Shaoyin syndrome

The Shaoyin syndrome refers to pathological changes of the heart and kidney. When Shaoyin is diseased, the antipathogenic qi is extremely deficient. That is why the Shaoyin syndrome is characterized by systemic weakness. In the Shaoyin syndrome, there is hypo function of the heart and kidney, manifesting either as deficiency of yang leading to excess of yin or deficiency of yin leading to hyperactivity of fire.

When yang is deficient and yin is excessive, the pathogenic factors, influenced by excessive yin, turn into cold. When yin is deficient leading to hyperactivity of fire, the pathogenic factors turn into heat.

The cold syndrome of Shaoyin

This syndrome principally exhibits aversion to cold, lying in a curled up position, listlessness with desire to sleep, cold limbs, diarrhea with undigested food, absence of thirst or preference for hot drinks, profuse, clear urine, a pale tongue with white coating and a deep, feeble and thready pulse. This syndrome is often due to deficiency of yang of the heart and kidney complicated with direct invasion of Shaoyin by exogenous pathogenic cold.

Deficiency of yang implies failure to warm up the body, the consequences are aversion to cold, lying in a curled up position and cold limbs. Furthermore, insufficiency of yang qi leads to listlessness with a desire to sleep. Deficiency of yang of Shaoyin deprives the spleen of warmth, therefore impairing its function in transportation and transformation and causing diarrhea with undigested food.

Deficiency of yang leading to excess of cold may also manifest as absence of thirst. But thirst may appear if yang deficiency of the lower jiao does not allow upward distribution of body fluids, or if excessive diarrhea consumes body fluids. In either case, the patient prefers hot drinks and does not drink large quantities. Copious, clear urine, a pale tongue with white coating and a deep, and thready pulse are all signs of yang deficiency resulting in yin excess.

The method of treatment is to recover yang and eliminate cold. Points are selected from the Ren Meridian, Kidney Meridian of Foot - Shaoyin and Spleen Meridian of Foot - Taiyin. Both acupuncture and moxibustion should be used with the emphasis placed on moxibustion.

The heat syndrome of Shaoyin

The main pathological manifestations are mental restlessness, insomnia, dryness of the mouth and throat, deep - yellow urine, a red or deep - red tongue, and a rapid, thready pulse.

This syndrome is often due to persistence of pathogenic heat which consumes the kidney yin, or to constitutional deficiency of yin complicated with pathogenic invasion which subsequently turns into heat.

Deficiency of the kidney yin leads to hyperactivity of the heart Fire and a disturbance of the balance between water and fire, this explains mental restlessness and insomnia. As heat consumes the kidney yin, dryness of the mouth and throat, a red or deep - red tongue ensues. Deficiency of yin and hyperactivity of fire give rise to a rapid, thready pulse.

The method of treatment is to nourish yin and clear off fire. Points are selected from the Heart Meridian of Hand - Shaoyin and Kidney Meridian of Foot - Shaoyin.