liver article

[mat black]

here's a long and comprehensive (but easy to read) article about the liver and the various manifestation of it's disorder.

 

written by a chinese woman who cured herself of many liver related problems.

 

excellent info resource

 

http://www.sensiblehealth.com/Journey-01.xhtml

Edited August 16, 2007 by mat black

[Spectrum]

Did you see where she says early morning TaoBums reading aids daily mindfulness but evening BumRants fuels insomnia? Someone needs to cross post. ;o)

[freeform]

thanks Mat!

[Todd]

That is an interesting article, with a lot of potentially good advice for someone dealing with liver problems. However, her reasoning with regard to Chinese herbs is mostly flawed or incomplete.

 

Per my studies and references:

Chinese Gentian (Long Dan Cao) is a cold herb that is used to treat Liver Fire and Damp-Heat conditions. It is contraindicated in case of Spleen/Stomach weakness, especially for use alone, and should be used in such cases only with caution in a balanced formula. It is a strongly acting herb with the potential to damage the body (the Spleen/Stomach system) when used inappropriately.

 

Bupleurum (Chai Hu) is a cool herb that relieves Liver Qi stagnation. It is also useful when external pathogens are trapped between the surface and the interior, which is known as a Shaoyang condition. It guides such trapped pathogens outwards to be released at the surface.

 

These two herbs would work well for someone suffering from Liver Fire due to Liver Qi stagnation, which is likely what the author suffered from since she had a good response to them. For someone with her condition, Dang Gui, Ren Shen (Ginseng), and Gan Cao (Licorice) would not be appropriate, since they are all warm and tonifying, which would exacerbate the internal fire and increase Qi stagnation. Of those three, only Dang Gui has any moving property, and it moves Blood, not Qi. Qi stagnation is usually described as the initial organ disharmony in excess conditions of the Liver. Therefor the immediate root of most excess Liver conditions is Qi stagnation, and not Blood stasis. Blood stasis may result from Liver Qi stagnation, but treating it is only addressing one of the branches and not the root.

 

The author may have a point about plant estrogens exacerbating her symptoms, but her history can also be understood in TCM terms without much difficulty. It might not be the best thing to generalize about all Liver conditions or women's menstrual issues based upon her experience.

 

I guess this is an example of how we don't need to understand something intellectually in order to follow our experience and intuition toward better health. Though it might be best if we don't then decide to tell everyone that our way is the way for them too.

[mat black]

All very valid, and necessary points Todd.

 

I look at the article as providing info on the various roles that the liver plays within the body and examples of how liver disarmonies might manifest

 

Maybe she generalised too much, but if we look at them as 'maybes', then at least, the liver can become one area of consideration for a person.