Heart Qi Deficiency

TCM Diagnostic Pattern

Heart Qi Deficiency TCM Pattern Connections

Below you will find various relationships to the concept of and potential approaches for heart qi deficiency.

Heart Qi Deficiency is one of many possible underlying factors from a TCM perspective for health issues such as anemia, angina, arrhythmia (palpitations), cardiomyopathy (dilated), congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, diabetes type ii, forgetfulness, heat stroke, impotence (erectile dysfunction), insomnia, myocardial infarction, neurasthenia, palpitations, and/or systemic lupus erythematosus (sle).

The above issues are common examples. In clinical situations, however, there are any number of other possibilities. Many times there will be a layered combination of issues intermixed from a variety of causal patterns in TCM terms. While initially complex, this is illustrative of the the web of relationships that Chinese Medicine is designed to approach.

General TCM Diagnostic Signs

Tongue: Pale, possibly a midline crack down to the tip.
Pulse: Empty.

Treatment approaches are often akin to unravelling an onion, with the goal of resolving the root factor involved in the constellation of resulting issues. The current and historical array of issues and signs must be taken into consideration as well as the timing of the onset of each individual aspect.

Related Acupuncture Protocols

When developing an acupuncture protocol a practitioner is very often focusing on the causal diagnoses in Chinese Medicine terms, not on the condition itself. To guide you towards treatment potentials, heart qi deficiency is referenced in the following acupuncture protocol sections:

Related Acupuncture Points

Some acupuncture points are considered "empirically" related to a specific diagnostic patter or condition. While this would rarely, if ever, dictate the entire composition of a treatment, the following points should be considered, possibly even more so within the context of acupressure:

  • View EX Huatuojiaji at T5 (Sides of Spine at T5)

        .5 cun lateral to the lower border of the spinous processes of T5

        T5 influences the heart and pericardium systems - in the tam healing system the left side is more for heart issues and the right is more for pericardium issues.  A range of psychoemotional issues, depression, anxiety, etc. as well as cardi…
  • View HT 7 (Spirit Gate)

        At the wrist crease, on the radial side of the flexor carpi ulnaris tendon, between the ulna and the pisiform bones.

        Tonify deficiencies of the HT Qi, Blood, Yin and Yang. Emotional issues, especially those with related sleep or thinking manifestations - insomnia, muddled thinking. Heart and Phlegm fire leading to insomnia, anxiety, mania. Physical re…
  • View UB 14 (Jue Yin Shu (Pericardium Shu))

        1.5 cun lateral to the GV line, level with T4.

        For all heart conditions: palpitations, anxiety, stress, etc. Combine with PC 6 to open the chest (as in the case of plum pit qi).  This chest pain can be psycho-emotional (i.e. liver/heart system related in Chinese Medicine terms), or it …
  • View UB 15 (Heart Shu)

        1.5 cun lateral to GV 11, level with T5.

        Main point for all heart related issues from a TCM perspective, blood and circulatory related issues of an excess or deficient nature. Nourishes the spirit and calms the shen - main point for all heart related emotional issues: palpitatio…

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