Principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine Information about chiropractic care

Cold, heat, deficiency, excess, internal, external, yin, yang correspond to physiologic processes.
By John Russo Jr./Vicus.com

VICUS.COM (18 July 2000) — This table lists the eight TCM syndromes of stress and their corresponding physiologic processes that guide all diagnoses in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Syndromes of distress: the eight guiding principles in the TCM diagnosis

Principle  Physiologic process 
Cold Retarded metabolic activity 
Heat Accelerated metabolic activity
Deficiency Hypofunction or diminished capacity of any organ or physiological process;
Decreased resistance to stress or infection 
Excess  Hyperfunction or obstruction of any organ or physiological process;
Increased reactivity to stress or infection 
Internal  Affecting deeper layers of tissue and levels of function of the visceral organs, brain, spinal cord, bones, deep vessels and nerves, middle and inner ears, lining of body cavities and internal reproductive organs 
External  Affecting the superficial layers of tissues and levels of function including the skin, hair, nails, peripheral vessels and nerves, muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, eyes, external ears, nose, mouth, teeth, breasts, anus and external genital organs 
Yin  Cold, deficient and internal syndromes:
This category summarizes the fundamental or composite nature of a disease process that includes cold, deficient and internal syndromes 
Yang  Heat, excess and external syndromes:
This category summarizes the fundamental or composite nature of a disease process that includes heat and excess 

John Russo Jr., Pharm.D, is senior vice president of medical communications at Vicus.com. He is a pharmacist and medical writer with more than 20 years of experience in medical education.

Source: Susan Push, R.N., M.P.H., L.Ac., is a specialist in acupuncture and visualization. She maintains the Life Cycles Acupuncture Center in Parkville, Md., and is an education specialist at Franklin Square Hospital in Baltimore, Md. (Table reproduced with permission.)