bones, the former causing ache and stiffness, the latter contributing to the settling
of Phlegm in the joints.Summary
To summarize the five types of Painful Obstruction Syndrome in a nutshell, we can say:
- Wind Painful Obstruction Syndrome: pain moving from joint to joint
- Damp Painful Obstruction Syndrome: fixed pain with soreness, heaviness,
numbness and swelling of the joints - Cold Painful Obstruction Syndrome: severe pain in one joint
- Heat Painful Obstruction Syndrome: very severe pain, hot-red-swollen joints
- Bony Painful Obstruction Syndrome: painful joints with swelling and bone
deformities.
However, having differentiated Painful Obstruction Syndrome according to the causative
pathogenic factor, most doctors agree that all three factors (Wind, Cold and Dampness) are
present in every case, and each case can only be differentiated according to the predominance of
one factor over the others. This consideration is important in treatment, especially in treatment
with herbs. In fact, although herbal prescriptions for Painful Obstruction Syndrome put the
emphasis on expelling one of the pathogenic factors, many of them include herbs to expel the
other two.
A different classification of Painful Obstruction Syndrome appears in the "Yellow Emperor's
Classic of Internal Medicine - Simple Questions". The "Simple Questions" in chapter 43
classifies Painful Obstruction Syndrome according to the tissue and organ affected. It says:
The 5 Yin organs are related to the five tissues where a chronic disease can lodge
itself. In Bone Painful Obstruction Syndrome the pathogenic factor reaches the
Kidneys; in Sinew Painful Obstruction Syndrome it reaches the Liver; in Blood
Vessel Painful Obstruction Syndrome it reaches the Heart; in Muscle Painful
Obstruction Syndrome it reaches the Spleen and in Skin Painful Obstruction
Syndrome it reaches the Lungs.6(447)It then says:
Painful Obstruction Syndrome in the bones is serious, in the blood vessels it leads
to Blood stasis, in the sinews it causes stiffness, in the muscles it leads to
weakness and in the skin it causes Cold.7(448)