Daniel: April 21, 2020, 2:30pm
Here is a kind of scenario I see fairly regularly where I am located. This is not a specific patient, but certainly a
common scenario . . . . .
‘Nail Fungus’ – and quite severe – so not just yellow toenails, but quite yellow and underneath the nails at the edge,
a thick layer of yellow, scaly, flaky ‘material’ between the outer nail and the nailbed flesh.
Chronic, thick, dark ear wax.
I see this as an interesting and challenging scenario along the Damp-Dry spectrum we so often talk about.
Its clearly an accumulation of dampness for sure.
But it has congealed so much, it has become a ‘dry dampness’
often these patients have considerable chronic underlying frustrations in life
so I am presuming this has yielded so much heat and stagnation
that the dampness has congealed and dried up over a long term
so, then OUR challenge in the Sa’Am context is . . . .
do we dry dampness?
or
do we moisten the dampness?
do we ‘toggle’ those two
or do we do neither and more fundamentally attend to the frustration
by moving Qi (which might actually be a GB supplementation!) and cooling the Heat ( which might be a Liver
supplementation).
thoughts on this kind of scenario in the Sa’Am context?
KristinWisgirda: April 21, 2020, 5:35pm
Sometimes quality… and sometimes channel. Nail fungus often starts at the big toe. So many channels pass
through Hall. Taking the Dr Neal’s NJ course brought to my awareness that the Lower Shao Yang Mai “passes
through” the nail of the big toe and the Lower Yang Ming Mai “enters the space between the first and (second) toes
and emerges from the tip (of the big toe).” Just considering channel location of the big toe brings 8 possible
treatments into consideration.
With a peripheral problem such as nail fungus, there is always the question of why the area isn’t getting nourished
so that the fungus is able to take over. Is it a blockage or deficiency? And of what?
Same thing with the ear wax, is it a systemic or local problem? So many channels go to the ear, too!23/01/2024, 12:19Congealed ‘Dry’ Damp – Sa’am Clinical Questions – Qiological Community
https://forum.qiological.com/t/congealed-dry-damp/992/print2/2
Looks like just about any of the 12 channels could be used for either situation. Again.
KristinWisgirda: April 22, 2020, 12:42pm
On second thought: maybe not all 12 channels. If these “dry damp” gunky situations are the chief complaint, the
consolidation of K+ is the least appropriate strategy.
michaelmax: May 12, 2020, 6:17am
KristinWisgirda:
maybe not all 12 channels. If these “dry damp” gunky situations are the chief complaint, the consolidation of
K+ is the least appropriate strategy.
I was thinking because of the stagnation that SI could be part of the “toggling” mix.
Those situations where there is both dampness and yin deficiency are tricky. Certainly from the herbal perspective
we often look to moisten, as the body will then be free to use the proper physiologically useful fluids to wash away
the gunk. I know we don’t talk here, but so often I’ve found the herbal principles I’ve learned to be completely
applicable here.