Abnormal Descending or Ascending of Qi

Ascending, descending, outward and inward movement are the basic forms of the transmission of qi in its circulation through the body. Abnormal ascending and descending refers to pathological states of the zang - fu organs, meridians, yin and yang, qi and blood in which they fail to maintain their normal state of governing ascent and descent of qi.

The functional activities of the zang - fu organs and meridians, and the relationships between the zang - fu organs, meridians, qi, blood, yin and yang are maintained by the ascending, descending, outward and inward movement of qi circulation. Examples of this are the descending and dispersing function of lung qi ; the spleen ' s function of sending up clear essence of food to the lung ; the stomach ' s function of sending down partially digested food ; the harmony between the heart and kidney and between fire ( heart ) and water ( kidney ) . Abnormal ascending or descending of qi may affect the five zang and six fu organs, the interior and the exterior of the body, the four limbs and the nine openings, leading to a variety of pathological changes. Common examples include cough, asthmatic breathing, and a suffocating sensation in the chest caused by failure of lung qi to descend and disperse ; belching and nausea caused by abnormal ascent of stomach qi ; loose stools and diarrhea caused by dysfunction of the spleen in transportation and transformation and failure of its normal ascending function ; insomnia and palpitations caused by disharmony between heart and kidney ; and syncope due to derangement of qi, blood, yin and yang. Other examples are inability of the kidney to receive qi, upward floating of yang, failure of clear yang to ascend, and sinking of the qi of the middle jiao. All of these can be generalized as pathological changes caused by abnormal ascending and descending of qi.

Whilst all the zang - fu organs are involved in the ascending and descending of qi, the spleen and stomach qi plays an especially important role. This is because spleen and stomach provide the material basis for the acquired constitution. The spleen and stomach lie in middle jiao which connects with the other zang - fu organs in the upper and lower jiaos, and form the pivot of the mechanism for ascending and descending of qi. The physiological functions of the human body can be maintained only when both the ascending function of spleen qi and the descending function of stomach qi are normal. Harmonious functioning of the spleen and stomach is therefore essential to the ascending, descending, outward and inward movement of the qi of the whole body.

Neither aspect exists in isolation, however, the ascending of spleen qi and descending of stomach qi must cooperate with the ascending and descending movement of the qi of the other zang - fu organs. If the ascending and descending functions of spleen and stomach fail, the clear yang will not be disseminated, acquired essence cannot be stored, the clean qi in the atmosphere and food cannot be received, and substances such as turbid phlegm will not be dispelled from the body. Numerous diseases will result. An understanding of the influence of the ascending and descending functions of spleen and stomach on the therefore essential in clinical practice when physiological activities of the whole body is regulating the functions of these two organs.