The information provided here is not a replacement for a doctor. You shouldn't use it for the purpose of self-diagnosing or self-medicating but rather so you can have a more informed discussion with a professional TCM practitioner.
In Chinese Medicine, spasm of the gastrocnemius muscle is sometimes associated with Damp-Heat in the Lower Burner, a so-called "patterns of disharmony". Chinese Medicine sees the body as a system, not a sum of isolated parts. A "pattern" is when the system's harmony is disrupted. It is not equivalent to the Western concept of "disease" because both concepts arise from totally different ways of seeing the human body.
To understand whether someone's spasm of the gastrocnemius muscle might be caused by the pattern Damp-Heat in the Lower Burner, one needs to look for signs and symptoms associated with the pattern beyond what one might typically experience from spasm of the gastrocnemius muscle alone. Indeed if spasm of the gastrocnemius muscle is caused by Damp-Heat in the Lower Burner, patients also experience symptoms such as scanty and yellow urine, lower back pain, weakness of the lower extremities and red and swollen feet.
We've listed below a more detailed description of Damp-Heat in the Lower Burner so that you can have a better understanding of where spasm of the gastrocnemius muscle might find its root according to Chinese Medicine.
Once identified, patterns are often treated using herbal formulas. Drinking herbal infusions is the most common remedy in Chinese Medicine, together with acupuncture. Here we detail below Er Miao San, a formula that can help treat Damp-Heat in the Lower Burner.
The Triple Burner is a so-called "Fu" Organ. Learn more about the Triple Burner in Chinese Medicine
Tongue coating: Sticky coating
Recommended herbal formula: Er Miao San
Symptoms: Lower back pain Red and swollen feet Red and swollen knees Scanty and yellow urine Sores on the lower extremities Weakness of the lower extremities Thick yellow smelly vaginal discharge
Spasm of the gastrocnemius muscle might be due to Damp-Heat in the Lower Burner if the condition is paired with typical pattern symptoms such as scanty and yellow urine, lower back pain, weakness of the lower extremities and red and swollen feet.
The top herbs in Er Miao San are Phellodendron Bark (Huang Bo) and Black Atractylodes Rhizomes (Cang Zhu)
Source date: 1481 AD
Number of ingredients: 2 herbs
Key actions: Expels Dampness from the Lower Burner. Drains Heat from the Lower Burner.
Because it is a formula often recommended to help treat Damp-Heat in the Lower Burner, a pattern sometimes associated with spasm of the gastrocnemius muscle. If it looks like you might suffer from Damp-Heat in the Lower Burner, this formula might help (although please seek confirmation with a professional practitioner beforehand).
Scanty and yellow urine Lower back pain Weakness of the lower extremities Red and swollen feet Red and swollen knees Thick yellow smelly vaginal discharge Sores on the lower extremities