Kidney- and Liver-Yin Deficiency
Kidney-Essence DeficiencyThe mental-emotional pattern for each of these syndromes will be mentioned after the relevant
herbal prescription: those who use only acupuncture are invited to read the "mental-emotional
patterns" for each syndrome as they obviously apply whether one uses acupuncture or herbs.
Figure 9.9(253)Figure 9.9(254) clarifies how the discussion of the treatment for each pattern is
structured.
Mind Obstructed
The Mind may be obstructed or "misted" by stagnation of Qi, stasis of Blood or Phlegm. It may
also be obstructed by Heat during an acute febrile disease, such as in the pattern "Heat in
Pericardium" at the Nutritive Qi level, but this is a special case which does not concern us here.
Obstruction of the Mind causes mental confusion because the obstructing factor impairs the
Mind's activity of thinking, memory, conceptualization, application and understanding. Thus the
person will suffer from mental confusion, poor memory, dizziness, poor concentration, inability
to find the right words, and slow thinking. On an emotional level, the person will feel blunted
and somewhat numb and will often be unable to express his or her emotions. Obstruction of the
Mind can occur in many different degrees ranging from very mild and manifesting with a slight
mental confusion, to very severe in which case there may be complete loss of insight in
conditions such as manic-depression, psychosis or schizophrenia.
Of course there is a difference of degree in obstruction of the Mind by stagnation of Qi, stasis of
Blood, or Phlegm, stagnation of Qi being the mildest, and Phlegm the most severe.
The treatment principle in obstruction of the Mind is to eliminate the pathogenic factors, open
the Mind's orifices and calm the Mind.
Herbs to open the orifices in mental-emotional problems include:
Shi Chang Pu Rhizoma Acori graminei
Yu Jin Tuber Curcumae
Yuan Zhi Radix Polygalae tenuifoliae
He Huan Pi Cortex Albizziae julibrissin
Su He Xiang Styrax liquidis
Hu Po Succinum
Acupuncture points that open the Mind's orifices include:P-5 Jianshi, Du-20 Baihui, Du-26 Renzhong, ST-40 Fenglong, ST-25 Tianshu, all the Well