POLYNEURITIS, MULTIPLE PERIPHERAL NEURITIIS

Clinical Manifestations
  • A non-traumatic generalized disorder of the peripheral nerves, affecting the distal fibers most severely, with proximal shading (for example, the feet are affected sooner or more severely than the hands), and typically symmetrically; most often affects motor and sensory fibers almost equally, but can involve either one, either solely or very disproportionately; classified as axon degenerating (axonal), or demyelinating; many causes, particularly metabolic and toxic; familial or sporadic.
  • Symptoms:
    Hand paresthesia
    Hand numbness
    Hand pain
    Hand tingling
    Pain of the fingers
    A sensation that one is wearing a glove
    Wrist drop
    Foot paresthesia
    Foot numbness
    Foot pain
    Foot tingling
    Toe pain
    A sensation that one is wearing slippers
    Abnormal gait or deformity
    Loss of muscular force
    Muscular atrophy
    cold limbs
    Dry, cracked skin
    Heart symptoms
    Severe:
    Quadriplegia
    Urinary retention
    Urinary incontinence
    Breathing difficulty
    Difficulty speaking
    Difficulty swallowing
Treatment Principle
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Numbness of the limbs with shooting pain
  • Cold limbs
  • Symptoms are worse with Cold and better with Heat
  • Limping gait
  • Pale or purple skin
  • T: Pale
  • C: Thin and white
  • P: Wiry or Tight
Treatment Principle
  • Expel Wind
  • Dispel Cold
  • Warm the channels
  • Dredge the collaterals
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Numbness and pain of the extremities
  • Joint swelling and pain, especially hands and feet
  • Heaviness of joints
  • Numbness of the joints
  • Stiffness of the joints
  • Fever
  • Heaviness of the body
  • Coldness of the body
  • Dizziness
  • Likes pressure
  • Fatigue
  • Pale complexion
  • Preference for warmth
  • Swelling, pain, numbness and stiffness of the joints
  • Skin cornification
  • T: Pale
  • C: Thick, white or Greasy white
  • P: Thready and slippery
Treatment Principle
  • Dispel Wind and Dampness
  • Benefit Qi
  • Activates Blood circulation
  • Tonify the Blood
  • Warm the Channels
  • Relieves muscular tension
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Gradual onset of flaccidity and weakness of the extremities aggravated by exertion
  • Gradual loss of muscle mass
  • Sallow complexion
  • Facial puffiness
  • Fatigue
  • Lassitude
  • Anorexia
  • No desire for food and drink
  • Frequent belching
  • Borborygmus
  • Loss of sensation of taste
  • Four limbs feel tired and heavy
  • Abdominal and epigastric distention after eating
  • Maybe acid regurgitation or vomiting
  • Loose stools
  • Shortness of breath
  • Urine clear and abundant
  • T: Pale and flabby - may have teethmarks
  • C: White
  • P: Even, forceless and Deficient or Thready and forceless
Treatment Principle
  • Tonify and Strengthen the Spleen and Stomach
  • Augment Qi
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Muscular atrophy
  • Paralysis of the limbs
  • Numbness of the limbs
  • Pale or purple skin
  • Lower back pain
  • Dizziness
  • Fatigue
  • Slight fever or
  • Afternoon fever
  • Heat sensations in the body
  • Night sweats
  • T: Red
  • C: Little or None or Peeled
  • P: Thready, forceless and rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Nourish the Liver and Kidneys
  • Clear Deficiency Heat
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Exhaustion from long-term illness
  • Low energy
  • Lethargy
  • Aversion to Cold
  • Coolness of the extremities
  • Impotence
  • Spermatorrhea
  • Aching and weakness of the lower back and knees
  • Infertility
  • Premature ejaculation
  • Seminal emission
  • Loose stools (sometimes with undigested food)
  • Incontinence of urine
  • Edema of the lower extremities
  • Pale face
  • Spontaneous perspiration
  • Dizziness
  • Enuresis
  • T: Pale
  • P: Deep, slow and weak
Treatment Principle
  • Warm and tonify Kidney Yang
  • Replenish Jing
  • Tonify the Blood
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Lumbago: low back feels cold, weak and aching
  • Feeling chilled
  • Aversion to Cold
  • Cold limbs
  • General debility
  • Pale face
  • Urinary frequency with abundant, clear urine or
  • Oliguria with edema
  • Maybe nocturia
  • Lassitude
  • Withdrawn, subdued behavior
  • Knees feel cold and aching
  • Dizziness
  • Tinnitus
  • Impotence
  • Spermatorrhea
  • Premature ejaculation
  • Low libido
  • Female infertility ("uterus cold and infertile")
  • Maybe anorexia
  • Maybe loose stools
  • Maybe chronic diarrhea or "cock crow" diarrhea
  • T: Pale and swollen
  • C: Thin and white
  • P: Deep and thready - maybe slow
Treatment Principle
  • Warm and Reinforce Kidney Yang
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Anemia
  • Uterine bleeding
  • Cold extremities
  • Pale or sallow face
  • Dizziness
  • General fatigue
  • Coarse skin
  • Nocturnal emissions
  • Weak knees
  • Fatigue
  • Dyspnea
  • Night sweats
  • Irregular menstruation
  • Insomnia
  • Intolerance of Cold
  • Decreased eyesight after a prolonged illness
  • Anxiety
  • Intermittent fever
  • Jaundice
  • Deficient cough
  • Shortness of breath
  • Palpitations
  • Anorexia
  • Listlessness
  • Lassitude
  • Spontaneous sweating
  • Spermatorrhea
  • Continuous spotting
  • Leukorrhea
  • Weak legs and knees
  • T: Pale
  • C: Thin and white
  • P: Thready and weak
Treatment Principle
  • Tonify Qi
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Numbness of the four limbs
  • Weakness
  • Muscular atrophy or
  • Muscular paralysis
  • Reduced appetite
  • Abdominal distention
  • Diarrhea
  • T: Pale
  • C: White
  • P: Thready and forceless
Treatment Principle
  • Activate the Spleen and Stomach
  • Tonify Qi
  • Nourish the Blood
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Copious bleeding of dark purple blood
  • The blood is sticky during menstruation
  • May or may not have clots
  • Menstrual cycle is shortened (early menstruation)
  • Palpitations
  • Dizziness
  • Blurred vision
  • Pale, lusterless complexion
  • Pale nails
  • Abdominal pain
  • Irregular menstruation with little flow
  • Fixed lower abdominal pain
  • Vertigo
  • Tinnitus
  • Pale lips
  • May be amenorrhea
  • Insomnia
  • Menstruation may also be accompanied by distention and pain
  • T: Pale
  • C: Normal
  • P: Thin and weak or Thin and choppy
Treatment Principle
  • Tonify and activate the Blood
  • Regulate Blood circulation
  • Break up Blood Stagnation
  • Regulate menstruation
  • Alleviate pain
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • A constant ache in the lower abdomen that occurs during or just after menstruation
  • The pain responds favorably to pressure
  • Scanty and pale menstrual flow
  • Pale complexion
  • Palpitations
  • Thirst
  • Listlessness
  • Menstrual bleeding that is light in color
  • Lethargy
  • Weak limbs
  • Withdrawn behavior
  • Restlessness
  • Insomnia
  • Sensation of Heat
  • Maybe irritability
  • T: Pale
  • C: Thin
  • P: Thin and frail
Treatment Principle
  • Augment Qi
  • Tonify the Blood
  • Preserve the Blood
  • Nourish Yin
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Numbness
  • Slight swelling of the distal extremities, especially the lower limbs
  • Myalgia
  • Itching
  • Steadily increasing weakness
  • Heaviness of the body
  • Maybe dyspnea
  • Maybe difficulty speaking or swallowing
  • Retention of urine or
  • Urinary incontinence
  • T: Red
  • C: Yellow and greasy
  • P: Slippery and rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Clear Heat
  • Transform Dampness
  • Dredge the collaterals
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Hemiplegia
  • Paralysis
  • Atrophy of the lower limbs
  • Facial paralysis
  • Slurred speech
  • Drooling
  • Dry stools
  • Frequent urination
  • Urinary incontinence
  • Deviation of the eyes and mouth
  • Excess salivation
  • Cold extremities
  • Asthenia
  • T: Normal
  • C: White
  • P: Moderate
Treatment Principle
  • Tonify Qi
  • Activate the Blood
  • Unblock the channels
  • Promote movement in the limbs
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Steaming bone disorder
  • Afternoon fever
  • Tidal fever
  • Night sweats
  • Spontaneous seminal emissions
  • Irritability
  • Heat and pain in the knees (maybe with weakness)
  • Atrophy and weakness of the knees and legs
  • Red face
  • Restless fever
  • Hematemesis
  • Sore knees
  • Sore lower back
  • Maybe hemoptysis
  • May be constant hunger
  • Maybe constipation
  • Hot flashes
  • Restlessness
  • Fidgeting
  • Insomnia with frequent dreams
  • Productive bloody cough
  • Easily angered
  • Nightmares
  • Sore feet with flaccidity
  • Tinnitus
  • Burning sensation over Kidneys
  • Dizziness or vertigo
  • Five Sole Heat
  • Cough
  • T: Red
  • C: Little or None
  • P: Thready, Excess and rapid in the Chi position
Treatment Principle
  • Nourish Yin
  • Descend Fire
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Heat and pain in the joints and muscles
  • Severe limitation of movement
  • Fever and shaking chills
  • Lusterless yellow complexion
  • Scanty, dark urine
  • Pain worse on cloudy or rainy days
  • Arthralgia involving one or several joints
  • Local redness and Heat of the extremities
  • Swelling with excruciating pain
  • Pain better during the day and worse at night
  • Numbness of the muscles
  • Thirst
  • Dryness of the mouth
  • Irritability
  • Muscular atrophy
  • Restlessness
  • Anorexia
  • Desire for Cold drinks
  • Loose stools
  • Aversion to Heat
  • Fullness of the chest
  • Pain improved with Cold and worse with Heat
  • Muscular swelling
  • Muscle redness
  • General heaviness
  • T:Red, maybe flabby
  • C: Yellow and greasy
  • P: Slippery and rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Clear Heat
  • Eliminate Dampness
  • Activate the collaterals
  • Stop pain
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Relatively superficial numbness without pain
  • Paresthesia and numbness of the skin and flesh
  • Paresthesia of the shoulders
  • Neck and shoulder stiffness and pain
  • Abdominal pain alleviated by warmth and pressure
  • Pale complexion
  • Hemiplegia
  • Stiff tongue
  • Flaccidity if the extremities
  • Migratory pain
  • Pain, weakness, tightness or spasms of the extremities
  • Spontaneous sweating
  • Shortness of breath
  • Aphasia
  • Excess salivation
  • Aversion to Wind
  • T: Normal or Thick
  • C: White or Smooth and white or White and greasy
  • P: Faint, choppy and tight or Slightly rough and tight or Large and weak or Slow and large
Treatment Principle
  • Tonify Qi and Blood
  • Warm and harmonize the channels and collaterals
  • Harmonize the Ying and Wei
  • Unblock painful obstruction
  • Warm the Middle Jiao
  • Dispel Cold
  • Alleviate pain
  • Harmonize Yin and Yang
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Flaccidity
  • Atrophy
  • Fever during the initial stage of an illness or
  • Fever followed by weakness, rapidly developing flaccidity and immobility of the extremities with muscular atrophy, and dry skin
  • Low grade fever and Yin impairment
  • Usually lower extremities
  • Dry skin
  • Restlessness
  • Irritability
  • Thirst
  • Cough
  • A dry throat
  • Scanty sputum
  • Scanty, yellow urine
  • Dry stool
  • T: Red
  • C: Yellow and scanty
  • P: Thready and rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Clear Heat from the Lungs
  • Moisten the Lungs
  • Nourish the tendons and bones
Herb Formulas
Points