ben biao root and branch
DESCRIPTION
This lecture is about Ben Biao, otherwise known as Root and Branch of traditional Chinese medicine. It is an introduction and essential for students to acupunctureTRANSCRIPT
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Principal of Treatment in TCM
James O’Sullivan Lic.Ac. (China)
Diagnostics in brief
• The Four Diagnostic Methods
– Looking, asking, feelings, listening, smelling,
• The Differentiation of Syndromes
– According to the eight principals, pathogenic factors,
emotions, diet, lifestyle, physical exertion,
– According to Qi, Blood, Body Fluids
– According to the Zang Fu
– According to the meridians and collaterals
– According to the six meridians
– According to the four levels
– According to the San Jiao
Review Clinical Practice
• 4 diagnostic methods (Collect information)
• Patterns of Disharmony: Differentiate the
presenting complaint and its associated signs
and symptoms
• What are we going to do about it? (Principal
of Treatment)
• How are we going to achieve this? (Treatment
Protocol: Prescription of points, Tuina,
herbs?)[email protected]
Principal of Treatment
• Pattern of Disharmony
– Spleen Qi Deficiency
– Heart Qi Deficiency
– Invasion of Lungs
– Stomach Qi Deficiency
– Liver Qi Stagnation
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– Heart Blood Stasis
– Heat in the Intestines
• Principal of Treatment
– Reinforce Spleen Qi
– Invigorate Heart Qi
– Tonify the Lungs
– Strengthen Stomach Qi
– Promote the Smooth
Flow of Liver Qi
– Move Heart Blood
– Clear Heat
• Is it that simple?
Primary & Secondary
• What is the cause (primary) of the
disharmony?
• What is the manifestation or symptoms
(Secondary)?
• Do we treat the acute or the chronic?
• To tonify or reduce, that is the question?
Principle of Treatment
• is the basis for guiding clinical practice.
• The clinical picture is analysed and generalised
to find the causes, nature, and interrelations of
the disease and to treat the disharmony
accordingly
• They include the principle of treating a disease
by analysing both its root cause and symptoms
or manifestations.
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Holism
• The Human Body is an integral whole, an
organic entity
• Outside influences have an affect on internal
organs
• Emotions can cause disharmony in the Zang
Fu
• Pathological changes of the internal organs
may reflect on the body surface
Treatment Considerations
• Along with strengthening the Zhen Qi, Zang Fu
Qi, Yin and Yang and dispelling the pathogenic
factors from the body. We must look at factors
such as climatic and seasonal conditions,
geographic localities, and the patient's
personal conditions e.g. age, constitution.
Ben Biao
• The Principal of Ben Biao in TCM involves
looking at the complete clinical picture and
determining the Root (Ben) and Branch (Biao)
of that particular disease process.
• This concept represents the two opposite
aspects of one entity during the course of a
disease.
• determining which is the primary and
secondary aspects of the pathology.
Ben and Biao
• The symptom is generally the branch and the
secondary aspect, whereas the root is
generally the cause and the primary aspect.
• Analysed by the aetiology and manifestation,
the aetiology is the primary, and the
manifestation is the secondary.
Ben and Biao
• In terms of the Wei Qi and pathogenic factors,
the former is the primary, and the latter is the
secondary.
• As for the clinical course of a disease the
original is the primary, while the complication
is the secondary.
Ben and Biao
• Under general circumstances, the primary or
root cause should be found first, but if the
symptoms are acute, they should be treated
first.
• If the symptoms and root cause are both
serious, they should be taken into account at
the same time
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Spleen Qi Deficiency with
Dampness
• Spleen Qi Deficiency is primary
– Dampness is secondary
• What if Diet was full of Dairy and Wheat
• What if patient lived in extremely Damp
environment
• What if there is a family history of that
particular disease
Climate & Seasonal conditions
• It is said in Chapter 9 of Miraculous Pivot, “In
spring, the pathogenic factors are most likely
to attack the superficial layer; in summer, they
are most likely to attack the skin; in autumn,
they are most likely to attack the muscles; and
in winter, they are most likely to attack the
tendons and bones.
Climate & Seasonal conditions
• In treatment of such disorders, the techniques
should remain consistent with the seasons.
“Generally, in spring and summer, shallow
acupuncture is applied, and in autumn and
winter, the deep acupuncture is preferred.
Geographical locations
• In Chapter 12 of Plain Questions it says, “In
the north, people live in highlands and
mountains exposed to bitter wind and severe
Cold. People there prefer outdoor dwelling
and milk, that's why they are susceptible to
gastric distension due to accumulation of Cold
for which Moxibustion is advisable."
Geographical locations
• In Chapter 12 of Plain Questions it says, "In
the south...it is damp, foggy and dewy, people
there prefer to sour taste and preserved food,
so they have tight muscles and red skin.
People in this region are susceptible to cramps
of tendons and rheumatism, for which
acupuncture is advisable."
Individual conditions
• Treatment is also based on age, sex and
constitution. For example, men and women
are different in physiology, women have
menstruation, pregnancy and puerperal
problems, so the points should be careFully
selected when treatment is given. People of
different ages are different in physiology and
pathology. As to constitution, there are strong,
weak, more Heat, more Cold.
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Individual conditions
• In the Chapter 38 of Miraculous Pivot, it says,
“A middle aged strong person with sufficient
Qi and Blood, and hard skin may, if being
attacked by the pathogenic factors, be treated
by a deep needling with the needle retained
for some time. "
Individual conditions
• In the Chapter 38 of Miraculous Pivot, It says again,
“Since an infant has weak muscles and less volume of
blood and Qi, acupuncture treatment is given twice a
day with shallow needling and weak stimulation.”
• It is further pointed out in Chapter 5 of Miraculous
Pivot that " a deep needling with the needle retained
for some time should be applied to physical
labourers, whereas, slow insertion of the needle
should be given to mental workers. "
Treatment
• Treat the root (Ben) only
• Treat the branch (Biao) first then the root
(Ben)
• Treat both Ben & Biao together
Sore Throat
• due to Yin Deficiency of the Kidney and low
back pain due to Yin Deficiency of the Kidney.
• The Principal of treatment is to “nourish
Kidney Yin”
• This is called “treating different diseases with
the same method.”
Headache
• due to Hyperactive Liver Yang would be treated by
nourishing Yin to reduce Yang.
• but when caused by both Qi and Blood Deficiency
would be treated by reinforcing Qi and Blood.
• and when caused by invasion of Wind Cold would be
treated by Dispelling Wind Cold.
• This is called “treating the same disease with
different methods.”
Symptoms versus Original
• a patient with chronic cough and asthma
caught a common Cold, accompanied with
fever and aversion to Cold. The common Cold
should be treated first because it is the acute
aspect. After the common Cold is relieved,
treat chronic cough and asthma which are the
primary aspect. But if the primary and
secondary aspects are both serious, they must
be treated at the same time.
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Prevention
• Prevention is an important aspect in treating the
primary aspect. It includes prevention before the
attack of a disease and prevention from deterioration
after occurrence of a disease.
• China has long rich experience in health care, such as
Qigong, Tai Qi, etc. Acupuncture and Moxibustion is
also one of the traditional remedies to prevent
diseases.
• What point is an important tonification point?