Dear Colleague,

Welcome to Volume 6, Issue 3 of Chinese Medicine Times (CMT).

Articles in this Issue

An Introduction to Meridian Circuit Systems

In a meridian based approach to pattern identification and treatment, emphasis is placed on understanding the relationships between the channels, and how the meridian networks connect to the patient's top three health concerns. The relationships between the channels are determined by the traditional Chinese names for the meridians, the internal-external relationships, and the horary cycle.

To begin to understand these connections between the channels we need to start with the six meridian pairs as classified in the six stages of syndrome differentiation. These are expounded upon in the Shang Han Lun (On Cold Damage) and include the six pairs of tai yang, yang ming, shao yang, tai yin, shao yang, and jue yin. Though the Shang Han Lun discusses these meridians in the context of external cold invasions, this method of pairing the meridians is also based on yin-yang relationships, anatomical location, and physiological functions. Taking the yang ming pair as an example we find that it contains one hand meridian and one foot meridian. Additionally, these meridians are located on the most anterior yang portions of the body, and they share functions in the digestive processes. Similarly, the shao yin pair includes one hand and one foot meridian, and these channels are located on the most posterior yin aspects of the body. In terms of functionality the shao yin governs the most vital fluids of the body, namely the blood and essence.

Another way the meridians may be paired is through what is called the Zang Fu Bei Tong Theory (5 Zang Extra Relationship Theory). This way of pairing meridians is a major component of Tung style acupuncture and is referred to as the system two associations in Dr. Tan's methods. This system takes the tai yang meridians and pairs them with the tai yin, while the shao yang is associated with the shao yin, and the yang ming meridians are paired with the jue yin. It is through this system that the LI and LV meridians form a connection, and this relationship is most commonly recognized in the point combination of LI 4 (He Gu) and LV 3 (Tai Chong).

In addition to the well-known internal-external associations, meridians may also be grouped according to the horary cycle. In this system each of the twelve regular meridians have a designated two hour period of time during a 24-hour day. Meridians that are located opposite the clock of one another may be paired, and examples of this include the relationships between the LV and SI, the ST and PC, and the KI and LI. Additionally, the channels may also be paired when they are located next to each other on the clock and have the same yin-yang designation. This forms relationships between the LV and LU, the SP and HT, and the KI and PC. [read more]

The Relationship between the Kidney and the Heart in Chinese Medicine

Stated at the beginning of this paper and once again at the end, the practical significance of harmony between the Heart and the Kidney is the relationship of the mind-spirit [controlled by the Heart] and the brain-marrow [created and sustained by Kidney marrow-essence]. Together they determine mental stability and function.

Using a digital metaphor, the Heart is the software and Kidney Essence the hardware. The Triple Burner mediates this relationship and should always be considered in management.

The Water is the ground substance of our existence, the foundation-root of and resource for all life,. The Fire is endless ongoing creation on earth, the God in man. Divine Love resides in Water Qi [Yin-Yang] as a potential that is realized and expressed by the Heart-Word, the communicator that reaches out to the world. Jeffrey Yuen says the Kidney (self) feeds the Heart (purpose). If the Kidney [marrow-blood] is insufficient to nourish Heart Blood, the question is raised, `is there a sense of purpose in life'.

In the process of `becoming' the Water, the Kidneys predominate from conception through delivery, and therein most profoundly affects the Heart-Fire so that at birth these two are the substrate for all that follows throughout life that we call constitution. Here is the beginning of the Kidney-Heart association that we refer to as Kidney-Heart Harmony. [read more]

Pairing the Extraordinary Vessels with the Primary Channels and Zangfu - Part One

In this paper I would like to explore various connections between the primary channels and the extraordinary vessels (qi jing ba mai), developing a theoretical perspective that sees the two sets of channels as having a direct correspondence to each other and integrated at a fundamental level. This is a continuation in a series of articles examining possible relationships of the extraordinary vessels and the extraordinary fu to Daoist cosmology and the evolution of consciousness. To develop this perspective, I will examine anatomical, functional and relational correspondences between the extraordinary vessels and the primary channels and zangfu (viscera and bowels), utilizing the structure of the horary clock as the primary framework for exploration.

Let us start by examining the cycle of the ying qi as it flows through the 12 primary channels (corresponding to the horary clock) and observing the locations of the confluent points of the extraordinary vessels. In so doing, we can see that there is a specific distribution of the extraordinary vessel confluent points among the primary channels; in fact, there is a perfect, one-to-one distribution between each extraordinary vessel and each zangfu/primary channel pair. In order to make the relationships more clear, we can think in terms of the six extraordinary vessels, by unifying the yin and yang aspects of the qiao mai and wei mai. This leaves us with the ren, chong, du, qiao, wei and dai mai, which allows us to easily examine their relation to the six interior-exterior related pairs of primary channels and zangfu.

Before we examine these pairings individually, it will be useful to review some of the general information regarding the extraordinary vessels and the connections to their respective primary channels and zangfu. [read more]

Treating Infertility with the Integration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Assisted Conception Therapy

Around one in six couples have problems conceiving naturally [1], and this is predicted to rise to one in three in Europe over the next decade [2]. In the western countries, most infertile couples seek treatment such as ovulation induction, IUI, IVF or ICSI before turning to TCM. However, TCM has been recognised and used popularly worldwide over the last 20 years, and many studies and research have proved that it is the most effective treatment of infertility. According to my 26 years clinical and research experience, applying the integration of TCM with ACT can speed up the progress of treatment and enhance a woman's chances of conception significantly.

Infertility is the inability to conceive after regular unprotected sexual intercourse for two years in the absence of known reproductive pathology [3]. In some countries, reproductive endocrinologists may also consider a couple to be infertile if the couple has not conceived after 12 months of contraceptive-free intercourse if the female is under the age of 34, or the couple has not conceived after 6 months of contraceptive-free intercourse if the female is over the age of 35[4].

There are two types of Infertility: primary infertility and secondary infertility. Primary infertility means that the couple has never been able to conceive; secondary infertility is difficulty conceiving after already having conceived (either carried the pregnancy to term, or had a miscarriage). [read more]

A Superior Clinician Understands Transmission: Disease Progression as Seen Through the Jing Luo

The Chinese medical classics emphasize the importance in understanding disease "transmission." It is not enough to view a condition in its present state; one must understand its root and terminations, as well as potential progression. Book 2, Chapter 5 of the Jia Yi Jing states "If one does not understand root and termination, knowledge of acupuncture is deeply severed." The foundational texts of classical Chinese medicine, namely the Shang Han Lun and Nei Jing devote much time to discussion of disease transmission.

The Ling Shu makes use of the "Jing-Luo" (Channels and Collaterals) to teach disease progression. The acupuncture channels are tools for treatment. They are also philosophical statements about physiology and pathology. Shang Han Lun is a treatise on disease progression. The Primary Channels, as taught by the Ling Shu, are also a treatise on disease progression. They are not presented as segmented entities in the Ling Shu; they are seen as a continuum, representing the pathological process: from the most external condition to the deepest and most serious. Instead of viewing disease progression in terms of "zones": Tai Yang, Shao Yang and Yang Ming, as Shang Han Lun does; the Ling Shu views disease progression through the Primary Channels as they are coupled into Metal, Earth, Fire, Water, Fire and Wood: Lung to Liver.

During the time of the Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE) when the Nei Jing and Shang Han Lun were compiled, wind and cold were seen as primary causes of external pathology. Heat, damp, dryness and summer heat were considered transformations of wind and cold, and therefore seen as secondary. Within the Ling Shu, the Lung Channel is representative of a wind-cold condition; therefore it is designated the first channel within the Primary Channel continuum. The transformation of wind-cold into wind-heat or wind-damp is represented by the second channel in the continuum: the Large Intestine. Penetration into the interior, creating an "excess" internal condition is represented by the Stomach Channel. Taxation on qi and blood are represented by the Spleen and Heart Channels, respectively. [read more]

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