Qi Tonic Herbs

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> [1] Victoria, may I ask you, or some of the other list members, to

> please list a few herbs you've found especially helpful for both

> qi

> deficiency and liver qi stagnation? I understand that there are

> obviously a lot of other factors and symptoms to be considered,

but

> I'd just like to get an idea of some good basic (and strong)

> herbs

> for these types of conditions.

 

First, a review for those new to TCM. Deficiency problems are those

caused by there not being enough of something the person needs.

Excess problems are those caused by there being too much of

something.

 

The main treatment for Deficiency consists of supplementing what the

person is short of and strengthening the associated Organs. (A

reminder that common words that have special meaning in TCM are

capitalized.) The principle for treating Excess is to remove the

Excess and correct the imbalance that is responsible for the Excess.

 

A person can have both Deficiency and Excess problems at the same

time. It's common. Sometimes the Deficiency causes the Excess.

Like in the case of Dampness caused by the Spleen being too weak and

the Spleen Qi being too Deficiency to properly transform and

transport liquids in the body.

 

Qi Tonic Herbs supplement Qi and work to strengthen the Organs

associated with Qi extraction and accumulation in the body. Some TCM

physiology is in order here.

 

The Spleen and the Lungs play key roles in the extraction and

accumulation of Qi. The Spleen extracts Qi from food in the Stomach

(called " Grain Qi " ) and carries it to the Lungs where it mixes

with " Air Qi " that the Lungs have extracted from air. The two mix

and become part of the Qi of the body. If either the Spleen or the

Lungs are too weak to properly carry out their functions, the person

becomes Qi Deficient. Or, if the person isn't getting enough of

proper food, the person becomes Qi Deficient. The wrong food or

food eaten in the wrong way (like when upset, hurried, at irregular

hours, etc.) can weaken the Spleen. From a TCM standpoint, ice

cream is one of the worst foods a person can eat. It's sweet and

fatty; thus putting a big strain on the Spleen. (Too much sweetness

and fat can damage.) It's cold - which puts a strain on both the

Spleen and Stomach. The Spleen hates Cold almost as much as the

Kidneys do. Food in the Stomach has to be raised to a certain

temperature before it can be digested properly and Qi extracted.

Foods which are cold in temperature and/or raw put an extra strain

on the Stomach. (There are some exceptions for some individuals to

the raw food thing, but even people who benefit from raw vegetables

should not go overboard on them. Just enough to get what the person

needs from them without causing problems.) Ice cream is also dairy

(milk), milk is Damp-engendering, and the Spleen is even more

vulnerable to Dampness than to Cold. Dampness weakens the Spleen.

 

Overdoing physically can weaken the Spleen. Studying and worrying

too much can weaken it. Not getting enough sleep can weaken it.

 

Improper breathing, invasion by Wind Heat or Wind Cold, and

pathogens can weaken the Lungs. Grief can weaken the Lungs as can

any issues involving " letting go " .

 

The reason I'm going into the physiology before listing some Qi

Tonic Herbs is because these herbs by themselves are not enough.

They can actually trigger problems sometimes. Dan Bensky and Andrew

Gamble write in Chinese Herbal Medicine Material Media (Revised

Ed.), " There are a few cautionary points that should be made with

regard to tonifying herbs. It is important to remember that herbs

are only a part of the healing process. There is a tendency to

suggest to debiliatated patients that taking tonics is all that is

needed for recovery. This is not true; physical and breathing

exercises and diet are also important. " (p. 313.)

 

There are two times when people need to be very careful about taking

tonic herbs. One of these cautions involves Qi Tonic Herbs when

there is also Qi Stagnation. The analogy I use is trying to force

more water into a garden hose with a kink in it without first

removing the kink. The hose can burst. At the very least, water

starts squirting out where the hose is connected to the faucet. What

happens in the case of Qi Stagnation is pathological Heat builds up.

Qi is by nature warming. When it's blocked from flowing or flows

sluggishly, Heat builds up. (Some other things happen besides Heat

building up, but that's one of the most noticeable things.) BTW, Qi

Stagnation, like Blood Stasis, is classified as an Excess because

any Qi Stagnation (like any Blood Stasis) is too much.

 

The other time Qi or any tonic herb can create problems is when

there is an external Pernicious Evil invading. Some more basic

background info: " Pernicious Evils " are Heat, Cold, Wind, Dampness,

and Dryness. In other words when used in this context, environmental

conditions. " Exterior " in relation to the body refers to the head,

neck, arms, legs, skin, muscles, bones, and meridians. The

term " Interior " refers to the internal Organs and the trunk of the

body. When Evils invade, they do so in a certain order. The

Exterior of the body is affected first. When the Evil gets to the

meridians/ channels (pathways of Qi flow), it also takes a certain

route. The Evils will tend to affect the Bladder and Small

Intestine meridians first as they move deeper into the body.

 

Why do healers need to be careful in prescribing Tonic Herbs when

there is an invading Evil? Tonifying herbs strengthen the processes

of the body, indluding the pathogenic processes, such as those from

external pahtogenic influences. Thus, unless they are combined with

herbs that release the exterior, tonifying herbs should not be

prescribed in cases where there are still signs of an exterior

disorder. If they are, the exterior disorder will linger on. " (p.

313.) There are times when both the Deficiency and the Exterior

pathogen will need to be treated at the same time. BTW, I recently

had this brought home to me in a very debilitating way. More on that

later.

 

There is a special condition called " Deficient but unable to accept

tonification " . This is so important, I'm putting it in a separate

post.