Pathological mechanisms and wu xing connections in liver blood xu

The functions of the liver and its relationship to organs

Please explain how the pattern given below can become aetiology for other organ patterns, and what the most likely patterns to develop are. In your explanation you must describe the pathological mechanisms involved and include possible wu xing connections, zang fu interrelationships, production of fundamental substances, secondary causes of disease, etc.

To answer the question, you will need to draw up a plan for how to approach it. This is best started with a brief description of the functions of the organ and in particular the functions of fundamental substance/pathological factors involved.

The starting pattern for this year will be:
1.Liver fire blazing

This essay will look into the possible patterns that liver blood xu could go into by looking at the relationship between the liver and blood in order to gain a better understanding of this pathology there needs to be an outline of the functions of the liver and its relationship to organs.

A summary of the the liver’s functions could be listed as: the liver stores blood, promotes circulation of blood, by lubricating the vessels and smoothing the flow of qi, it assists in digestion, regulates mental activity, regulates menstruation, opens into the eyes, governs the sinews, extends into the nails and house the hun (the noncorporeal soul). These aspects of the liver create many external manifestations that can help diagnose a liver condition. Kaptchuk (2000) states that the nature of the liver is the flowing and spreading in all directions (shuxie), which makes the liver, yang in its function (qi) and yin in substance (blood).(Shanghai University, 2002).

Looking into the relationship between yin and blood, ShiLin, ZhengHua and Wiseman (2007) points out that “Yin and blood are of the same source.“(p303) and in inspecting the Huangdi Neijing, “yin forces are peaceful... yin forces support growth” (trans. Kong,
2010:30) the yin relates very closely to the aspects of blood. Rochat de la Valle (2006)

Adds that the functions linked to nourishing, moistening and rebuilding are considered yin, which are also the functions of blood.

An important aspect of the liver is to store blood and the heart governs blood, McDonald and Penner (1994) shows that liver blood xu and heart blood xu to cause each other. In terms of wuxing, this would be a pattern where the mother (liver) is not able to support and nourish the son (heart). (Maciocia, 2005)

One of the functions of the liver is the volume regulation of blood and an aspect of blood in the blood vessels are to fill the vessels. A blood xu would occur if there is an external hemorrhage or consistent chronic disease (for example) , there will be spaces where the blood do not fill up, as Maciocia (2005) points out that when there is less blood, there is space to be “taken up” by wind. He referred this to the strong draughts in underground stations. (p528) As liver blood xu progresses, from the overconsumption of blood, the yin gets depleted, this results in the yang to have less support and this is the yang that creates wind within the vessels and this results in liver blood xu generating wind. (ShiLun, et al., 2007)

Due to the nature of blood, which is considered yin, a deficiency of blood would affect the yin of the liver at the same time as blood. If there is a greater consumption of yin and blood, liver blood xu would progress into liver yin xu. (Maciocia, 2005)

The pattern that shows at the same time as liver yin xu would be liver yang rising, as yang qi of the liver is dependant on the nourishment of the yin and blood, where the absence of yin would mean the failure to hold yang which causes the yang to rise as there is no root and is out of control. (Rochat de la Valle, 2006) (McDonald and Penner,
1994)

The liver is a yin organ (zang) but has functions which are considered yang where liver blood is very important in supporting the other zang organs and is also important in smoothing the flow of qi throughout the body.

The main organs that are affected are usually the liver itself or the heart that show as both shi and xu pattern, where there would mainly be shi patterns in the yang and qi aspect of the liver and xu patterns in the yin and blood of the liver. A qi xu pattern does not really show due to the abundance of qi in the liver. These patterns will gradually cause extreme conditions in both yin and yang aspects and can ultimately be the cause the separation of yin and yang with the effect on other organs.