Hot and Cold

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One of the most important concepts in TCM (Traditional Chinese

Medicine) is that of Hot and Cold. People, conditions, parts of the

body can be too Hot or too Cold. This is so key that failing to pay

attention to it can result in the client getting sicker and in some

cases dying.

 

The basic treatment principle is to warm that which is too Cold, and

cool that which is too Hot. Herbs have thermal energy. The thermal

energy of herbs can be cold, cool, neutral, warm, or hot.

 

A Materia Medica is a book which lists the properties of herbs. (The

term " herb " also includes non-plant healing substances like parts of

animals, minerals, etc. One of the things which the Chinese Materia

Medica lists for every herb is its thermal properties. That way

herbalists know how to warm up a person who is too Cold and avoid

cooling the person down even more, and know how to cool down a person

who is too Hot and avoid heating this person up even more.

 

One of the classic examples of paying attention to Hot or Cold is the

use of dried ginger in treating nausea. Is dried ginger good for all

people with nausea? No. Even though it can clear up nausea in many

people, it can make some people even more nauseous.

 

Why does this happen? Let's take a look at the thermal property of

dried ginger. It's hot. In fact, in the Chinese Materia Medica,

dried ginger is classifed as an herb which warms the Interior.

(Herbs are classified according to their main use.) Give dried ginger

to a person who is too Cold or even neutral, and it works fine.

Especially in the case of someone who is too Cold. Give it to

someone who is too Hot, and you're making them even hotter. They get

sicker.

 

TCM does not have a monopoly on recognizing that certain herbs have

thermal energy. Some Western schools of herbalsim - like Michael

Moore's in Bisbee, AZ - also recognize the thermal properties of

herbs.

 

Let's look at this concept of Hot and Cold a little closer. Both Hot

and Cold can be due to Deficiency or Excess. Let's look at Deficiency

first.

 

People need both Yin and Yang. Yin cools, calms, and moistens. When

a person lacks enough Yin to properly cool, calm, and moisten the

body, this is called Deficiency Heat. Yang warms, activates, and

dries. When a person lacks enough Yang to properly warm, activate,

and dry the body, this is called Deficiency Cold. Yin Deficiency with

Heat is treated by the use of Yin tonic herbs (add Yin to the body)

and herbs that moisten. Yang Deficiency is treated with Yang tonic

herbs (add Yang to the body) and herbs that warm the Interior (like

dried ginger).

 

Now, Excess Heat and Cold: Because herbs and foods have thermal

energy, consuming too many of either can result in Excess Heat or

Excess Cold. The treatment principle is to take away the Excess.

Stop consuming the herbs that are too heating or too cooling. Change

the diet. (In general meats and fried foods are more Yang than

vegetable or steamed foods which are more Yin.)

 

Another cause of Excess Cold or Excess Heat is environmental

conditions invading the body. We're talking heat exhaustion/ stroke

and frost bite here.

 

In general Heat speeds things up (speech, pulse, movements) and

results in reddish tones (face, tongue, etc. - and a yellow tongue

coating). Cold slows things down and results in paleness. In general

Excess will result in forcefulness (voice, movements) and a thick

tongue coating. Deficiency will result in weakness and a thinner

than normal tongue coating.

 

Can a person be both too Hot and too Cold? It's not only possible,

it's common. For example, the overall state of the body may be Yang

Deficient (Deficiency Cold), but particular areas (like the Lungs and

Heart may be too Hot. What to do in cases like these? Well, the

Chinese Materia Medica also lists which meridians (pathways of Qi

flow) and Organs particular herbs have an affinity for. The

herbalist will use Yang tonic herbs and herbs to treat the overall

Yang Deficiency while including in the formula herbs that target the

Lungs and Heart and will drain Heat from these areas. Or, if the

herbalist also knows acupuncture or acupprssure, s/he might also use

certain points to release the pent-up Heat in the Lungs and Heart.

 

Can a person suffer from both Deficiency and Excess Cold or Heat?

Again, common. Whenever a person already is Yang Deficient,

especially Kidney Yang Deficient, that person becomes even more

vulnerable to " cold " weather. (I put cold in parentheses because it

may have to warm up to the 80s F before a Yang Deficient person feels

warm. In cases of severe Yang Deficiency, the 90s and 100s may not

even do it.) Likewise, a person who Yin Deficient is going to be

even more vulnerable to summer temperatures. (Though a primarily

Kidney Yang Deficient person is more vulnerable to cold weather than

a predominately Kidney Yin Deficient person is to summer heat. Has

to do with the nature of Yang and Yin.)

 

BTW, dried ginger and raw ginger have different properties. Dried

ginger has hot thermal energy and is classied as an herb that warms

the Interior. Raw ginger has warm thermal energy and is classified

as an herb that warms the Exterior. The Exterior of the body

includes the head, neck, arms, legs, muscles, bones, and meridians

(pathways of Qi flow). The Interior is the trunk of the body and the

internal Organs. In general Exterior conditions are easier to treat

than Interior ones. This does not mean that Exterior imbalances

cannot be very painful and debilitating. Just ask a person with

arthritis or severe headaches. Also, if left untreated, Exterior

problems (Pernicious Evils) will move to the Interior and cause

imbalances in the Organs.

 

Readers have just looked at one of the most basic approaches to

analysis in TCM. It's called the 8 Principle Patterns. TCM healers

analyze according to 4 pairs of opposites. Is the condition Exterior

or Interior, Excess or Deficiency, Hot or Cold, Yang or Yin? This is

not the only approach to analysis in TCM, just one of the basic ones.

Later on TCM healers learn to analyze according to Fundamental

Processes (Qi, Blood, Jing, etc.), Pernicious Evils (Heat, Cold,

Wind, Dampness, and Dryness), Organs (i.e., Stomach Yin Deficiency

(can result in very excessive appetite), Liver Yang Rising (can

result in headaches, temper, etc.)), and something called 5 Elements.

 

Victoria