the jerks (Sandy)

[Guest guest]

Thu, 25 May 2006 08:10:10 -0500 (CDT), Sandy L

River <mountainlaurel wrote:

 

>What would we say about that for someone in

whom the magnesium supplement actually worked?

And otherwise, what would we say about the person

in whom the mag supplement did not work?

 

According to one categorization of supplements in

terms of CM logic (that of Jeffery Yuen, in a

lecture in November, 2004), the minerals in

general relate to the yuan/source qi energetic

layer, i.e. jing, and yin/yang. Magnesium in

particular works to bring kidney yang out to

support weiqi, and strengthens the heart in its

circulation of blood to the extremities. Hence

its well-known effect in (at least some cases of)

nighttime leg cramps in the calves and feet. And

works in balance/relationship with calcium

(kidney to bones, immune and endocrine

systems,…), potassium (kidney to spleen, fluid

balances, muscle tone,…), and sodium (kidney

supporting wood/liver, sinew contraction, nerve conductivity,…).

 

So one path to understanding the different

responses Sandy poses would be full TCM/CM

differential diagnosis of the individual patient,

at the weiqi and yuanqi levels as well as the

yingqi (qi & blood) level (where most of textbook TCM focus goes).

 

For instance, in a case where magnesium doesn't

seem to help, possibilities might include a

deficiency in kidney yang such that there's not

enough to support weiqi; or more complex

disturbances in blood creation (Sp) or its

circulation (Ht); or compromise of nerve

function, from liver insufficiency moving blood

to supply the sinews and support the weiqi in its nervous system aspect.

 

Then there's considering the balance with those

other supplements, in both WM terms and their

correlate interpretation in CM terms.