Empty-Wind agitating in the Interior
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.
At a glance
Preliminary reading: What is a pattern? The concept of The four levels theory The concept of Wind The concept of Empty The concept of Interior
Key attributes
Chinese name: 虚风内动 Pinyin name: Xū Fēng Nèi Dòng
Pattern nature: Full
Causes
Precursor patterns: Heat in Pericardium Heat in Nutritive Qi level
Common causes: External pathogenic factor
Diagnosis
Common symptoms: Weight loss Malar flush Listlessness Low-grade fever Tremor of limbs and one other symptoms
Pulse type(s): Rapid (Shu), Fine (Xi)
Tongue description: Dark-Red tongue without coating
Treatment
Treatment principle: Clear Blood-Heat, nourish Liver and Kidney Yin, extinguish Wind.
Common formulas: Zhen Gan Xi Feng Tang
Pathology
This is one of the five patterns of the Blood level, which is the fourth and last level of the Four Levels theory. This means this is a very serious pattern where an External Pathogen has penetrated deeply within the body.
Contrary to Heat victorious stirring Wind, another pattern at this level, here the Wind is Empty in nature. It appears because Heat injured the Yin of the Liver and the Kidneys.
The typical manifestations of Interior Wind are involuntary movements or contractions like, here, the twitching of limbs and the tremors.
Causes
Precursor patterns: Empty-Wind agitating in the Interior can derive from Heat in Pericardium Heat in Nutritive Qi level
External pathogenic factor: The main original cause of Heat in Nutritive Qi level is an Exterior Pathogenic Factor (typically Wind-Heat) that has invaded the Interior and progressed to this level.
Diagnosing Empty-Wind agitating in the Interior
Diagnosing a pattern in Chinese Medicine is no easy feat and should be left to professional practitioners. In particular one has to know how to differentiate between different types of pulses and tongue coatings, shapes and colors as well as learn to read from a long list of seemingly unrelated symptoms.
Pulse type(s): Rapid (Shu) or fine (Xi)
Tongue description: Dark-Red tongue without coating
Main symptoms: Weight loss Malar flush Listlessness Low-grade fever Tremor of limbs Twitching of limbs
Treating Empty-Wind agitating in the Interior
Treatment principle
Clear Blood-Heat, nourish Liver and Kidney Yin, extinguish Wind.
Herbal formulas used to treat Empty-Wind agitating in the Interior
Zhen Gan Xi Feng Tang
Source date: 1918 AD
Number of ingredients: 12 herbs
Key actions: Sedates the Liver. Axtinguishes Wind. Nourishes the Yin. Anchors the yang.
Formula summary
Zhen Gan Xi Feng Tang is a 12-ingredient Chinese Medicine formula. Invented in 1918 AD, it belongs to the category of formulas that pacify and extinguish Internal Wind.
Besides Empty-Wind agitating in the Interior, Zhen Gan Xi Feng Tang is also used to treat Interior Wind or Liver Wind agitating Internally due to Liver Yang Rising.