Complex patterns

[Guest guest]

, " ALON MARCUS " <

alonmarcus@w...> wrote:

 

>

> So what do we really mean by complex syndromes?

 

Alon

 

I really think this is a matter of semantics in my interpretation.

Whether you call them complex patterns or single patterns and

their progressions and transmutations, my main concern is how

one goes about treating. In some cases, treating the root alone

will do no harm. Examples that comes to mind would be to treat

only the yin vacuity aspect of liver yang rising, internal wind or

kidney water not controlling heart fire. Of course, treating the

branch as well as the root gives better short term symptom relief

in all those cases. In other circumstances, treating either root or

branch alone may actually make matters worse. A very common

example that comes to mind is spleen qi xu with dampheat or

yin vacuity with dampheat.

 

The important thing is to be able to make the determination

when it is essential to modify formulas to address additional

treatment principles. Most formularies like Bensky or internal

medicine texts like Sionneau and Flaw's Modern Western

diseases are written in a way that supports this. A formula will

be listed, followed by ingredients and dosage, then

modifications in the form of " if there is also ___________,

add ... " . Sometimes one needs to create a new formula using

the principles of dui yao. But I definitely don't advocate a style of

practice where one does something like give the patient gui pi

tang, du huo ji sheng tang and and liu wei di huang wan all at

once. There is something about such an approach I find

unaesthetic at least.

 

[Guest guest]

, " 1 " <@i...> wrote:

But I definitely don't advocate a style of

> practice where one does something like give the patient gui pi

> tang, du huo ji sheng tang and and liu wei di huang wan all at

> once. There is something about such an approach I find

> unaesthetic at least.

 

:

 

An aesthetic can be a personal preference or style, but may be

developed by training. During the first weekend of my pulse seminar

series, I never tell anyone how to treat the patient in front of

them (usually another practitioner attending the seminar). When the

student can see and understand the type of pulses I am pointing out

in their patient, I let them decide how to do the treatment on their

own. I am always curious to see how people come to their treatment

strategy and think about the pulses they've just learned. Sometimes,

surprising things happen. A treatment strategy that is unexpected or

one that I think is simply hodge-podge will actually work.

 

An argument can be made for both expanding a basic formula with

individual herbs or combining complete formulas. It depends on your

training and clinical experience. Early on, I was trained to add

single herbs to a formula. In the last decade, like my teacher, I

usually combine complete formulas (each formula may have many herbs

in it)---mostly to achieve a certain treatment objective through

their combined effectiveness; partly due to the practicality of not

needing to make up a unique formula for each patient.

 

With the wide variety of approaches and lack of consensus in the

Chinese literature itself, clinical effectiveness remains the final

arbitrar.

 

 

Jim Ramholz

[Guest guest]

I really think this is a matter of semantics in my interpretation. >>>I think you are probably right. I think in treatment is usually then comes to formula modifications and dosage, at least the way I was trained

ALon