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tx
musculoskeletal system
torticollis
psychospiritual approaches

metaphors and correlations

• Stiff neck represents unbending bullheadedness. (Hay, 1984, p. 184)

Chinese psychophysiology:
• consider qualities and correlations of channels traversing affected area
Liver ~ Gan is the home of the Hun (Ethereal Soul); it relates to decisiveness, control, and the principle of emergence; maintains smooth flow of Qi and Xue (Blood); controls the muscles, ligaments, and tendons, especially the contractility of the muscles and moistening of the sinews; and reflects emotional harmony and movement.
» Healthy expressions are kindness, spontaneity, and ease of movement.
» Liver Xu (Deficiency) signs include impotence; frigidity; pain in thighs, pelvic region, and throat; ready tendency to "the blahs" (Seem, p. 28); timidity; depression; irritability; vertigo; pruritus; dry eyes, skin, and/or tendons; asthma; aching at the waist; hernia; and difficulty raising head up and down. Liver Xue Xu (Blood Deficiency) predisposes to Xue Yu (Blood Stasis). Liver Yin Xu (Deficiency) predisposes to Shi (Excess) conditions such as Liver Fire Blazing.
» Liver Qi Stagnation reflects and accentuates emotional constraint as the Liver's function of facilitating smooth flow in the body is constricted. Stagnation is associated with frustration, irritability, tension, and feeling stuck. With time this pattern tends to produce a gloomy emotional state of constant resentment, repressed anger or depression, along with tightness in the chest, frequent sighing, abdominal tension or distension, and/or a feeling of a lump in the throat with difficulty in swallowing. (Maciocia, p. 216) Xue Yu (Blood Stasis) often begins with Qi Stagnation.
» Liver Shi (Excess) signs include discontent; anger; pain in lumbar region and genitals (Seem, p. 28); muscular tension; excessive sex drive; insomnia; moodiness; excitability; genital diseases; red, tearing eyes; compulsive energy; and bitter taste in the mouth. Chronically suppressed anger can implode and give rise to Fire in the Liver and Gall Bladder with symptoms of irritability, bitter taste, headaches, etc.

» Mental signs of Gall Bladder channel disorders include bitterness, lack of control, irritability, unfaithfulness, lack of courage, timidity, and hypochondria. (Seem, p. 28)

» Mental signs of Small Intestine channel disorders include poor mental assimilation, a feeling of mental deficiency due to inability to assimilate ideas, and insecurity. (Seem, p. 27)

» Mental signs of Triple Warmer channel disorders include emotional upsets caused by breaking of friendships or family relations; depression; suspicion; anxiety; and poor elimination of harmful thoughts. (Seem, p. 28)


therapies

imagery:
• Go into pain, and see, hear, feel what happens (pressure, pulling, rigidity) and follow to symbolic meaning. (Bry, p. 76)
• beaver dammed (Chavez): liver-related tension

affirmation:
• It is safe to see other viewpoints. (Hay, 1984, p. 184)

process paradigm: (experientially oriented)
• What is the symptom preventing me from doing? What is the symptom making me do? (related materia medica listings: musculoskeletal system interview)

related materia medica listings:
the shadow and physical symptoms
body reveals: the spirit
converting a symptom to a signal
affirmations: guidelines and precautions
process paradigm


footnotes

Reprinted from The Foundations of Chinese Medicine, Maciocia, Giovanni, 1989, by permission of the publisher Churchill Livingstone, a division of Elsevier Limited.