Now that we have gathered all of the pertinent information from using the 10 questions, we have to analyze it and make sense of it all.

Accurate TCM assessments can be complex, and take years to master so don’t worry if you feel confused at first.  The important thing is to see the bigger picture.

Most important factors to consider: (why it matters)

Is this client constitutionally more excess more deficient?

Is there heat or cold in the body?

Is their chief complaint local, or is there an underlying issue?

Is it a meridian or organ problem?

What meridian is the most important to treat to address this issue?

Accurate assessments bring better outcomes

The more specific we are with the assessment, with clear and accurate information, the greater our outcomes will be.

Eg. A client has a shoulder injury with only moderate heat (inflammation)

Client A  is an overall cold person and has deficient Yang, fatigue, muscle weakness, and is prone to injury.

We realize that the heat/inflammation in the area is significant relative to the rest of the body.  So it could actually be a serious injury, even though it is presenting with less heat than another client with a less serious injury and more local heat. Client A Yang is weak and is simply unable to produce a strong  response.

This can actually inhibit their healing, and in this case we would want to boost their yang (moxibustion, abdominal work, distal warming approaches) so that the body has more energy to heal.

Also, with not a lot of heat, a practitioner can tend to believe that the injury is not severe and treat it more deeply than is appropriate and cause injury

Is it a meridian or organ problem?

If it is an organ problem, our ability to treat with bodywork is more limited.  Having said that, if you master Qi Hacking and using your QEF you may be surprised how much you can help – if not with your own treatments, by understanding the situation you may be able to direct them to make certain changes or suggest other treatments.

If it is an organ problem, it will often manifest on the meridian.  It can present as weakness and vulnerablility on the channel and so it gives us the opportunity to help strengthen the channels and improve the Qi from the outside in.

It also can help to make connections, and manage expectations.  Know that if a client has Chrohn’s disease, you are not going to be able to fix it by treating their Large Intestine Meridian.  It may however help you connect their shoulder pain with the organ problem, and help them manage their shoulder problem with treatment that will benefit the overall system.

What meridian is the most important to treat to address this issue?

By palpating the meridians and performing a thorough assessment, setting your intention, and being able to put the pieces together you should be able to create a clearer picture that can help the client resolve the issue in a more complete way.

If you are able to get a handle on the clients constitutional pattern, you may also be able to guide them toward activities, foods, and choices that are beneficial, and away from things that may work against their constitution.

It can also inform your overall approach. Ie.  If a person is a Fire type or Fire and earth type they may be more open minded and open to considering changes.

If a person is more Water and Wood type, you may find that their condition (and mind) are a bit more difficult to change. If they struggle with dampness and stagnation or Blood Stasis, these conditions are longer lasting and more difficult to treat.

Intention in our treatment

The more clear we can be about our intention in the session, the better our results will be.

This work can be done on a very structural level, or it can be done on a deeply energetic level.  If you want to use the Quantum Energy Field to assist in your treatment outcome, instead of muscling your way through it then you want to be sure that you are connected to the correct energies.

As you practice polarity correction, muscle testing, the microcosmic orbit, and you strengthen your Qi field you will be able to produce more powerful and effective treatments with less and less physical effort. 

You can guide the Qi with your intention, your hands, needles, cups, stones, moxa etc are all tools to facilitate and open the pathways for the process.