The Yang Ming layer is the closing layer of the Yang gate. It is made up of the Large Intestine Channel and Stomach Channel. These channels circulate along the front part of the body.
Yang Ming is a movement of descending, closing inward, interiorizing.
Yang energy must descend from the surface and interiorize. If external pathogenic energy has penetrated to Yang Ming, the descending movement can be blocked. If descent does not occur, heat remains at the exterior. In this case we have two pathological characteristics:
- Non-descent: manifests in the Fu (Stomach and Large Intestine). Constipation, food accumulation.
- Blazing heat: manifests in the channel
The Yang Ming pattern corresponds in the Eight Principles to a Full, Heat, Interior pattern.
Symptoms of Yang Ming
Great fever, great thirst, great sweating. The three "great". Also the pulse is "great" because it is ample.
- Red face
- High fever, much heat
- Body and head sweating
- Headache in the frontal zone, the eyes
- Thirst, prefers cold drinks
- Dry throat
- Constipation significant or yellow foul-smelling liquid defecation and burning sensation.
- Abdominal pain and distension that rejects palpation: the impure does not evacuate.
- Heat in Yang Ming can affect the Shen and cause mental restlessness and delirium. (For example delirium with high fever).
- Red tongue with yellow coating (can be blackish cooked if there is fire), can be dry with cracks if much body fluid has been lost.
- Strong and deep pulse, ample.
Treatment
Disperse, purge, help descent.
Large Intestine Channel Yang Ming pattern:
- Disperse: GV-14, LI-4 (clear heat), LI-11 (clear heat) or Gua Sha downward (scrape the channel). Lowers fever faster than antipyretics.
- ST-41, ST-44, ST-8, LI-2
- Shao Yang Layer can help descend Yang Ming: GB-20 + TE-5
Note: in babies, children with constipation are treated with Gua Sha with the finger from the lumbar region toward the coccyx. If there is diarrhea the movement is done upward.
Fu pattern: food accumulation, constipation