TCM Dictionary - Search Explorer
The TCM Dictionary is massive, so the fastest way to find something is to search. As an example, try a search for 'liver qi'. The more obscure the TCM concept, the better. The dictionary combines terms, definitions, medications, and acupuncture prescriptions.
There are 74 terms starting with "U"
ulceration
Synonyms: wind ulceration of the eyelid rim.
A disintegration of the skin (including what is known in modern medicine as mucosa) that easily suppurates; erosion. Compare putrefaction.
ulceration of the eyelid rim
Synonyms: umbilical damp swelling.
Erosion of palpebral margin with itching, soreness, and, in severe cases, loss of eyelashes. Attributable to damp-heat brewing in the spleen and stomach contending with subsequently contracted wind.
Medication: Dispel wind, clear heat, and eliminate dampness. Treatment depends on evil prevalence. If dampness is predominant, use Dampness-Eliminating Decoction. If wind prevails, use Bupleurum Powder. If heat prevails, use Three Yellows Heart-Draining Decoction. Eg
Acupuncture: Moxa Thumb Bone Hollow, Little Finger Bone Hollow, and GB-20 (Wind Pool), or needle with drainage.
umbilical damp
Synonyms: umbilical damp swelling.
A condition of wetness of and possible exudation from the umbilicus, sometimes with redness and swelling of the surrounding area after the umbilical cord has been shed. Umbilical damp is attributed to the invasion of water-damp due to improper care after removal of the cord.
Medication: Disperse toxin. Dab dragon bone (Mastodi Ossis Fossilia) or calcined oyster shell (Ostreae Concha Calcinata), and smithsonite (Smithsonitum) onto the affected area.
umbilical damp swelling
umbilical sores
Synonyms: pursed mouth.
From The Origin and Indicators of Disease. A condition that usually develops from umbilical damp. In mild cases, there is redness and swelling of the umbilicus; in severe cases, there is ulceration spreading all around the umbilicus exuding pus and water, and attended by heat~effusion, vexation and agitation, red lips and dry mouth.
Medication: Treat by clearing heat and resolving toxin, assisted by coursing wind and relieving itch. Apply Indigo and Gold Powder. In severe cases, administer Five-Ingredient Toxin-Dispersing Beverage.
umbilical wind
Synonyms: navel.
Lockjaw in neonates. Umbilical wind is characterized by clenched jaws, arched-back rigidity, and a peculiar grimace. In severe cases, facial complexion is green-blue, and there is hasty breathing. Attributable to unhygienic treatment or premature shedding of the umbilical cord. This disease has been almost largely eliminated by modern delivery methods.
umbilical-level effusion
An effusion, (a large welling-abscess or flat-abscess), at the level of the umbilicus.
umbilicus
Synonyms: vacuous yang floating upward.
The scar left by the umbilical cord.
unconstrained vacuous yang
unctuous strangury
Strangury with urine like rice water (water that rice has been washed in), snivel (nasal mucus), or animal fat. Distinction is made between vacuity and repletion. Vacuity patterns are usually attributed to spleen-kidney vacuity and are characterized by mild pain and absence of burning sensation, limp aching lumbus and knees, dizziness and tinnitus, shortness of breath, and fatigue.
Medication: Supplement the spleen and kidney and promote astriction/ Use Center-Supplementing Qi-Boosting Decoction, Six-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill, or Cuscuta Seed Pill. Clearing and transform damp-heat and separate the clear and eliminating the turbid. Use formulas
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on the three yin channels of the foot and the alarm and back transport points of BL (CV-3 and BL-28). Main points: BL-28 (Bladder Transport), CV-3 (Central Pole), SP-9 (Yin Mound Spring), LR-2 (Moving Between), and KI-3 (Great Ravin
unfavorable measles pattern
Any manifestation of unfavorable turns in the development of measles that result from right vacuity and evil repletion in measles, e.g., signs such as inhibited eruption of papules, immediate disappearance of papules after eruption, or a dull purple coloration of the macules, signs such as vigorous heat~effusion, acute cough, rapid breathing with phlegm rale, flared nostrils and raised chest, green-blue or purple lips, and surging racing pulse. Such signs as a whole indicate heat toxin attacking the lung. Blackish purplish macules forming patches, and a dry crimson tongue with prickles indicate toxin penetrating construction-blood. Clouded spirit and tetanic reversal with convulsions indicate evil toxin falling inward to the pericardium. A somber white complexion with dull pale macules lacking a red flush with clouding spleen, limb reversal, white glossy tongue fur, and a faint sunken pulse indicate vacuity of original qi preventing the outthrust of evil. Also falling within the scope of unfavorable measles patterns are: a)~the early disappearance of macules; b)~the sudden disappearance of macules as they are erupting; c)~failure of macules to disappear within the usual period with continuing vigorous heat~effusion; d)~the appearance of vigorous heat~effusion, cough, and diarrhea after the papules have disappeared.
Medication: A general formula is Ephedra, Apricot Kernel, Licorice, and Gypsum Decoction plus fritillaria (Fritillariae Bulbus), trichosanthes seed (Trichosanthis Semen), dried bamboo sap (Bambusae Succus Exsiccatus), scutellaria (Scutellariae Radix), and lycium roo
unfavorable pattern sign
Compare favorable pattern sign.
ungratifying defecation
Defecation that leaves the patient with a feeling that the bowels have not been satisfactorily emptied; occurs in dysentery and other damp-heat patterns and in food stagnation and gastrointestinal accumulation.
ungratifying expectoration
Expectoration that fails to relieve discomfort in the chest; occurs in autumn dryness patterns and phlegm panting.
ungratifying menstruation
Absence of full menstrual flow. See scant menstruation.
ungratifying thought
A state of mind in which thinking is not creative or productive and is associated with dysphoria or unpleasant feelings; observed, for example, in gallbladder heat.
ungratifying urination
A feeling of incomplete urination; sometimes observed, for example, in binding depression of liver qi (see dribbling urinary block.)
unidirectional twirling
uninhibited stool
Natural discharge of stool. The opposite of difficult defecation.
uninhibited urination
Normal voidings of urine.
united brightness of two yang
The yang brightness channel. Yang brightness is the final stage in the development of yang qi, and is a continuation of greater yang and lesser yang and thus represents their combined radiance. See opening, closing, and pivot.
uniting point
unlike treatment of like disease
Using different methods to treat the same disease manifesting in different patterns in different people, in different places, or at different times. See determining treatment by patterns identified; act(ion) according to time, place, and person; principle of treatment.
unprocessed
(Of medicinals) not having been subject to processing of any kind, especially any that involves heating; uncooked.
unquiet sleep
Inability to achieve a deep unbroken sleep. Unquiet sleep is observed in construction-aspect and other advanced-stage heat (febrile) disease patterns, gan of the spleen, heart vacuity, blood vacuity, depleted water and flaming fire, and ascendant hyperactivity of liver yang. See also vexation and agitation.
unquiet sleep due to stomach disharmony
From The Inner Canon. Inability to sleep well due to stomach counterflow panting. Unquiet sleep due to stomach disharmony arises when a strong stomach with large intake of food and a weak spleen result in stagnation in the ``stomach domain'' (stomach and intestines) and cause rheum and phlegm to form.
Medication: Harmonize the stomach and dispel phlegm. Use Two Matured Ingredients Stomach-Calming Powder plus acorus (Acori Rhizoma) and pumice (Pumex), or gardenia (Gardeniae Fructus) and coptis (Coptidis Rhizoma). For hard bound stool, use Phlegm-Abducting Decoction
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on HT, CV, back transport points, and ST. Select Alert Spirit Quartet, HT-7 (Spirit Gate), SP-6 (Three Yin Intersection), BL-21 (Stomach Transport), CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), and PC-6 (Inner Pass); needle wit
unstop
unsurfaced heat
Generalized heat~effusion in which heat is felt only by prolonged palpation; mostly due to binding of dampness and heat, where the dampness is blocked on the outside. Since the heat lies deep within the dampness it cannot easily be felt on the surface of the body.
untwining rope pulse
Synonyms: ununited skull.
ununited fontanels
Synonyms: ununited fontanels; retarded closure of the fontanels.
ununited skull
The failure of the bones of the head to join together in infants. The bones of the skull harden at around the age of sixth months, and the anterior fontanel closes between the age of 12--18 months, whereas the posterior fontanel closes between the age of 1-3 months. Ununited skull is attributable to congenital insufficiency and depletion of kidney qi due to insufficiency of essence-blood in the parents. The signs are a taut shiny scalp with green-blue veins, bright white facial complexion, downward turned eyes, and poor mental development.
Medication: Origin-Supporting Powder. Fontanel-Sealing Powder, which comprises biota seed (Biotae Semen), arisaema (Arisaematis Rhizoma), and ledebouriella (Ledebouriellae Radix) in equal proportions, can be mixed with pig's bile and applied on gauze.
Acupuncture: Select BL-23 (Kidney Transport), CV-6 (Sea of Qi), BL-11 (Great Shuttle), SP-6 (Three Yin Intersection), KI-7 (Recover Flow), and ST-36 (Leg Three Li).
unyielding viscus
The liver. See liver is the unyielding viscus.
upbear
rise; raise or cause to rise.
upbearing and stirring
The movement of liver yang. When liver yin-blood (or liver-kidney yin humor) is depleted, upstirring of liver yang is unchecked. The resulting pattern is called ascendant hyperactivity of liver yang.
upbearing fire flush
A flushed complexion due to fire in the organs, e.g., heart fire flaming upward.
upbearing formula
One of the twelve kinds of formula. An example of an upbearing formula is Center-Supplementing Qi-Boosting Decoction, which contains, among others, the upbearing medicinals cimicifuga (Cimicifugae Rhizoma) and bupleurum (Bupleuri Radix) and treats prolapse of the rectum or vagina due to center qi fall.
upbearing medicinals can eliminate downbearing
Upbearing medicinals (i.e., ones that ascend to the upper body and upbear yang) like cimicifuga (Cimicifugae Rhizoma) and bupleurum (Bupleuri Radix) treat qi vacuity fall patterns such as prolapse of the rectum or the vagina. See upbearing formula.
upcast eyes
A condition in which both eyes are fixed in an upturned direction; observed in greater yang expiration patterns. Elementary Questions states, ``The greater yang vessel reaches its end with upcast eyes, arching of the back, and tugging and slackening.'' It is also seen in child fright reversal and reverting yin wind-phlegm obstruction patterns.
upcast yang
From On Cold Damage. A critical disease pattern of true lower body cold and false upper body heat that arises when in debilitation of the lower origin, true yang floats astray and that is characterized by tidal reddening of the cheeks and attributable to vacuous yang floating upward. The tidal reddening is characterized by pale red patches, giving the cheeks the appearance of having been dabbed with rouge. Since the patches often constantly change location, this complexion is often described as a ``floating red'' facial complexion. It is a sign of false heat accompanied by other signs such as nosebleed and bleeding gums, sore swollen throat, and dry mouth. The true cold is reflected in counterflow cold of the lower limbs and long voidings of clear urine, and a moist black tongue fur. The pulse is large and floating, but vacuous and forceless. In severe cases, it is faint and fine, verging on expiration.
upflame
Synonyms: heart fire flaming upward.
flame upward.
upflaming heart fire
Synonyms: liver fire flaming upward.
upflaming liver fire
Synonyms: vacuity fire flaming upward.
upflaming vacuity fire
upfloater
Any medicinal that bears upward or floats, i.e., that acts on the upper body the surface of the body. See bearing.
upflow nausea
Synonyms: upraise.
Desire to vomit either without vomiting or with upflow of clear drool into the mouth. See nausea and vomiting.
uplift
Promote normal upbearing (of spleen qi and lifting prolapsed organs). ``Upbearing eliminates downbearing,'' e.g., center qi fall can be treated with Center-Supplementing Qi-Boosting Decoction, and downward fall of thoracic qi can be treated with Fall-Upbearing Decoction.
uplifting center qi
To treat center qi fall. Center qi, i.e., spleen qi, bears the essence of grain and water (nutrients) upward to the lung, which ensures their distribution to the organs and all parts of the body. When center qi falls, there is enduring diarrhea, prolapse of the rectum and uterus, or inhibited urination. The classic center-qi--uplifting formula is Center-Supplementing Qi-Boosting Decoction.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on back transport points, CV, GV, SP, and ST. Select GV-20 (Hundred Convergences), CV-6 (Sea of Qi), BL-43 (Gao-Huang Transport), ST-36 (Leg Three Li), BL-20 (Spleen Transport), BL-21 (Stomach Transport), SP-3 (Supreme White), and LU
upper body
The upper part of the body (yang) as opposed to the lower body (yin); sometimes specifically denotes the upper burner.
upper body cold and lower body heat
A cold-heat complex in which cold evil is located in the upper body, characterized by aversion to cold, nausea, vomiting, and a white tongue fur, and heat evil in the lower body, characterized by abdominal distention, constipation, and reddish urine. Conditions in which there is a cold-natured disease in the upper body and an unrelated hot-natured disease in the lower, e.g., phlegm-rheum cough and panting in the upper body and heat strangury in the lower body.
upper body heat and lower body cold
A cold-heat complex characterized by the simultaneous presence of a heat pattern in the upper body and a cold pattern in the lower body. Such a complex may arise, for example, as a result of inappropriate precipitation creating a lower body cold pattern of persistent diarrhea with cold limbs, and a slow sunken pulse, and causing damage to liquids that encourages heat evil to rise upward to cause a sore throat and expectoration of yellow phlegm, possibly streaked with blood. Extreme vacuity of kidney yang creating exuberant yin cold in the lower body and causing vacuous yang to float upward to the upper body. See vacuous yang floating upward.
upper burner
The upper part of the triple burner, comprising the heart and lung.
upper burner governs intake
The upper burner is responsible for the intake of air and food.
upper burner is like a mist
Synonyms: lung dispersion;
The heart and lung, the two organs of the upper burner, distribute the nutrients around the body, as a nourishing dew settles from a mist.
upper dispersion
A dispersion-thirst pattern characterized principally by thirst with taking of fluids, attributable to exuberant heart-stomach fire and upper burner dryness-heat.
Medication: Moisten the lung and clear the stomach. Use White Tiger Decoction Plus Ginseng, Dispersion-Thirst Formula, or Ophiopogon and Asparagus Decoction.
Acupuncture: Base treatment mainly on LU and back transport points. Select BL-13 (Lung Transport), LI-4 (Union Valley), LU-10 (Fish Border), CV-23 (Ridge Spring), KI-6 (Shining Sea), and SP-6 (Three Yin Intersection); needle with even supplementation and drainage. See
upper gate tower
Synonyms: clear orifices.
The region above the gate tower, i.e., above the glabella.
upper orifices
The eyes, ears, nostrils, and mouth.
upper transverse bone
The superior margin of the sternum.
upraise
upsurging yellow humor
A condition characterized by the accumulation of yellow fluid in the wind wheel that can lead to protrusion of the eye surface and in some cases cover the pupil. Upsurging yellow humor is attributed to intense fire-heat toxin and is often seen in congealed fat screens or as a result of external injury.
Medication: Clear heat and resolve toxin using variations of Imperial Grace Rhinoceros Horn and Rehmannia Pill.
upturned knife pulse
Synonyms: fetal qi forcing upward.
upward forcing of fetal qi
Synonyms: dribbling urinary block.
urinary block
urinary incontinence
Synonyms: dribbling urinary block.
Involuntary loss of urine, especially in the daytime. Urinary incontinence is involuntary loss of urine during the daytime as opposed to enuresis, which usually denotes loss of urine during sleep. Urinary incontinence most commonly occurs in vacuity patterns, but is sometimes observed in repletion heat patterns.
urinary stoppage
urinary stoppage in pregnancy
From The Origin and Indicators of Disease. Urinary stoppage due to pressure on the bladder in the latter stages of pregnancy; attributed to timidity of center qi or kidney qi vacuity with impairment of qi transformation and movement of water and inhibition of bladder action.
urinary turbidity
Murkiness of the urine unassociated with inhibited urination or pain on urination. When the urine is white like rice water ( gan1, water that rice has been rinsed in), the condition is called white turbidity. When the urine is red, it is called red turbidity.
urinary urgency
Increased frequency or urination; often referred to simply as urgency.
urine
Surplus body fluid discharged from the anterior yin. The production of urine involves the spleen's action of moving and transforming water-damp, the triple burner's regulation of the waterways, and the small intestine's separation of the clear and turbid, and in the final stage by kidney qi transformation. It is passed to the bladder by whose opening and closing action it can be stored and discharged at convenient times. The normal, healthy individual voids from four to six times a day, mostly during the daytime. Urine is usually a pale yellow in color. Changes in color are usually associated with changes in volume (discussed below). Yellow urine or reddish urine, referring to urine darker than normal in color, is associated short scant voidings and indicates heat. Colorlessness of urine is associated with long copious voidings. Bloody urine without heat or pronounced pain may be due to spleen and kidney vacuity, vacuity fire, or damp-heat. Other signs must be correlated for accurate diagnosis. Murkiness of the urine is called urinary turbidity, a distinction being made between red turbidity and white turbidity. Urinary voidings marked by a long lasting stream of clear urine are called long voidings of clear urine, and are a vacuity cold sign. Profuse urination (frequent copious voidings) is a sign of dispersion-thirst when accompanied by thirst, high fluid intake, and weight loss. Short scant voidings are normal in hot weather if fluids lost in sweating are not replaced by adequate fluid intake. Short voidings of reddish urine indicate heat. A gradual reduction of the amount of urine, leading to inhibited urination (scant urine with difficult urination) or dribbling urinary block with generalized puffy swelling is usually yang vacuity water flood arising when kidney yang is debilitated and fails to perform qi transformation and move water. Sudden urinary block (urine retention) together with foul-smelling urine, pain in the bladder, and heat~effusion indicates repletion. Frequent urination with clear urine or even incontinence indicates qi vacuity. Profuse urination at night, frequent urination at night, indicates vacuous kidney yang failing to secure and contain urine. Frequent short voidings of scant urine occurring in pregnancy indicates shifted bladder and is attributable to qi vacuity. Frequent urination, urgency, and painful urination, often with blood or stones in the urine, constitute strangury, which may be the result of qi vacuity, repletion heat, or damp-heat. See also shifted bladder. Enuresis (bedwetting) is usually attributable to insecurity of vacuous kidney qi. Dribble after voiding is a continuing dribble after urination has terminated (patients in such cases being unable to achieve a full stream of urine), and arises most commonly when debilitation of kidney qi leads to failure of the opening and closing action of the bladder. Urinary incontinence is usually due to vacuity and may be seen, for example, in wind stroke desertion patterns.
uterine cold infertility
Synonyms: uterine vessels.
Inability to bear children due to kidney yang vacuity or wind-cold. Uterine cold infertility is usually associated with smaller-abdominal cold, physical cold and cold limbs, and delayed menstruation.
uterine network vessels
Synonyms: pregnancy abdominal pain.
uterine obstruction
Synonyms: uterine network vessels.
Smaller-abdominal pain during pregnancy; attributed to vacuity cold, blood vacuity, or qi depression causing inhibited movement of qi and blood, or blood vacuity depriving the uterine vessels of nourishment.
uterine vessels
Synonyms: womb.
The vessels that supply the uterus, permit menstruation, and nourish the fetus. They include the uterine parts of the thoroughfare and controlling vessels. Elementary Questions states, ``The uterine vessels home to the heart and net the uterus. When the menses come, the uterine vessel close.'' The Magic Pivot states, ``The thoroughfare and controlling vessels start in the uterus.''
uterus
One of the extraordinary organs whose main function is menstruation and childbearing, which are related to kidney essential qi, the thoroughfare and controlling vessels, and the heart, liver, and spleen. Only when there is abundant essential qi can the female reproductive organs develop to maturity, ensuring proper menstruation and adequate conditions for conception and childbearing. In old age, the kidney essential qi grows weak and menstruation ceases; the reproductive function is then lost. Elementary Questions states, ``At the age of seven, the kidney qi of the female is strong, the teeth are replaced, and the hair is long. At the age of two sevens i.e., fourteen, the ``heavenly tenth'' arrives, controlling vessel flows, and the thoroughfare vessel fills, the menses come according to their times, and she can bear offspring... At seven sevens i.e., the age of forty-two, the controlling vessel empties, the thoroughfare vessel weakens, tian2 gui3 is exhausted, the passages of the earth are cut, the body deteriorates, and she can no longer bear children.'' This statement highlights the key role of the essential qi of the kidney (kidney qi) in maintaining normal menstruation and the conditions for childbearing. Both these vessels start from the uterus. The controlling vessel joins with the three yin channels of the foot in the abdomen and regulates all the yin channels of the body. Thus it is sometimes referred to as ``the sea of the yin channels.'' When there is an abundance of blood and qi in the twelve channels, it flows into the thoroughfare and controlling vessels, which control the flow into the uterus, permitting menstruation. Menstruation begins during puberty, when the essential qi of the kidney comes to fullness and the uterus develops. It was traditionally held that before the opening of the controlling vessel and the full development of the thoroughfare vessel, the menses would not start. At the age of about fifty, the thoroughfare and controlling vessels become vacuous as a result of the gradual debilitation of essential qi, causing menstrual irregularity, and finally, menopause. This represents the natural course of development, but disturbance of menstruation may occur at other times, owing to diseases of the thoroughfare and controlling vessels. The blood is governed by the heart, stored by the liver, and commanded by the spleen. The role of these organs with regard to the blood explains their connection with menstruation. If the liver fails to store blood or the spleen fails to command the blood, conditions such as profuse menstrual flow (menorrhagia), shortening of the menstrual cycle, prolonged menstrual periods, or flooding and spotting may occur. Such conditions are known as the liver and spleen failing to store and command the blood. Underproduction of blood resulting from diminished assimilation of the essence of grain and water in spleen vacuity conditions, or heart blood vacuity caused by mental and emotional disturbances, may lead to reduced menstrual flow, prolongation of the menstrual cycle, or even menstrual block, all of which fall under the general term of dual vacuity of heart and spleen. Mental depression may affect the liver's governing of free coursing, causing liver qi depression, which may also disrupt menstruation.
uvula
The fleshy protuberance hanging down at the back of the palate. A disease of the uvula is flying flag wind.