The Eight Principal Patterns Four Pairs of Polar

The Eight Principal Patterns Four Pairs of Polar Opposites

The Eight Principal Patterns • • Ba gang “eight principal patterns” Bian –zheng “distinguishing patterns” The primary faces of yin and yang Allows the physician to recognize the relationship between certain clinical signs and Yin and Yang

The Chinese Physician • Distinguishes patterns, not syndromes • Recognizes bodily disharmony from the patients signs and symptoms • Must be able to train mind to see patterns • Artistic and poetic

Distinguishing the Eight Principal Patterns • • • Composed of four pairs of polar opposites: Yin/Yang Interior/Exterior Deficiency/Excess Cold/Hot

Interior/Exterior Disharmony • Basic spatial location • Describe the location and characteristics of a disharmony • Interior Disharmony – often chronic • Exterior Disharmony – Acute illness – Infectious/ contagious diseases

Deficiency/Excess Disharmony • Deficiency Disharmony – Insufficient Qi, Blood, textures / Underactivity of Yin or Yang aspects of Organs – Usually chronic – Bleak and desolate clinical landscape • Excess Disharmony – Inappropriate accumulation of Qi or Blood / Overactive bodily function / Attacked by Pernicious Influence – Either chronic or acute – Cluttered clinical landscape

Cold/Heat Disharmony • Cold Disharmony – Yang Qi is insufficient / Cold Pernicious Influences are present – Bodily disharmony is “cloudy” • Heat Disharmony – Heat Pernicious Influence / Hyperactivity of Yang functions / Insufficient Yin or fluids – Bodily disharmony is “bright”

Patterns of Yin and Yang Disharmonies • General all inclusive patterns in Chinese medicine • Yin (yin-zheng) patterns = Interior + Deficient + Cold • Yang (yang-zheng) patterns = Exterior + Excess+ Hot • Most patients exhibit a combination of Yin and Yang signs

The Pattern of Excess/Heat • Two Yang patterns are merged, creating a pure Yang pattern • Excess (Yang) + Heat (Yang) • Includes Yang signs in movement, pain, tongue, and pulse

The Pattern of Deficiency/Heat • When merged, resulting combination has both Yin and Yang aspects • These aspects may modify each other and may manifest themselves in a seemingly contradictory manner • Deficiency (Yin) + Heat (Yang) • Example Movement: weak and fragile but fast

The Pattern of Excess/Cold • Combine Yin and Yang aspects • Excess (Yang) + Cold (Yin) • Example Movement: forceful but slow Tongue: thick moss but pale

The Pattern of Deficiency/Cold • Two Yin signs merge to create a pure Yin pattern • Deficiency (Yin) + Cold (Yin) • Example movement: frail/weak + slow tongue: little or no moss + pale

True Heat/Illusionary Cold • In extreme disharmonies, some signs will appear that are actually illusionary • With severe Heat disharmony, the patient may experience signs of Heat, and then suddenly signs of Cold • This Cold is Illusionary Cold, also termed Illusionary Yin • The result of extreme Yang energy forcing Yin to the extremities

Pattern of True Cold/Illusionary Heat • With severe Cold disharmony, the patient may experience signs of Cold, and then suddenly signs of Heat • there is an appearance of Heat, although there is a genuine Cold pattern • The Yang is so weak that it floats to the surface of the body

Combining the Eight: Chapter 7 Summary • Eight Principal Patterns are major categories into which all patterns of disharmony are grouped • Used as guidelines that help capture human reality • Define disharmony in general way, but through endless combinations of patterns describe precise disharmonies