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Healing Presence Energy Balancing is a unique integration of healing techniques and intuitive invitations. It has evolved over years of joyous living, learning and healing facilitation. Formal trainings in Biodynamic CranioSacral Balancing, Energy Medicine, Creative Visualization and EFT compliment her twenty plus years of journeying inward to self-awareness and personal healing.
Diabetes from a Traditional Chinese Medicine viewpoint
Diabetes Mellitus
Definition
In ancient China, the word “diabetes” did not exist. However, an early definition of the illness can be found in the medical classic Huang Di Nei Jing (The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine) written during the Han dynasty (approx. 200 BC). Diabetes was defined by the following symptoms xiao ke and fei xiao, which translate into excessive drinking, and ge xiao and xiao zhong, which mean excessive eating. According to this book, additional clues to the disease include excreting large amounts of urine with sugar in it and weight loss. Ancient Chinese people also thought it was caused by improper diet and mainly affected the upper class. The diabetes sufferer as follows: “When, a person has eaten too much greasy and sweet food, the body produces dry-heat evils which causes qi to stay in the middle-burner of the body until finally the qi flows upward and spills over resulting in diabetes.” The “Efficacious Formulae Recorded from Antiquity to the Present,” penned by medical practitioner Zhen, Li-yan during the Sui dynasty (AD 589~618), wrote that diabetes patients usually suffer from the following symptoms: “Frequent thirst that leads to excessive drinking, excessive urination, and urine that is sweet and without fat.”
Diabetes is generally attributed to a deficiency of body fluids and the excessive accumulation of dry or heat evils inside the body. Dry and heat evils come from external environmental sources such as an improper diet and are transformed internally into disease causing factors such as a kidney yin deficiency. Dry and heat evils trigger certain organs in the body to react negatively. The organs most affected are the lung, stomach and kidney.
The Lungs: The lungs are responsible for the transformation and movement of water in the body. Dry-heat hurts the lungs and causes body fluid to flow straight down freely without being distributed to the rest of the body. This results in frequency in urination, thirst and excessive drinking, which are all symptoms of diabetes.
The Stomach: The stomach is a reservoir for food and drink. An intense stomach fire is caused by dry-heat which damages the stomach. As a result, the metabolic rate rises and triggers an increase in appetite and constipation. An increase in appetite is also another hallmark symptom of diabetes.
The Kidneys: Since the kidneys control water metabolism, deficiency of the kidney-yin and “virtual fire” (the heat developed inside the body by a relative excess of yang) creates dry and heat evils. This damages the “vaporization” function and results in the kidneys’ failure to separate turbid water, which will be turned into urine and clean water, which is reused by the body. It also affects the opening and closing of the bladder. The end result is an excessive amount of urine, urinary frequency and the production of urine with traces of sugar.
Understanding water metabolism from a TCM perspective
In Western medicine diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder that occurs when there is a chronically high level of glucose (sugar) in the blood caused by a deficiency or complete lack of insulin. The insulin deficiency and high glucose levels cause serious damage to the body over time if left untreated and in severe cases may cause death.
This Western understanding of diabetes is not present in TCM. Its diagnosis is based on the clinical symptoms of diabetes such as excessive thirst, hunger and urination, which may or may not be accompanied by sudden weight loss. Depending on each individual’s symptoms, it is further classified into four types of disharmony patterns discussed in the diagnosis section. Even though two people may be diagnosed with diabetes from a western perspective, these individuals may present with two different disharmony types from a TCM perspective and thus will be treated differently.
Causes
The primary causes of diabetes are detailed below.
1. Congenital Deficiency
Individuals born with a congenital deficiency are genetically susceptible to this disease. Dysfunction of the lungs and kidneys affects the water metabolism in the same way dysfunction of the spleen and stomach affects digestive power. In turn, these organs cannot function properly and diabetes is caused by the mechanisms listed in the definition section.
2. Improper Diet
Over-consumption of greasy food and alcohol drinks may impair the stomach and the spleen, which in turn fail to transform and transport these substances into nutrition for the body. The undigested food then accumulates and transforms into heat and dryness evils, and consumes the body fluid, which causes thirst and excessive drinking.
3. Emotional Disorders
Over stimulation of emotions may spark stagnation of vital qi and then transform it into a heat-evil, which consumes the yin-fluid of organs like the lungs and stomach. Symptoms of diabetes occur when the body’s metabolism becomes unbalanced from dysfunction of the lungs and spleen.
4. Tension
Overwork leads to consumption of yin-essence in the kidneys and produces internal fire or heat evils. This accelerates the depletion the nutrients and triggers a rise in metabolic rates, which results in increased appetite but with weight loss. An increased appetite and weight loss are some of the classic symptoms of diabetes.
5. Pleasure Indulgences
Excessive sexual activity can cause over-consumption of kidney essence (a yin-component that includes sperm and egg cells and blood), which leads to a relative excess of yang. When this occurs, a “virtual fire” or a heat evil is created which heats up the lungs and stomach causing organ damage. In turn, these organs cannot function properly and diabetes is caused by the mechanisms listed in the definition section.
6. Drugs
Improperly used drugs used to increase sexual desire can cause heat evils to accumulate in the lower-burner. When individuals consume them for a long time and get older, the kidney yin will become insufficient and cause damage to the kidneys’ “vaporization” function (see the definition section). This damage is one of the causes of diabetes.
Symptoms
TCM practitioners recognize symptoms of diabetes from both a Western and eastern point of view.
Clinical distinction in Western medicine: Type I diabetes occurs in individuals who do not produce any insulin. The onset of Type I diabetes begins at a young age. Clinical symptoms change quickly and become increasingly more serious. Typical signs include excessive and constant thirst, excessive drinking and eating, excreting an excessive amount of urine with sugar in it, and weight loss.
Type II diabetes occurs in individuals who do not have enough insulin or whose insulin does not work properly. The onset of Type II diabetes usually begins in middle or old age. However, the disease may be present in a sub-clinical form for years before diagnosis. The main symptoms are extreme fatigue, dry mouth and excessive thirst. Other symptoms like excessive urination and excessive eating may not be as obvious with this type.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis, the disease can be divided into four types of disharmony patterns:
1. Yin Deficiency and Excessive Heat Type
Symptoms related to this type include thirst for cold drinks, an increased appetite, and dislike of heat and emotional imbalance. Other symptoms include dark urine, constipation, a red tongue with a yellow coating and a pulse that feels rapid and taut or slippery.
2. Deficiency of Qi and Yin Type
Symptoms include shortness of breath, heart palpitations, fatigue and weakness that can lead to reluctance to speak. Additional symptoms include: constant thirst, spontaneous sweating, sweating during sleep, being easily irritable, having trouble sleeping, feeling heat in the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, dark urine and constipation. The tongue appears dry, red and swollen, while the coating is scaled off. The pulse is weak and uneven.
3. Blood Stasis and Internal Obstructed Type
Symptoms include darkened skin, weight loss and malaise, fullness and blurred pain in the chest, numbness or stabbing pain in the limbs which worsens at night. People who suffer from this form of diabetes will also have purple-colored lips, and a tongue that is dark in colour or appears bruised. The tongue will also be covered with a thin white or yellow-coloured coating, or appear dark and bruised. The pulse feels taut or uneven.
4. Deficiency of Yin and Yang Type
Symptoms include a below normal body temperature, aversion to coldness with cold limbs, a pale face, ringing in the ears, weakness in the lower back, occasional fever, sweating at night, impotence or premature ejaculation of sperm. The stool is loose and excessive clear urine is passed. The bulging tongue appears light pink, and is blanketed with a thin white coating or a white greasy fur. The pulse is faint or rapid and uneven. 5. Accumulated Internal Wet Heat Type: The body appears fat and bloated. The mouth is dry and has a bitter taste with foul smelling burps. Other symptoms include itchy skin, yellow and cloudy urine, and loose stool. The tongue appears swollen and is covered with a yellow greasy or turbid yellow greasy fur coating. The pulse feels weak and slippery.
Diagnosis
TCM practitioners diagnosis diabetes according to its clinical symptoms and further characterizes it by the disharmony pattern an individual displays.
In TCM theory, diabetes is characterized by a combination of symptoms below:
Excessive eating
Excessive drinking
Excessive urine
Wasting of body tissues or weight loss
Note: If a TCM practitioner suspects there might be a serious problem that Chinese medicine alone cannot treat, he or she will recommend the individual see a western doctor for further follow up. When an individual experiences severe symptoms like those listed above, it should be taken very seriously, and the appropriate medical care should be sought out preferably in an emergency setting.
Even though diabetes can be diagnosed from the above symptoms, the information gathered from the TCM physical examination is used to determine which type of disharmony pattern an individual has. This is important because at the various stages of a disease, a variety of disharmony patterns are present which require different types of therapy. This is the reason two individuals with the same disease may be treated very differently by their TCM practitioner.
1. Yin Deficiency and Heat Excessive Type
In TCM, yin deficiency commonly refers to a deficiency of yin fluids such as blood and body fluids. Without sufficient nourishment by these fluids, excitatory functions (heat excessive manifestations) become dominant and lead to symptoms of fever, thirst or increased appetite.
2. Deficiency of Qi and Yin Type
Qi can be interpreted as the “life energy” or “life force,” that flows within us. Deficiencies in qi and yin result in organ dysfunction. In diabetes, the most affected organs are the lungs, stomach and kidneys.
3. Blood Stasis and Internal Obstructed Type
This refers to a state where the blood cannot circulate smoothly, and is usually accompanied by qi stagnation. The organs lose nutrients from the blood, which cause symptoms like numbness in the limbs or localized tissue death. For example, people with diabetes may suffer from ulcerations in their legs and feet due to poor blood supply.
4. Deficiency of Yin and Yang Type
The body’s physiological functions (yang) and physical forms (yin) are maintained in constant balance to achieve health. When vital qi is severely deficient for a long time, this type will develop. It is a more general type of deficiency that can occur in many diseases such as diabetes.
5. Accumulated Internal Wet Heat Type
Improper diet is one of the causes of diabetes from a TCM perspective. This impairs the proper functioning of the spleen and stomach, which leads to formation of wet and heat evils. These evils affect the fluid metabolism inside the body, and diabetes symptoms like excessive thirst and hunger can appear.
Diabetes should be differentiated from hyperthyroidism (over-functioning of the thyroid gland)
Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish diabetes from hyperthyroidism since both share similar symptoms. In both conditions there may be the presence of an increased appetite associated with weight loss. Diabetes patients are frequently thirsty, and excrete excessive amount urine with glucose (sugar) present in it. However, people suffering from hyperthyroidism experience irritability, excrete loose yellow stools, and have eyelid retraction and eyeball protrusion. Individuals with this condition may also suffer from a rapid and forceful heartbeat, and swelling of the thyroid gland in the neck. To safely make the distinction, laboratory examinations of the blood and urine can be done to diagnose these two conditions.
Treatment
Even in ancient times, TCM practitioners knew diabetes was a serious life threatening disease if not treated properly. Below lists some of the prescription examples used to treat the different disharmony patterns that occur in diabetes.
Yin Deficiency and Heat Excessive Type
Therapeutic aim: Clears away heat and dry evils, nourishes yin to promote the production of body fluid
Prescription: Xiaoke Fang (for individuals with minor cases)
Huang lian - golden thread
Gau lou gen - snakegourd root
Sheng di huang zhi - juice of fresh rehmannia root
Hua fen - pollen
Ou zhi - juice of fresh lotus root
Ren ru - human milk
Prescription: Wu Zhi Yu Quan Pill (Individuals with severe cases)
Huang lian - golden thread
Zhi mu - common anemarrhena root
Wu mei - dark plum
Gan cai - liquorice root
Ren shen - ginseng
Mai dong - dwarf lilyturf tuber
Wu wi zi - Chinese magnolia vine fruit
Di huang - rehmannia root
Dang gui - Chinese angelica
Hua fen - pollen
Ge gen kudzu - vine root
Lian rou - lotus rhizome node
Ren ru - human milk
Niu ru - cow’s milk
Zhe zhi - sugarcane juice
Li zhi - pear juice
Ou zhi - juice of fresh lotus root
Deficiency of Qi and Yin Type
Therapeutic aim: Invigorates qi and nourishes yin
Prescription: Huang qi decoction (individuals with minor cases)
Huang qi - milkvetch root
Fu ling - Indian bread
Mai dong - dwarf lilyturf tuber
Di huang - rehmannia root
Tian hua fen - snakegourd root
Wu wi zi - Chinese magnolia vine fruit
Gan cao - liquorice root
Prescription: Di Huang Drink (Individuals with severe cases)
Ren shen - ginseng
Huang qi - milkvetch root
Tian mai dong cochin - Chinese asparagus root
Shi hu - dendrobium
Pi pa ye - loquate leaf
Ze xie - oriental water plantain root
Zhi qiao - orange fruit
Sheng shu di - rehmannia root
(processed & unprocessed)
Blood Stasis and Internal Obstructed Type
Therapeutic aim: Invigorates qi, enriches the blood and removes obstruction in the meridian channels
Prescription: Bu yang hai wu Decoction
Huang qi - milkvetch root
Gui wei - Chinese angelica root (tail)
Chis hao - red peony root
Tao ren - peach kernel
Hong hua - safflower
Di long - earthworm
Chuan xiong - Szechwan lovage root
Deficiency of Yin and Yang Type
Therapeutic aim: Nourishes yin and warms yang
Prescription: Lu Rong Pill
Huang qi - milkvetch root
Ren shen - ginseng
Mai dong dwarf - lilyturf tuber
Wu wi zi - Chinese magnolia vine fruit
Xuan shen - figwort root
Shu di - processed rehmannia root
Yu ru - dogwood fruit
Lu rong - hairy antlers of young stag
Po gu zhi - malaytea scurfpea fruit
Ru cong rong - desert living cistanche
Di gu pi - Chinese wolfberry root-bark
Fu ling - Indian bread
Huai hiu xi - achyranthes root
Eat a balanced diet.
A classic Chinese medical text says: “Cereal is the foundation of the basic diet, meat provides protein and fat which is very useful, fruits can promote the digestion of food, and vegetables provide suitable supplements.” This ancient diet recommendation matches the modern day dietary management of diabetes, which is to eat a balanced diet with low sugar and fat intake.
Exercise regularly.
A nutritious diet and adequate exercise play important roles in diabetes. Daily exercise should be encouraged in order to promote the utilization of glucose (sugar) by the body tissues and decrease the body’s insulin requirement.
Live a balanced life.
Long hours at work and a stressful and fast-paced environment can make people more susceptible to illness. As a result living a balanced life mixed with both work and pleasure can help the brain and body to stay healthy and may help to lessen the severity of the diabetes or prevent diabetes onset.
Be aware of family medical history and conditions that increase the risk of getting diabetes.
Individuals with a history of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity in their family should be aware that these conditions could predispose them to getting diabetes. Additionally, individuals who already have risk factors such as high blood pressure and who are obese should regularly have their blood sugar level checked by their doctor to make sure they have not developed the disease.
Please consult www.shen-nong.com or email
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for further information about traditional Chinese medicine and other health topics.
17th – 26th November
by Jennifer Eagleton 
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