Treatment Principles Flashcards

The Five Element treatment rule 'sedate the child' (实则泻其子) applies to which condition?

Answer: Excess of the organ element

When an organ element is in excess, draining its child in the generating cycle helps reduce the excess of the parent element.

What is the treatment principle for 'true cold with false heat' (真寒假热)?

Answer: Warm the interior to treat the true underlying cold condition

True cold with false heat requires warming the interior (the true condition) using cong zhi (paradoxical treatment), despite the apparent heat manifestations.

When Liver Qi stagnation leads to Blood stasis, what is the primary treatment sequence?

Answer: Move Qi first, which will subsequently move Blood

Since 'Qi is the commander of Blood,' moving Liver Qi first is the root treatment that naturally resolves secondary Blood stasis.

The treatment principle 'pei tu zhi shui' (培土制水, strengthen Earth to control Water) primarily addresses:

Answer: Spleen Yang deficiency with water retention or edema

'Strengthen Earth to control Water' uses the controlling cycle, tonifying Spleen (Earth) to restore its role in controlling fluid metabolism and reducing water retention.

What is the appropriate treatment principle for a patient presenting with both excess fullness and underlying deficiency fatigue?

Answer: Differentiate the predominant pattern and treat accordingly

Mixed excess-deficiency patterns require careful differentiation; the predominant pattern determines whether tonification or reduction takes priority.

Using sweet, warm herbs to tonify Spleen Yang while simultaneously drying dampness best exemplifies which treatment principle?

Answer: Tonifying the deficient root organ to resolve the secondary branch condition

Tonifying Spleen Yang (root) restores the Spleen's transforming and transporting functions, naturally resolving dampness (branch) as a downstream benefit.

Which treatment principle is illustrated by using diaphoretic methods to resolve a wind-cold exterior pattern?

Answer: Zheng zhi: orthodox treatment opposing the disease nature

Using warm, diaphoretic herbs to dispel cold exemplifies zheng zhi (orthodox treatment), opposing the cold nature of the disease with warm dispersing methods.