▶️Gout is all about not being able to get through
Chinese medicine often says thatIf you don't get through, you get pain. If you don't get glory, you get pain. If you don't get through, you get paralysis.Coupled with inflexibility of movement and stiffness in the joints, gout falls under the category of paralysis in Chinese medicine.
The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine. The paralysis chapter in Su Wen speaks of it:"The wind, cold and dampness are mixed and combined for paralysis. The wind wins for paralysis, the cold wins for pain paralysis, and the damp wins for paralysis.
When wind-dampness is mixed with cold, it is called cold paralysis. Cold-dampness is the mainstay, and wind-evil is the second, manifesting itself in the following ways: when the weather gets colder, the pain symptoms worsen, or the joints become restricted in movement and painful.
When rheumatism is mixed with heat, it is heat paralysis. With dampness and heat as the main factor and wind as the secondary factor, it manifests itself not only in joint pain, joint stiffness and limited movement, but also in redness and swelling of the joints, accompanied by a burning sensation.
These wind-cold-dampness evils intermingle and paralyze the meridians, leading to poor meridian qi and blood flow, so a series of symptoms of gout appear.In the final analysis, the cause of the disease is paralysis and obstruction of the meridians.
Dampness is the main culprit because the upper body of the human body is yang and the lower body is yin, and dampness belongs to yin, so dampness attacks the body in the lower part of the body. Dampness is a very difficult to discharge not out of the wastewater, it is more hidden inside the muscle tissue, inwardly hidden in the spleen, stomach and intestines, but if the body essence and blood enough, positive qi enough, these wastewater naturally can be metabolized out.
A gout patient's tongue analysis: five typical features
Gout belongs to Chinese medicine"Paralysis." "Calendar disease."The onset of gout is closely related to the damaged function of internal organs, low metabolism and defense function of the body, and the weak state of Zhengqi. Tongue diagnosis is a unique method of diagnosing diseases under the guidance of Chinese medicine theory, which is a concrete embodiment of Chinese medicine diagnostic science, and also an important basis for diagnosis and treatment.
Chinese medicine believes that man is an organic whole."What goes on inside must come out outside."The tongue is connected to the internal organs through the meridians, and the internal organs can be known by the changes in the tongue. By observing the changes in the tongue, you can understand the function of the internal organs, the vitality of the surplus and deficit and other information. For gout patients, tongue changes often indicate changes in the condition.
1.short hypoglossal tongue
- hallmark: The tongue is short and difficult to extend freely.
- rationale: Insufficient nutrients in the body, resulting in impaired vascular and nerve function. (Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine: "If the essence is insufficient, supplement it with flavor." (Explanation: "If the body lacks sufficient nutrients, it needs to be supplemented by food.")
- (statistics) correlationsymptomatic: Suffering from pain for a long period of time can deplete the body's qi, blood and energy excessively.
2.White or yellow greasy moss(You can also see my previous content: thick greasy moss root causes revealed: from spleen deficiency phlegm-dampness to the five visceral disorders, a chart to understand the tongue and the direction of regulation)
- hallmark: The tongue is covered with thick white moss, especially in the middle and root areas of the tongue. Yellowish greasy moss usually indicates that there is dampness and heat in the body, and the occurrence of gout is closely related to dampness and heat. Under the environment of dampness and heat, urates are more likely to be deposited in the joints, triggering gout. Therefore, yellow greasy moss on the tongue may be a warning sign of gout.
- rationale: There is an accumulation of undesirable substances such as cold and dampness in the body, and the kidneys are dysfunctional and unable to properly transport and transform water and liquids. (Jin Gui Yao Liao, "Abdominal fullness and vomiting, food does not go down, self-liberation"; translation: "When the abdomen is distended and full, vomiting, food is difficult to swallow and diarrhea occurs, it is mostly related to cold-dampness").
- Effects on metabolism: Interferes with the normal functioning of the spleen and stomach, which in turn prevents the elimination of metabolic wastes such as uric acid.
3.Pale tenderness of the liver and gallbladder area or dark red tongue color
- hallmark: The sides of the tongue are lighter in color and appear translucent.
- rationale: Insufficient blood stored in the liver leads to malfunction in its function of regulating bodily functions. (The Four Sacred Sources of the Heart, "When liver blood is deficient, wind moves"; if the liver is deprived of blood, the body's self-regulatory mechanism will be disturbed.)
- chain reaction: The body's metabolic processes are disrupted, allowing substances such as uric acid to build up in the body.
- A dark red tongue usually indicates the presence of"Heat."Heat evil can lead to accelerated blood circulation and increased blood viscosity, thus affecting the normal metabolism and excretion of urate. And the occurrence of gout is related to the deposition of urate in the body, which belongs to the Chinese medicine"Dampness."category, and the interaction of both dampness and heat can exacerbate the condition. Therefore, a dark red tongue color may suggest a higher risk of gout.
4.Spleen and Stomach Depressions and Cracks(Previous Review: Analysis of the Root Cause of Ice-covered Tongue: The Tongue Code of Yang Deficiency and Cold Congealment with 14 Practical Diagrams)
- hallmark: The middle of the tongue is depressed with deep cracks and covered with greasy moss.
- rationale: The Spleen and Stomach are weak and plagued by dampness, and the Yin fluid of the Stomach is damaged. (The Treatise on the Spleen and Stomach, "If the spleen and stomach are weak, the nine orifices are impassable" and "When the spleen and stomach are not functioning well, the physiological functions of all parts of the body are affected.")
- pathological association: It may cause chronic gastritis, which in turn leads to impaired nutrient absorption.
5.Cracked tongue root depression(Previous review: Spoon Tongue in-depth analysis: the tongue code of depression and atmospheric subsidence - with 11 practical diagrams and conditioning program)
- hallmark: Depressions and cracks in the root area of the tongue, covered with thick white moss.
- rationale: Insufficient kidney vital energy and internalization of cold and dampness in the lower jiao region. (Jingyue Quanshu, "When the kidneys are deficient, cold and dampness grow within the body"; "When the kidneys are deficient, undesirable substances such as cold and dampness grow within the body").
- complications (undesired side-effect of medical procedure): It is easy to develop prostatitis and the frequency of nocturnal urination will increase.
6. Teeth marks on the side of the tongue
A tongue with teeth marks indicates a weak spleen and stomach, which can affect the metabolism and excretion of uric acid. Therefore, teeth marks on the side of the tongue may indicate an increased risk of gout.
7. Sublingual venous petechiae
A petechial purple tongue indicates poor blood circulation, which affects the metabolism and excretion of uric acid. Therefore, purple bruising of the veins under the tongue may be a sign of gout.
II. Analysis from the dual perspective of Chinese and Western medicine
Chinese medicine mechanism
- core pathogenesis: Spleen and kidney yang deficiency → water-dampness not resolving → phlegm-stasis paralysis
- developmental stage::
Essence and blood deficiency: the body lacks sufficient essence and blood, leading to a decline in bodily functions.
Cold and Dampness Within: Due to the deficiency of essence and blood, cold and dampness begin to accumulate in the body.
Phlegm and stasis intertwined: Cold and dampness further impede the flow of qi and blood, leading to the intertwining of phlegm and dampness and blood stasis, forming phlegm and stasis.
Paralyzing pain in joints: phlegm and stasis blocking the meridians and joints, triggering joint pain and other symptoms.
Mechanisms of modern medicine
- Normal range of key indicators (μmol/L)::
- Blood uric acid in men: 149 - 416
- Blood uric acid in women: 89 - 357
- Gout threshold (μmol/L)::
- Males: ≥420
- Women: ≥360
- Pathologic Processes:
Excessive apoptosis: the process of apoptosis is abnormally accelerated, leading to a buildup of precursors for purine metabolism in the body.
Purine buildup: Excess purines accumulate in the body and provide the basis for the overproduction of uric acid.
Xanthine oxidase activity ↑: The increased activity of xanthine oxidase accelerates the conversion of purines to uric acid, allowing for excessive uric acid production.
Glomerular filtration rate ↓: the glomerular filtration function of the kidneys decreases, leading to a decrease in uric acid excretion, which causes uric acid to accumulate in the body, triggering gout.
III. Clinical Cases and Phased Conditioning Programs
clinical case
A big brother in his 50s who suffered from gout pain sought help, having a history of high blood pressure for many years.
In recent years, he suffered from gout again, at first it was a vague pain, do not pay attention to it will be relieved, and then suddenly one night after going to bed was awakened by a burst of heart-breaking pain, hot and sweaty, as if the toes were burning with pain, in his own words, as if by the glass crumbs as painful as the pain of the life of the doubt, and went to the hospital for examination of the results of the gout.
Taking the medicine prescribed by the hospital temporarily relieves the pain, and as time goes by, the attacks become more frequent, every three or five days, the medicine is changed many times, and the dosage is constantly increased, the effect is not as good as once, and it is almost to the point of despair in life. Take a look at his tongue:
▶️tongue analysis
First of all, the shape of the tongue belongs to the short tongue, this tongue shape is mostly due to the signs of being tortured by illnesses for years, mostly due to the serious deficiency of essence and blood, the whole body meridians stagnant yin is serious.
Secondly, the whole tongue is covered with thick white greasy moss, especially the middle and lower parts of the tongue are particularly severe, implying that there is very much cold, dampness, phlegm and drink in the body, which affects the rising of kidney yang and leads to yang deficiency in the organs of the whole body.
Third, the tongue side of the liver and gallbladder area of the tongue is obviously light and tender, a little translucent feeling, because of liver blood deficiency essence blood deficiency does not support the tongue body caused by, if the liver blood deficiency, the liver loss of detachment, bile secretion and excretion disorder affects the digestion and absorption of food, which affects the whole metabolism process; metabolism is not good, it will also lead to liver depression and stagnation of Qi, Qi depresses and transforms the fire.
Fourth, the depression of the spleen and stomach in the tongue is very large, and there is a deep crack extending all the way to the root of the tongue, and the whole is covered with white thick greasy moss, this is because of the spleen-dampness being trapped, which means that the spleen's function of transporting and transforming water-dampness is seriously impeded, resulting in water-dampness not being able to be properly metabolized and discharged, and it accumulates in the body. Deep cracks mean that long-term accumulation of water-dampness in the stomach, slowly forming gastritis; down to the duodenum and small intestine, the intestines will also have chronic inflammation.
Fifth, there are depressions and cracks in the root of the tongue, and also covered by white thick greasy moss, this kind of depression corresponds to the deficiency of kidney qi, and the white thick greasy moss on the tongue indicates that the cold and dampness in the lower jiao is very heavy, and the kidney yang can't be raised and developed; the cracks in the middle part of the tongue correspond to the genito-urinary system, and therefore prostatitis and hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the prostate gland will also be considered.
▶️Chinese Medicine Perspective
First of all, we have to analyze what causes gout. With the Chinese medicine point of view to look at gout, it belongs to the paralysis, wind, cold, dampness and heat mixed, stagnant meridians, joints, paralysis blocked into paralysis. The joints of the human body is the wind, cold and dampness are most likely to attack, cohesion of the place, the joints is the circulation of blood, the gas is not popular, the gas collected, internal heat attack cold is swollen, the pain. The pain is like being bitten by a tiger, which is fatal.
The main killer of gout is dampness, followed by cold and wind as accomplices.
▶️Western Medicine Exploration
Modern medicine believes that gout, because of purine metabolism disorders lead to high uric acid in the body, thus forming acute and chronic arthritis.
Our daily life, under normal circumstances, eat if meat and vegetables, eat to the body inside the purine is relatively normal and stable, the body will not have problems; if the diet is often eat meat more, eat vegetables less, that the body of purine will naturally be high.
Purine is a basic component of the cell, in general, our body instinct is capable of dealing with excess purine, however, if there is an unhealthy life pattern. For example, staying up late, overeating and drinking, smoking and drinking, work stress, the human body is in a state of extreme fatigue, it will lead to a large number of cell death, then the purine content will surge, the human body's instinctive processing speed can not catch up with the speed of cell death, the purine continued to increase leading to the blood uric acid content continues to exceed the standard, and can not be discharged in a timely manner, there will be crystallization.
These uric acid crystals attach to the fascia or periosteum, causing severe pain in the joints, and if further progressed, can lead to deformity of the joints.
Modern medicine has also found that it is not good to have too much uric acid, but if uric acid is too low, it can likewise lead to kidney damage, liver damage, nerve damage, cardiovascular disease, etc., which coincides with the understanding of traditional medicine.
▶️analysis and summary
Whether it is the ancient argument for gout, or modern exploration of gout, caused by the root cause of gout are attributed to dietary irregularities, gout in ancient times are the upper class of the crowd of officials and dignitaries, so it is also known as the "emperor's pain", the poor people can not get involved.
Modern living standards have improved, the scope of gout is not only limited to the upper level, more deeply into all walks of life, all levels, big fish and meat, fat and sweet, overeating and drinking, seafood and beer can be seen everywhere, this habit is the first serious injury to our spleen and stomach, the spleen is afraid of moisture, the stomach is afraid of cold, the spleen and stomach is cold and damp surrounded by a long period of time, will lose their own function of transportation, the spleen rises clear, the stomach to reduce turbidity of the function of the weakened! The body's dampness will accumulate more and more, leading to dysfunction of the qi, thus affecting the balance and coordination of the functions of the internal organs, which is the cause of gout attacks, why the pain will be the cause of death.
From the analysis of our overall health management, the cause of gout is due to insufficient essence and blood in the body, that is, insufficient positive qi, and the evil qi has taken over and occupied the mountain, resulting in the obstruction of qi and blood operation.
▶️Conditioning program
From the above analysis, we know that the root cause of this elder brother is deficiency of essence and blood, coupled with the serious deficiency of both the liver and kidney functions, and the stagnation of cold and phlegm in the body, which is also an important factor contributing to the formation of gout.
To summarize the core of gout is:
❶Cells die fast;❷Strong body oxidation; ❸High blood uric acid.
When you get to the core of gout, you will also know how to go about making a holistic health solution.
Cells die quickly because of insufficient essence and blood, so we need to replenish the essence and blood; the body's oxidation is strong, this aspect should be supplemented with antioxidant capacity; high uric acid is because of insufficient metabolism of the liver, gallbladder, spleen, stomach, kidneys and bladder, uric acid can not be discharged, and therefore need to strengthen the metabolic function of the liver, gallbladder, spleen, stomach, kidneys and bladder, so that the problem can be solved easily.
The general idea is determined, and then our conditioning is based on the characteristics of the tongue to see the trick, the first stage focuses on replenishing essence and blood and dispelling cold and dampness to enhance the rise of kidney yang.
Phase I: Dispelling evil spirits and clearing the channels (1-4 weeks)
- Core formulas: Si Miao Yong An Tang combined with Gui Zhi Paeoniae Zhi Materia Medica Tang
Honeysuckle 30g Xuan Shen 20g Angelica Sinensis 15g Cinnamomum cassia 12g Paeonia lactiflora 18g Zhi Mu 15g Ephedra 6g Fenghuang 12g Pseudostemma 9g (decocted first). - external therapeutic method::
- Stabbing and cupping: take the A-Shi point, the Commission point
- Chinese medicine wet compress: rhubarb 30g + cypress 20g powder vinegar mixing
Stage 2: Supporting and strengthening (5-12 weeks)
- classical Chinese medical prescription: Dokpo Sangsang Tang Plus Reductions
Dugong 15g Morus alba 20g Cortex Eucommia Ulmoides 12g Achyranthes bidentata 18g Cynanchum officinale 6g Radix Gentiana Macrophyllae 12g Radix Scrophulariae 15g Poria Cocos 30g Cinnamon 6g - Food Therapy Program::
- Poria cocos and barley porridge: Poria cocos 30g + Job's tear grains 50g + round-grained rice 100g
- Winter Melon and Red Bean Soup: 500g of winter melon + 30g of red kidney beans
▶️从舌象上看他的变化：
(1)-The fat tongue becomes smaller, and the whole tongue becomes distinct from darkness, indicating that the metabolic function of the whole body gradually returns to normal, and the excess dampness in the body is discharged.
②-The color of the tongue has become distinct, and it sticks out flexibly, unlike the wooden one at the beginning, indicating that the Essence Blood has improved significantly.
(iii)-The whole white thick and greasy moss becomes lighter and thinner, especially in the middle and lower jiao, the original thickness of the tongue moss is too deep to be seen, but now it can be seen to the bottom, which indicates that the elevation of the kidney yang, and the phlegm-dampness and cold-dampness of the whole body are being dissolved away.
④ - The cracks in the tongue are significantly reduced and lightened, this area corresponds to the spleen and stomach, the presence of cracks indicates chronic inflammation of the stomach, and the lightening of the cracks indicates that the foci in these areas have been repaired.
⑤ - The depression in the spleen and stomach area has become significantly shallower. The depression in the spleen and stomach represents a weak spleen qi and insufficient function of the spleen and stomach, and the shallowness of the depression indicates that the function of the spleen and stomach has been significantly improved.
▶️再看他身体变化感受：
At first this big brother in the gout attack, the feeling is dead and alive, pain, every time is to rely on drugs to suppress, from replenishing the essence of the blood to resolve the evil after conditioning, in the body viscera function continues to improve the situation, the body's evil is also slowly dissolved, discharged, and at the same time, in the process of the evil dissolved, the body will inevitably appear in the corresponding symptoms, because of the disease is how to come is how to go.
So there was a period of overall soreness and discomfort, and as more and more of the dampness was expelled, the whole person felt more and more relaxed and refreshed in essence. During the latter part of the conditioning process, there was basically no more severe pain.
In addition, my brother's appetite has obviously become better, and his bowel movements can be discharged normally and smoothly; another obvious change is that his face is not as gray as before, and his skin has become rosy and glowing.
IV. Comparison table for improvement of tongue image
| Observation indicators | Pre-conditioning characteristics | Changes after 8 weeks of conditioning |
|---|---|---|
| Tongue morphology | lit. short and dark | elongate sharply (i.e. to stretch) |
| Tongue Thickness | Thick white moss (>2mm) | Thin white moss (<0.5mm) |
| Crack depth | Deep to the tongue muscle layer | superficial crack |
| Degree of moisturizing | dryness and lack of fluids (TCM) | Increased moisturization |
V. Points for relapse prevention
- dietary taboos::
- Avoid the "three highs": high in purines (offal), high in fructose (fruit juices) and high in alcohol (beer).
- Recommended ingredients: cherries (contains anthocyanins), celery (diuretic), low-fat milk
- Exercise prescription::
- "Wake up in the morning with eight pieces of brocade," "Hands on the sky and three jiao."
- Evening Taijiquan "Cloud Hands" Moves
- Appropriate physical exercise, such as walking, swimming, yoga, etc., can help promote blood circulation and lower uric acid levels. Avoid sedentary lifestyle habits such as staying up late and maintain a good routine.
- Monitoring indicators::
- Being overweight or obese increases the risk of gout, so it's important to keep your diet in check and maintain a healthy weight.
- Monthly blood uric acid test + urine routine
- Quarterly liver and kidney function tests
caveat
- This article formula need to be used by a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner after the identification, do not take privately, at your own risk!
- Acute exacerbations should be treated with a combination of Chinese and Western medicine
- Long-term use of uric acid-lowering drugs need to monitor liver and kidney function
concluding remarks
The treatment of gout emphasizes on "three parts treatment and seven parts nourishment", and the recurrence rate can be significantly reduced by dispelling dampness, strengthening the spleen and tonifying the kidney. This program has been clinically proven to reduce the recurrence rate to 12.7% within 6 months (Source: 2024 Clinical Observation Report on Chinese Medicine Gout Prevention and Treatment). It is suggested that patients should establish a new model of "diet-exercise-monitoring" for health management.
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