MY UNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENT OF LUMBAGO ACCORDING TO SYNDROME-DIFFERENTIATION (B)

DING Zhi-ming(丁治明)

1.4　Symptoms and signs of meridians

Meridians distribute widely in the body surface and the internal organs. Under normal conditions, they serve to carry qi and blood to all parts of the body to nourish tissues, resist exogenous pathogenic factors, and transmit stimulation information to treat diseases. When exogenous pathogenic factors invade the body or the body falls into dysfunction, various disorders may be presented at some parts of the body surface where the related meridians pass through, which is called “symptoms and signs of the meridian” in Chinese ancient medical documents. Meridian sign of disorders play a very important role in identification and diagnosis of diseases as well as in clinic treatment of acupuncture and moxibustion in particular. Following are some meridian symptoms and sign related to lumbago.

1.4.1　Governor Vessel

Su Wen: Gu Kong Lun (Plain Questions: On the Apertures of Bones) says, “One branch of the Governor Vessel passes through the Shaoyin, goes up along the medial posterior border of the thigh, runs into the spinal column to enter the kidney. Another branch descends to the lumbar region along both sides of the spinal column to connect with the kidney”. Therefore, when some pathogenic factors affect the Governor Vessel, symptoms as lumbago, stiffness, etc. may appear due to blockage of the meridian-qi.

1.4.2　Conception Vessel

Both the Conception Vessel and the Thoroughfare Vessel originate from the uterus. One branch of the Conception Vessel goes posteriorly to emerge with the Foot-Shaoyinand runs along the spinal column. The Conception Vessel is the sea of yin-meridians and governs all the yin of the whole body. Ling Shu: Wu Yin Wu Wei (《灵枢·五音五味》Miraculous Pivot: On Five Sounds and Five Tastes) says, “The

Thoroughfare Vessel, Conception Vessel and Governor Vessel all rise in the uterus, and a branch of the Conception Vessel goes up along the interior of the spinal column”. Hence, when the meridian-qi of the Conception Vessel falls into disorder, seven kinds of hernia in males or lower abdominal masses in females and lumbago may appear.

1.4.3　Thoroughfare Vessel

Like the Governor Vessel, the Thoroughfare Vessel also originates from the uterus, and runs upward along the interior of the spinal column. The Thoroughfare Vessel is “the sea of the twelve regular meridians” and is also called “the sea of blood”. Be-

cause of the same origin or three branches of the same source of the Thoroughfare Vessel, Conception Vessel and the Governor Vessel, when the Thoroughfare Vessel has pathological changes, lumbago may also occur apart from “acute pain syndrome caused by the reversed flow of qi”.

1.4.4　Belt Vessel (Meridian)

The Belt Vessel circles around the waist and the lower abdomen like a belt. It has the function of binding up all the three yin and three yang meridians of the lower limbs. Thus, in ancient China, there is a saying that “In case of disorders of the Belt Meridian, the patient will complain of abdominal fullness and feeling of waist being in the water”. When the Belt Vessel is diseased, flaccidity of the foot, gynecological and obstetrical diseases like irregular menstruation, excessive leukorrhea, etc. will occur; in addition, lumbago may also appear simultaneously.

1.4.5　Kidney Meridian of Foot-Shaoyin

The Foot-Shaoyin Meridian starts from the inferior aspect of the small toe, runs obliquely towards the sole, then, ascends along the posteromedial aspect of the leg and thigh and towards the spinal column where it enters the kidney, its pertaining organ, and also connects with the urinary bladder (Ling Shu: Jing Mai,《灵枢·经脉》Miraculous Pivot: Meridians ). If the Kidney Meridian is affected by pathogenic factors, lumbospinal pain and cold pain in the medioposterior aspect of the thigh may appear.

1.4.6　Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang

The Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang mainly distributes in the lumbar and back part of the body and the lateral-posterior aspect of the lower limbs. Ling Shu: Jing Maisays, “The Bladder Meridian of Foot-Taiyang starts from the inner canthus, enters and communicates with the brain from the vertex, then, emerges and bifurcates into two, descending along the posterior aspect of the neck, running downwards alongside the medial aspect of the scapula and parallel to the vertebral column, connects with the kidney and joints its pertaining organ, the urinary bladder”. If this meridian falls into disorder, the patient will have symptoms of heaviness and pain in the head, eyeball pain (seeming to be out), neck stiffness, back pain (as if being broken of the lumbus), freezing of the thigh and the popliteal fossa, cracking sensation of the fibular muscle, etc. may be seen.

(To be continued.)