When analyzing symptoms in Saam, it helps to look at the elemental and directional aspects of that symptom: too fast/too slow, too hot/too cold, too up/too down, too full/too empty, too dry/too wet, too outward/too inward, too held together/too falling apart. Identifying these elements will bring you back to the channel archetypes. Acid reflux is too much up. Prolapse is too much down. Bloating is too full on the inside. Hemorrhoids are too much down but also a pooling of blood and fluids. (It is important to know if they are itching or bleeding) Heartburn is impairment of circulation in the chest. Sparkler/burning feelings in the legs is impairment of circulation in the legs. The burning sensation can be a red herring- it isnât necessarily heat unless the area feels hot (subjectively or objectively) or looks red. Bleeding is blood coming out. Fissures are compromised exterior.
After looking at the quality of the symptom in isolation, you have to look at the overall environment of the patient that could create those symptoms. For prolapse, is excess internal damp pushing the organ down or is the patient a light SJ excess without the density of tissues to hold his/her organs up or is the patient just falling apart SI excess? Or all of the above?
It is also really important to identify what channels and organs are involved. Prolapse where? Neurological symptoms in which channels? Whichever channels you ID, you must consider that channel and its counterbalancer.
What channels do you come up with now?
I am not going to go through all of the symptoms because they have been discussed on the forum before. Using the search function at the top right of the page will bring up lots of information fast on symptoms and topics. The forum has been very active for well over a year now, so there are lots of great discussions and cases. Spoiler alert: all channels can be considered for neuropathy- you really have to look at the patient and the symptom to narrow down the possibilities.
I really recommend looking at the Case Study Format for tools for learning Saam and helping to see your patient better through Saam eyes. Please follow the principles if you decide to present a case on the forum.
Iâm not seeing anything in this symptom that says blood xu or blood stasis with this symptom. The heart is beating too fast and it is worse with movement. There are lots of potential explanations here. You are really going to have to look at the overall condition of the patient to figure it out.
This sounds like a potential mis-treatment. Did you take out the needles and treat with the counterbalancer?
Good thinking.
Could ST excess potentially explain the symptom? Yes, Stomach excess is damp outside/dry inside. You can also look at the St/Lung pairing as how the body stores and lets go of resources. Lung excess has a great capacity for drawing in and storing resources, including qi. By contrast, Stomach excess has a hard time holding onto resources, including qi. If the patient looks really deflated and is having a hard time drawing in and storing qi, consider Stomach excess.
