The Spleen channel

Question 1

What are the functions of the Spleen?

Answer 1

Governs transformation and transportation.
Controls the ascending of qi
Controls blood
Controls the muscles and four limbs 
Opens into the mouth
Manifests in the lips
Controls saliva 
Controls the raising of Qi
Houses the intellect (Yi)
It is affected by pensiveness.

Question 2

What are the signs and symptoms of Spleen Qi deficiency?

Answer 2

o	Low appetite
o	Abdominal distention
o	Loose stools 
o	Fatigue 
o	Weak limbs

Question 3

How does the tongue present itself in Spleen qi deficiency?

Answer 3

Scalloped

Question 4

What is the pulse in spleen qi deficiency?

Answer 4

Weak in the spleen position.

Question 5

What are the signs and symptoms of Spleen Yang deficiency?

Answer 5

o	Low appetite
o	Abdominal distention
o	Loose stools 
o	Fatigue 
o	Weak limbs

COLD
o	Feeling cold
o	Cold limbs
o	Oedema
o	Lying in foetal position

Question 6

What is the tongue presentation in Spleen Yang deficiency?

Answer 6

Pale, wet and swollen

Question 7

What is the pulse presentation in Spleen yang deficiency?

Answer 7

Deep, weak and slow

Question 8

What are the signs and symptoms of Spleen qi sinking?

Answer 8

o	Low appetite
o	Abdominal distention
o	Loose stools 
o	Fatigue 
o	Weak limbs
PROLAPSE
o	Bearing down sensation
o	Tendency to obesity 
o	Frequent urgent urination

Question 9

What is the tongue presentation in Spleen qi sinking?

Answer 9

Pale

Question 10

What is the pulse presentation in Spleen qi sinking?

Answer 10

Weak and deep

Question 11

What are the signs and symptoms of Spleen not controlling blood?

Answer 11

o	Low appetite
o	Abdominal distention
o	Loose stools 
o	Fatigue 
o	Weak limbs

BLEEDING
o	Often pale and continuous 
o	Uterine
o	Stools
o	Urine

Question 12

What is the tongue presentation in Spleen Yang deficiency?

Answer 12

Pale

Question 13

What are the signs and symptoms of spleen blood deficiency?

Answer 13

o	Low appetite
o	Abdominal distention
o	Loose stools 
o	Fatigue 
o	Weak limbs
PALE
o	Scanty periods
o	Amenorrhoea
o	Depression
o	Insomnia

Question 14

What is the tongue presentation in Spleen Blood deficiency?

Answer 14

Pale (possibly thin)

Question 15

What is the pulse presentation in Spleen Blood deficiency?

Answer 15

Fine (possibly choppy)

Question 16

What are the empty pathologies of the Spleen?

Answer 16

Spleen qi deficiency 
Spleen Yang deficiency 
Spleen Qi sinking 
Spleen not controlling blood 
Spleen blood deficiency

Question 17

What is the pulse presentation in Spleen not controlling blood?

Answer 17

Weak and fine (possibly hollow)

Question 18

What are the two spleen full patterns?

Answer 18

1. Damp cold invading the Spleen

2. Damp heat invading the Spleen

Question 19

What are the signs and symptoms of Damp cold invading the spleen?

Answer 19

Poor appetite, fullness and cold in epigastrium / abdomen, heavy head and body, nausea, no thirst, tiredness, dull white complexion.

Question 20

What is the tongue and pulse presentation of Damp cold invading the spleen?

Answer 20

Tongue: Pale with sticky white coat
Pulse acute: Slippery and slow
Pulse Chronic: Weak and soggy

Question 21

What are the signs and symptoms of Damp heatinvading the Spleen?

Answer 21

Poor appetite, fullness in epigastrium / abdomen, heavy head and body, nausea, vomiting, thirst without desire to drink, smelly loose stools, bitter taste, low grade fever, oily sweat, dull yellow complexion.

Question 22

What is the tongue and pulse presentation of damp hear invading the spleen?

Answer 22

Tongue: Red with sticky yellow coat
Pulse: Slippery and rapid.

Question 23

What are the combined patterns of the Spleen?

Answer 23

o Combined patterns: Spleen and heart blood deficiency
o Spleen and Liver blood deficiency
o Spleen and Lung qi deficiency
o Obstruction of Spleen by damp with Liver qi stasis: damp patterns
o Liver invading the spleen – spleen pathology that comes and goes
o Spleen and stomach qi deficiency – dominance of digestive symptoms

Question 24

What are the symptoms of spleen channel disharmony?

Answer 24

o	Heaviness, fatigue or muscle wasting 
o	Cold along the inside of the thigh and knee 
o	Oedema in the legs (damp)
o	Motor impairment of tongue 
o	Bunions and fallen arches

Question 25

What are spleen tongue signs?

Answer 25

Scalloping (represents deficiency of qi), swelling indicates damp accumulation. Central crack indicative of spleen qi deficiency.

Question 26

What are spleen pulse signs?

Answer 26

Weak pulse, slippery pulse, empty pulse.

Question 27

What could you inquire about to determine a spleen condition?

Answer 27

o Inquiry: tiredness, fatigue, heaviness, questions about the course of the channel. Thermal patterns (is there heat or cold happening), what is happening with the blood? o Listening to the sounds: abdominal sounds, singing sound

Question 28

What does a Spleen disharmony influence?

Answer 28

It will influence the digestive process, with symptoms such as abdominal distention, lack of appetite and loose stools.

Question 29

How does the spleen influence the muscles?

Answer 29

The Spleen controls the muscles and is responsible for transporting Food-Qi (Gu Qi) to the muscles throughout the body, in particular the four limbs. A common disharmony is tiredness (Spleen deficiency)

Question 30

How does the spleen influence the blood?

Answer 30

Spleen controls blood and a weakness of spleen-qi often causes bleeding.

Question 31

What common signs would indicate Spleen pathology?

Answer 31

Tiredness, digestive disorders, dull-yellow complexion and abdominal distention (bloating).

Question 32

How does pensiveness effect the Spleen?

Answer 32

Pensiveness makes Qi stagnate and it effects the Spleen (but also the Lungs). Pensiveness may lead to Spleen-Qi deficiency.

Question 33

How does diet influence the Spleen?

Answer 33

An excessive consumption of cold foods will impair the Spleens function of transformation and transportation, which will cause interior dampness and digestive problems.

Question 34

What are the key symptoms of Spleen-Qi deficiency?

Answer 34

Poor appetite, tiredness and loose stools.

Question 35

What are the variations of Spleen-Qi deficiency?

Answer 35

Spleen Yang deficiency - further stage of spleen-qi deficiency Spleen-Qi sinking - Spleen not raising Qi Spleen not holding blood Spleen-blood deficiency - Spleen's food qi not making enough blood

Question 36

What does the empty pulse reflect in Spleen qi deficiency?

Answer 36

The empty pulse reflects the deficiency of Qi.

Question 37

What are the key symptoms of Spleen-Yang deficiency?

Answer 37

Loose stools, feeling cold, cold limbs and tiredness.

Question 38

Why is the tongue pale and wet in spleen-yang deficiency?

Answer 38

The tongue is pale due to deficiency of Yang and wet because the impairment in the spleen function of fluid transportation leads to the accumulation of fluid on the tongue.

Question 39

What are the key symptoms of Spleen-Qi sinking?

Answer 39

Bearing down sensation and weak pulse.

Question 40

What are the key symptoms of Spleen not controlling blood?

Answer 40

Fine pulse, pale tongue and bleeding.

Question 41

What are the key symptoms of Spleen not controlling blood?

Answer 41

Tiredness, slight abdominal distention, scanty periods and pale tongue

Question 42

What are the key symptoms of Cold-dampness invading the Spleen?

Answer 42

Abdominal fullness, feeling of heaviness, sticky white tongue coating.

Question 43

What are the key symptoms of Damp-Heat invading the Spleen?

Answer 43

Abdominal fullness, feeling of heaviness and sticky yellow coating.

Question 44

What are the symptoms of the main spleen channel?

Answer 44

Vaginal discharge, cold feeling along the channel, weakness of the leg muscles.