Traditional Chinese Medicine Archives

Alternating diarrhea/ constipation (TCM)

In TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), alternating diarrhea/ constipation is a symptom of "Liver Invading the Spleen".

Liver Invading the Spleen can arise because 1). the Liver is in Excess (Liver Qi Stagnation) and/or 2). the Spleen is weak. (The TCM definition of the Spleen is not the same as the Western definition of the spleen. The TCM definition includes among other things many of the functions assinged to the spleen in Western anatomy and physiology.)

The primary cause of Liver Qi Stagnation (Liver in Excess) is emotional. Simmering anger, frustration, feeling "constrained", etc. will Depress the Liver and cause Liver Qi to Stagnate. SR (Skilled relaxation - see archives) will help this. So will Qi Gong (Tai Ch'i excercises. When there is a lot of blockage that has gone on for some time - or there are other causes of the Liver Qi Stagnation besides emotional - herbs and acupuncture/ acupressure may be needed. Liver cleanses may also help.

The Spleen (and Stomach) are weakened by the following things: Poor diet, eating on the run, eating at irregular hours, overwork, excessive mental work, lack of excercise, eating when tense, pensiveness, and dampness. Eating too many foods that are greasy can weaken the Spleen. So can Damp-engedering foods like dairy and wheat. One of the worst foods from a TCM standpoint is ice cream. It's a triple whammy. It's cold, it's dairy, and it's loaded with fat. Cold will damage the Spleen. This includes getting too cold as well as eating or drinking too many chilled foods or cold drinks. Too many raw fruits and vegetables can damage the Spleen. (Balance is the goal.)

Some other signs of Spleen Deficiency can include loose bowel movements, gas, fatigue, a tendency to bruise easily, and digestive system upsets. Since the Spleen plays such a key role in Qi (roughly translated "energy", pronounced "chee") levels in the body, in time Spleen Deficiency will lead to symptoms like breathlessness, edema, spontaneous sweating (out of proportion to temperature or activity), and a pale complexion. Spleen Deficiency also can lead to Blood Deficiency.

One of the signs of Liver Qi Stagnation are stools that are round and small but moist. Other symptoms can include pain in the sides, a tendency to "fly off the handle", a feeling like something is stuck in the throat, unhappiness, depression, pain that moves around or comes and goes, nausea, "churning" stomach, and PMS for females.

Judy

Re: Alternating diarrhea/ constipation (TCM)

Re: Alternating diarrhea/ constipation (TCM) (Archive in TCM.)