Yuan Shi Dian (YSD) medicine terminologies have very special connotations, which are different from words considered synonyms by those who have no knowledge of YSD. This may lead to misunderstanding and even serious mistakes in their application of YSD. Therefore, some particular YSD terminologies have been standardized into the Pinyin romanization of their Chinese characters. Each Pinyin begins with a capitalized letter. Some terminologies are also capitalized due to their special meaning as defined in YSD.
Abnormalities 異常
Abnormalities refer to abnormal forms and abnormal indexes. They are concrete manifestations of senescence. Abnormal forms can appear on the surface of the body, or as with abnormal indexes, they can be detected by medical instruments within the body. Abnormal forms and abnormal indexes are deviations from previously normal conditions. Abnormal forms appearing on the surface of the body include gray hair, baldness, facial wrinkles, age spots, hunchback, uneven shoulders, uneven legs, joint deformation, tumors, warts, indurations, or lumps, etc. Abnormal forms detected by medical instruments include cancerous tumors, hysteromyomas, fibromas, intestinal polyps, splenomegaly, kidney atrophy, brain atrophy, liver cirrhosis, pulmonary fibrosis, cataracts, bone spurs, osteonecrosis, joint deformation, scoliosis, and disc herniation. Abnormal indexes include abnormalities in blood pressure, blood sugar, blood lipids, uric acid, tumor marker level, liver
function index, kidney function index, and cholesterol. Abnormalities are neither Symptoms related to feelings of discomfort, dysfunction, or poor stamina nor Signs related to tissue damage; they belong to aging and not illness. Abnormalities are Effects not Causes.
Antui (n)/(v) 按推
The Hands-on Technique of “press and rub,” which is classified as medical treatment in YSD medicine. The technique of Antui consisted of two parts in the order of “An” (press) first and then “tui" (rub). It should be practiced as follows: Pressing must be from light to heavy and from shallow to deep. Rubbing, which is forward and backward, must be applied evenly back and forth. The force exerted should not be too blunt, and the body posture must be coordinated. The supreme principles of Antui are what is within the patient’s tolerance level and that the patient’s condition improves.
Cause(s) 因
From the concept of “Cause, Contributing Factors and Effect” 因緣果 : Cause, Contributing Factors, and Effect are hypothetical terms used in conjunction with each other in a theoretical framework used by YSD to explain the origin of disease and illness and the principle of diagnosis and treatment. Cause is analogous to a seed; Contributing Factors are like sunlight, air, water, and soil, and Effect is the fruit that comes into being. The Cause is also referred to as the functioning of the body or individual constitutional differences. In YSD medicine, Tishang (bodily impairment meaning the malfunctioning of tissues and organs) and Heat Energy Deficiency are the two Causes of all disease, illness, and senescence. YSD medicine emphasizes treating from the Cause; that is,
by ameliorating Tishang and Heat Energy Deficiency, the body’s innate immunity and self-healing power are enhanced to achieve the goal of treatment: healing and preventing disease and illness.
Contributing Factors 緣
Contributing Factors can be divided into (1) favorable Contributing Factors for medical treatment and health maintenance and (2) Contributing Factors detrimental to health. Contributing Factors favorable for medical treatment include proper Antui of Yuan Shi Tong Dian as well as the tender points of the Affected Area. Contributing Factors favorable in health maintenance include beneficial use of Heat Sources, appropriate exercise, adequate rest, and a good state of mind. Contributing Factors detrimental to health include misconceptions, lack of exercise, stress, anger, staying up late, fatigue, exogenous cold, heat stroke, foods and medicines that are too cold, contaminated, or have deteriorated, improper medical examination and surgery, trauma, burns, environmental pollution, chemical venom, poison gases, poisonous organisms, and various types of bacteria and viruses. For Contributing Factors to affect the Effects, it must be through the Cause.
Effects 果
Effects are disease and illness manifested as Symptoms and Signs, and senescence exhibited in abnormal forms and abnormal indexes.
External Heat Sources 外熱源
External Heat Sources include sunlight, moxibustion, hot water bags, red bean bags, warmers, various electric heating products, ginger powder, ginger powder paste, and ginger soup. Among these, ginger powder,
ginger powder paste, and ginger soup can be smeared or sprayed to a large area at the location of Tishang to be absorbed by the skin and to warm the body directly.
Heat Energy 熱能
A major factor in sustaining life. The normal functioning of tissues and organs requires Heat Energy as the driving force. Heat Energy is mainly transformed from food absorbed by tissues and organs. Therefore, the effect of Heat Energy and the functioning of the tissues and organs are interdependent and synergistic.
Heat Energy Deficiency 熱能不足
Insufficient body energy to supply what is needed for the normal functioning of tissues and organs. It is the Cause that can indirectly lead to Effects (disease, illness, and senescence) by affecting Tishang (bodily impairment). At all times, the body is functioning, going through changes, and expending Heat Energy. When one is sick, more Heat Energy will be expended, and the body constitution becomes colder. As such, the Heat Energy within the body will only be insufficient and will not be excessive.
Heat Sources 熱源
The sources of energy used to ameliorate Heat Energy Deficiency. See External and Internal Heat Sources.
Internal Heat Sources 内熱源
Internal Heat Sources include ginger slices, ginger powder, ginger powder paste, ginger soup, ginseng slices, ginseng powder, ginseng soup, chili, pepper, Sichuan pepper (huajiao), and curry. Among these, ginger powder, ginger powder paste, and ginger soup not only can be consumed in our diet to convert food into Heat Energy through the functioning of tissues and organs, they can also be used for enemas, and cleansing, spraying, or dripping at nasal and oral cavities, eyes, vagina, and urethra. This enables the Heat Sources to go straight to the Affected Area Tishang and warm the organs directly.
Senescence 衰老
Senescence refers to the condition or the process of deterioration due to aging. It is exhibited in abnormal forms appearing on the surface of the body or abnormal forms and abnormal indexes detected by medical instruments within the body. Abnormal forms and abnormal indexes are deviations from previously normal conditions and are referred to collectively as abnormalities. Abnormalities are concrete manifestations of senescence.
Sign 狀
The word “Sign” used in YSD medicine to represent “zhuàng” (狀) in Chinese character is very special in its connotation, which is different from its conventional meaning. Signs are tissue damage appearing on the surface of the body and mainly include wounds and skin diseases such as swelling, broken skin, bleeding, red eyes, mouth ulcers, boils, bedsores, festers, scalds, chemical or toxic burns, acne, and psoriasis.
Signs are caused by Affected Area Tishang and can be visually identified. They are concrete manifestations of disease and illness and are Effects.
Symptom 症
The word “Symptom” used in YSD medicine to represent “zhèng” (症) in Chinese character is very special in its connotation, which is different from its conventional meaning. Symptoms can be seen and felt and are consisted of three types:
(1) Symptoms related to feelings of discomfort such as pain, soreness, numbness, itching, bloating, stuffiness, prickling, dizziness, bitter taste, burning sensation, tidal fever, and bearing-down sensation, are mostly due to Remote Tishang.
(2) Symptoms related to dysfunction such as insomnia, dysphoria, excessive sweating, runny nose, tinnitus, hearing loss, discharging ear, facial paralysis, cough, wheezing, vomiting, constipation, difficult urination, leucorrhea, cramps, and trigger finger, can be due to either Remote Tishang or Affected Area Tishang.
(3) Symptoms related to poor stamina such as slow and weak movement, abnormal fatigue, paralysis, muscular atrophy, dramatic weight loss, soft and weak voice, lack of facial luster, fever, diarrhea, cold limbs and body, fear of cold, shivering, and edema, are mostly due to Affected Area Tishang and are indicative of severe disease and illness.
All Symptoms are concrete manifestations of disease and illness and are Effects.
Tender points of the Affected Area 患處痛點
Tender points found on the body surface in the vicinity of the Affected Area are minor switches and must be engaged only if there is no immediate improvement after Antui of Yuan Shi Tong Dian (tender points of Yuan Shi Dian), the principal switches.
Tishang 體傷
Bodily impairment refers to the malfunctioning of the body’s tissues and organs. Our body is made up of various tissues and organs that work together and complement each other, driven by Heat Energy and aided by Contributing Factors such as air, food, and water to sustain the living body. When this interdependent and cooperative functional relationship is disrupted by Contributing Factors detrimental to health, Tishang and Heat Energy Deficiency will be created, leading to Symptoms and Signs of disease and illness.
Tishang is divided into Remote Tishang 他處體傷 and Affected Area Tishang 患處體傷.
The location of Tishang 體傷位置 for Symptoms can be either Remote or Affected Area. The exact location of Tishang must be identified through Antui of the corresponding Yuan Shi Tong Dian: If there is improvement, the location of Tishang is Remote; if there is no immediate improvement, the location of Tishang is at the Affected Area. Signs (tissue damage appearing on the surface of the body) is certainly caused by Affected Area Tishang and can be identified visually.
Wenfu(n)/(v) 溫敷
Warm compress (n) or apply a warm compress (v): a method used to improve Heat Energy Deficiency by applying External Heat Sources which include sunlight, moxibustion, hot water bags, red bean bags, warmers, various electric heating products, ginger powder, ginger powder paste, and ginger soup.
YSD - An abbreviation for “Yuan Shi Dian” medicine as a whole, including principles, goals, purposes, theories, clinical practice, techniques, and methods.
Yuan Shi Dian (sg)/(pl) 原始點
Yuan Shi Dian (the original corresponding points) is defined both broadly and narrowly. In the broad sense, it represents medicine. In the narrow sense, it represents Yuan Shi Dian locations, i.e., “Yuan Shi Dian along the Spine and Seven Regions of the Body.” Yuan Shi Dian were empirically verified as root cause locations of disease and illness and are located at a series of fixed points on the body. Each Yuan Shi Dian covers a specific area of the body; together, they act on the entire body. Yuan Shi Dian are mostly located near their areas of coverage next to the bones; they are also close to the Affected Area. Yuan Shi Dian are the main switches for curing disease and illness.
Yuan Shi Dian Along The Spine and Seven Regions of the Body
一條脊椎及七處原始點
Yuan Shi Dian located along the spine (neck, upper back, lower back, and sacral vertebrae) and seven regions of the body (head, shoulder,elbow, dorsum of hand, hip, ankle, and dorsum of foot).
Yuan Shi Tong Dian (sg)/(pl) 原始痛點 The tender points found during Antui of “Yuan Shi Dian Along The Spine and Seven Regions of the Body.” Yuan Shi Tong Dian (the tender points of Yuan Shi Dian) are principal switches for curing disease and illness. They are also known as tender points found on the body surface at the “Remote” locations. With medical treatment by Antui of these tender points, the functioning of tissues and organs and the effect of Heat Energy within the body can be stimulated. This treatment method serves to enhance the self-healing and repairing abilities of the areas impacted from which the functioning of tissues and organs can improve. Consequently, if there is disease and illness, the Symptoms caused by Remote Tishang can be quickly resolved. If there is no disease and illness, Antui of Yuan Shi Tong Dian is a preventive measure.
