Its Chinese character represents the sunny side of a hill. Health and ill-health emerge from Yin and Yang, which are two opposing but complimentary forces of energy. It is important to emphasize that Yin and Yang represent energy but not distinct, conflicting forms of energy. This usually happens when there is extreme Yin or extreme Yang. Since all the organs have similar yin and yang aspects, it is possible to monitor and adjust the yin and yang levels of all parts of the body, maintaining a high level of vitality and preventing disease. North fields of western nutrition classify food in terms of its chemical composition, including the calories, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and other nutrients that it contains. It is important to emphasize that Yin and Yang represent energy but not distinct, conflicting forms of energy. Yin phenomena are those that ring the nurturing qualities of darkness, rest, moisture, cold, and structure.
Yin-Yang Theory Application - Basics of Traditional Chinese Medicine Traditional Chinese Medicine Basics TCMBasics. The Anatomical and Histological Structure of the Human Body The Yin-Yang theory asserts that the human body is an organic whole, and there exists an organic connection between all tissues and structures. Yet, at the same time, each of them can be divided into the opposite aspects of yin and yang. Viewing the body as a whole, the portion above the waist pertains to yang and that below belongs to yin; the exterior of the body is associated with yang, while the interior is associated with yin; the back is considered yang and the front, yin; the lateral aspect is yang and the medial, yin. The zang-fu organs also have yin and yang aspects, the six fu organs are considered yang while the zang organs are yin. Each of the zang-fu organs itself can again be divided into yin or yang; for example, heart yin and heart yang or kidney yin and kidney yang. However complex, all human body structures and tissues can be generalized and explained by the yin-yang relationship. In traditional Chinese medicine, the physiological functions of the organs and their substances are inseparably related to yin and yang. For example, the activities yang of a particular organ are based on that organ's substance yin and when either of these aspects is absent, the other cannot function. Thus the result of physiological activities is to constantly promote the transformation of yang into yin essence. If yin and yang cannot maintain relative balance and interaction, they will separate from each other ending the life that depends upon them. A separation of yin and yang will lead to the exhaustion of essential qi. The occurrence and the development of a disease are also related to zheng qi body resistance or antipathogenic factors and xie qi pathogenic factors. The Yin-Yang theory can be used to generalize the interacting relations between body resistance and antipathogenic factors. Pathogenic factors are divided into yang-natured pathogenic factors and yin-natured pathogenic factors, while zheng qi includes yin essence and yang qi. Yang pathogenic factors may bring about hypoactivity of bodily yang which leads to injury of yin; a heat syndrome results. If the disease is caused by yin pathogenic factors, it may give rise to hypoactivity of yin followed by the injury of yang; a cold syndrome will result. When yang is deficient it fails to restrict yin in the balanced relationship between the two giving rise to xu deficiency which is a cold syndrome. The xu heat symptoms complex, however, is caused by a yin deficiency and yang excess. Pathological changes of disease are varied, but can be generally explained in terms of yin-yang imbalance: yin excess causes cold syndromes, yang preponderance leads to heat syndromes, yang deficiency causes cold syndromes, and yin deficiency leads to heat syndromes. Diagnosis of Diseases The basic causative factor of disease is an imbalance between yin and yang. Therefore, no matter how intricate and volatile the clinical manifestations are, they can still be summarized into two categories: yin syndromes and yang syndromes. Applications in Clinical Treatment Since imbalance and fluctuation of yin and yang are considered the basic causative factors of disease occurrence and development, treatment must readjust yin and yang to their basic state of relative balance. For example, if pathogenic heat, a yang disease causative factor, is overabundant, it consumes the yin fluid and affects the superabundant yang of the body. If pathogenic cold is in excess, it will damage the yang qi and exert influence on the body's remaining yin. Conversely, in cases where yang excess if caused by insufficient yin fluid failing to restrict yang or where yin preponderance is due to yang qi deficiency being unable to control yin, then treatment should reinforce the insufficient yin or yang. This theory is also generally applied to the properties, flavor and action of Chinese herbal medicine as a guide to the clinical administration of herbs. For example, drugs with cold, cool or moist properties are classified as yin and drugs with the opposite properties are classified as yang. Herbs with sour, bitter, or salty flavors are yin, while those with pungent, sweet, or insipid flavors are yang. Drugs with an astringent or descending action are yin and those with an ascending and dispersing action are yang. In clinical treatment, we should determine the principles of treatment based on an analysis of the yin and yang conditions present in terms of their difference yin-yang properties and actions. The goal of clinical treatment is to restore of healthy yin-yang properties and actions. The goal of clinical treatment is to restore a healthy yin-yang balance in the patient. This site is best viewed with Microsoft® , minimum 1024x768 16M color-depth resolution. The Commentary Limited, the website and its personnel do not endorse external sites and are not responsible for the content of these websites. All external sites will open in a new browser window. Contact the editor at raymond dot cheng at kellogg dot oxon dot org WHAT IS TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE? Photo © Image DJ Image Dictionary With over 3000 years of experience, Traditional Chinese Medicine TCM has remain one of the many fascinating areas in ancient Chinese culture. First known to be documented in the Yellow Emperor's Canon of Medicine, TCM is believed to have been practised in as early as 475 to 221 B. The field of working knowledge of TCM stretches from anything related to general healthcare practice to the philosophy of the mind, the logic of life, religion, and even to as far as cosmology and astronumerology. This is why in order to thoroughly understand the concepts behind TCM, one must be comprehensive in learning and embracing the Chinese culture as a whole. MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR — OCTOBER 2012 Thank you for visiting this TCM and acupuncture information website. If you have previously been to this website, you might have noticed that some of the pages on ancient historical ideas and holistic thinkings related to Chinese metaphysics are temporarily taken offline. This is because I have recently started to revamp the whole website so as to reflect a more current perspective on the interpretation of some of the fundamental concepts as well as to include some of the latest information in the area. But if you have just found this website for the very first time, I welcome you again and wish you could find what you require and, hopefully, you could also be benefitted from reading the articles I published on this website. Please be patient and do come and check out this website frequently as it's being revamped. Raymond Cheng, PhD DPA FRSA FRSPH March 28, 2014. IMPORTANT NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER This website is published, edited and designed by Raymond Cheng, PhD DPA and reflects only and only his personal views and opinions in his individual capacity. The information available at this website is not intended directly or by implication to either diagnose or treat any medical, emotional, or psychological condition or disorder. 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