling the patient's temperature (hot or cold), muscle tone (hard or flaccid), moisture (clammy or dry), pain (physical pressure helps or aggravates pain), abnormal mass and around certain acupuncture points or along the fourteen Meridians. The other method is to palpate the pulse.
Toxin: Contagious or poisonous substance causing deterioration or abnormal proliferation. Any External Cause that causes the patterns of disharmony or illnesses displaying these characters is considered Toxin in nature. Internal Toxin refers mostly to metabolic waste.
Tui Na: A type of bodywork in Chinese medicine. Tui Na employs hands-on techniques such as massage, acupressure, adjustment, even orthopedic manipulation. Often used for musculoskeletal problems, it can also be used to treat many disharmonies or illnesses. While An Mo works mostly with soft tissues, Tui Na integrates the work of muscles, connective tissues and bones.
Unforeseen Events: Illnesses caused by unforeseen events such as accidents and injuries cause severe damage to the structure and Energy of a healthy person. Therefore they are considered one of the causes of illnesses, and can be treated based on exactly what is damaged.
Urinary Bladder: A Yang organ, one of the Fu/Six Minor Energetic Systems. It stores and controls the excretion of urine. Associated with Kidney Energy, Urinary Bladder Energy stores and eliminates urine, which is similar to the function in Western medical perspective.
Warm: One of the basic Energetic temperatures of herbs. Any herb that can counteract or decrease Cold Disharmony is considered Warm in its Energetic temperature.
Warming: One of the principal treatment strategies or methods in herbal therapy. The herbal treatment strategy to counteract Cold disharmonies or some types of stagnation. Any herb that has this type of effect is considered a Yang Warmer, or Yang Tonic.
Wei (Level): Wei is the protective energy that circulates at the very surface/exte-rior of your body. Wei level is the first protective barrier against External Causes. At this level, the cause is not yet very strong and the Qi is strong and intact.
Wen Yi: An External Cause. Any External Cause may also be considered Li Qi if, aside from exhibiting typical properties of other External Causes, it also is highly contagious, rapidly evolving and causes the same or very similar pattern of severe symptoms among different patients. Smallpox, typhus, tuberculosis and HIV would all be considered caused by Li Qi.
Wholeness: Chinese medicine's philosophical concept that life always functions or malfunctions in its entirety. There is an essential indivisibility among different parts of the body, between the body and mind, and between life and the environment it exists within.
Wind: An External Cause. In nature, wind is swift, mobile, changeable and strikes suddenly. Any External Cause that causes the patterns of disharmony or illnesses displaying these characters are considered Wind in nature.
Xue level: The last, or final, level, in the evolution of certain infectious diseases, which is critical and potentially fatal. Often, the earmark of the Xue level is the presence of multiorgan failure. The patient's blood coagulation factors are exhausted, which results in internal coagulation and extensive bleeding simultaneously. At this stage, Qi has become depleted.
Yang: Opposed and complementary to Yin. Yang represents everything that is positive, aggressive, vigorous, hot, bright, masculine, upward, functional, external, of day and summer.
Yang Deficiency and Yin Excess: Pattern of imbalance or disharmony where the Yang level becomes weakened; in the meantime the Yin level becomes accumulated or excessive.
Yang deficiency, also known as deficient Cold imbalance: Pattern of imbalance or disharmony where Yin is normal yet the person exhibits some Yin symptoms because there is not enough Yang Energy to balance the Yin.
Yang excess, also known as excess Heat imbalance: Pattern of disharmony that displays a Yang character such as hot, inflammatory, agitating, overstimulating or hyperfunctional. Pronounced Yang symptoms but without any weakness.
Yang organs—the Fu—the Six Minor Energetic Systems: Small Intestine Energy, Large Intestine Energy, Gall Bladder Energy, Urinary Bladder Energy, Stomach Energy and San Jiao (Triple Warmer). The Six Minor Energetic Systems actually come closer to relating to the organ of similar name, in terms of their functional similarities, than do the Five Major Energetic Systems.
Yin: Opposed and complementary to Yang. Yin represents everything negative, passive, dormant, cold, dark, still, feminine, downward, substantive, internal, of night and winter.
Yin and Yang deficiency: Pattern of imbalance or disharmony where both the Yin and Yang levels become weakened.
Yin and Yang excess: Pattern of imbalance or disharmony where both Yin and Yang level become accentuated or excessive. Exhibiting Heat and Cold symptoms at the same time or alternately without any discernible weakness. This is demonstrated in certain types of common cold or flu or malaria, when the person can fluctuate between having both fever and chills.
Yin deficiency/Yang excess: Imbalance or disharmony where the Yin level becomes weakened; in the meantime the Yang level becomes accumulated or excessive. Pronounced Heat symptoms along with Yin weakness.
Yin deficiency, also known as deficient Heat imbalance: Pattern of imbalance or disharmony when Yang is normal but the person can exhibit some Yang symptoms because there is not enough Yin Energy to balance the Yang.
Yin deficiency: Pattern of imbalance or disharmony where the Yin level has become weakened, whereas Yang remains relatively normal.
Yin excess, also known as excess Cold imbalance: Pattern of imbalance or disharmony where the person shows pronounced Yin symptoms but without any weakness.
Ying Level: The third level in the evolution of certain infectious diseases. When the External Cause pierces through your Qi level and enters the Ying level, which is evident in the development of pneumonia, endocarditis and myocarditis, to name a few problems. At this level the Qi begins to be overwhelmed, or worn down, by the Cause.
Yin Organs—the Zang—The Five Major Energetic Systems: Comprised of Kidney, Heart, Lungs, Spleen and Liver Energies.
Yin/Yang: Yin and Yang are the most basic concepts used by Chinese philosophy to characterize the world and life. To ancient Chinese sages, Yin and Yang were the essence of existence and changes. Everything embodies Ying and Yang, and the interactions and movement between Yin and Yang provide the dynamic source for occurrence, development and shifting of all things. Optimal health is achieved through a state of balance and harmony of your body, mind and environment. Harmony is determined by the balance between Yin and Yang.
Zangfu: A collective name for the solid Yin organ systems: Lung, Heart, Spleen, Liver and Kidneys, and the hollow Yang organ systems: Small Intestine, Large Intestine, Gall Bladder, Urinary Bladder, Stomach and San Jiao (Triple Warmer).
Zangfu System: The general term for all five major and six minor Energetic systems and their associations to other aspects of the body and its functions. These are Energetic organs, different from their physical counterparts of the same names. Zang refers to the (Yin) Five Major Energetic systems: Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lung and Kidney. Fu refers to the Six Minor Energetic systems: Gall Bladder, Small Intestine, Stomach, Large Intestine, Urinary Bladder and Triple Warmer.
Zang Xiang System/Theory: Zang means “organ” (in an Energetic sense), and Xiang means “sign” or “manifestation.” The Zang Xiang system is the functional connection of an Energetic system in its entirety. It is the Energetic web that weaves together a major Energetic system with its associated minor Energetic system. Zang Xiang Theory is the study of how the harmony or disharmony of internal Energetic systems reflects or expresses itself outwardly.
Zheng: The result of a comprehensive assessment of the nature of the patient's condition that weaves together all the relevant information about the condition into a meaningful pattern. It is the most important objective in Chinese medicine.