Reply To: Acupuncture Bootcamp
Question 11: The location of the disease is:
Exterior
Interior
Deficient below, Excess above
Both Interior and Exterior
I chose B – interior, because even though it started as a wind cold I didn’t really see any clear exterior symptoms at present. The answer says it’s both interior and exterior. Is that because it did start as a wind cold?
This question is tricky. The problem here is that the External/Exterior Pathogenic Factor never got resolved. It’s stayed on the exterior (the skin rash is still present), and we know that seafood (especially shellfish) causes Wind, so there is still Wind.
There are interior signs as well (low-grade fever, constipation, etc.)
Again, it’s a tricky one and very debatable in a classroom setting.
Question 28: Which is the most accurate TCM diagnosis?
Heart Yin Deficiency
Lung Yin Deficiency
Liver Qi Stagnation and Kidney Yang Deficiency
Liver Yang Rising with Spleen Qi Deficiency
I really had no idea where to go with this question haha, so confusing. The answer is Heart yin deficiency, which I guess you would have to choose because there are palpitations. But I really don’t understand the etiology and pathogenesis if I’m being honest. Is it possible for you to explain this one a little bit as well?
I hope this will make things a heck of a lot simpler for you. Ready?
1. We know what Kidney-Yin Deficiency or Kidney-Yang Deficiency signs look like.
2. When another organ, gets “Yin” or “Yang” tagged on the back of it, it IMPLIES that there is also a Kidney-Yin or Kidney-Yang Deficiency.
Example: When we say that a patient has Spleen-Yang Deficiency, what are we REALLY saying?? We’re saying the patient has Spleen-Qi Deficiency with Kidney-Yang Deficiency signs. By using the term “Spleen-Yang” we are simplifying how we write it out.
With the above case, while a few of the signs are thrown in to confuse us (especially the Lung stuff – however, Lung stuff often goes with Heart stuff), the majority of them are Kidney-Yin Deficiency signs (causing Empty-Heat). The patient’s CHIEF COMPLAINT (oh, so important) has to do with the Heart.
So, with this case study, I think three things:
1. Heart is involved with the chief complaint
2. The majority of the signs are Empty-Heat due to Kidney-Yin Deficiency
3. So we have Heart-Qi/Blood Deficiency with Kidney-Yin Deficiency causing Empty Heat (which is wayyy too much to write out so we’ll call it Heart-Yin Deficiency for short.)
Question 38: Which organ is affected?
Liver
Lung
Spleen
Large Intestine
I chose Spleen, but the answer is Large Intestine. What symptoms tip you off that it’s large intestine and not spleen?
Great question. The answer: all those Heat signs (especially that burning around the anus). The Spleen doesn’t really get ‘hot’ in Chinese medicine. It likes warmth so it can stay dry. In terms of digestive organs, the Stomach hates Heat, and the Large Intestine is affected by Heat or Dryness. If Stomach was present, we’d still have to pick Large Intestine because there are no Rebellious Stomach-Qi signs.