Jue Disease Symptoms and Treatments in TCM

The Yellow Emperor asked: “Why does Jue disease manifest as both cold and heat?”
Qi Bo replied: “When Yang Qi gradually weakens in the feet, it leads to cold Jue; when Yin Qi weakens in the feet, it leads to heat Jue.”

The Yellow Emperor asked: “Why does heat Jue always begin in the feet?”
Qi Bo explained: “Yang Qi flows along the outer side of the little toe, gathering in the foot and concentrating at the sole. When Yang Qi is dominant, the feet become warm.”

The Yellow Emperor asked: “Why does cold Jue always begin at the little toe and ascend to the knees?”
Qi Bo responded: “Yin Qi starts at the inner side of the little toe, accumulating in the knees and concentrating at the knee joint. When Yin Qi predominates, cold rises from the little toe and moves upward to the knees. This cold is not external, but rather results from internal Yang deficiency, causing cold to rise.”

The Yellow Emperor asked: “How does cold Jue form?”
Qi Bo answered: “The Front Yin is where all the tendons converge, and it is the meeting place of the Taiyin Spleen Meridian and the Foot Yangming Stomach Meridian. Generally, in spring and summer, Yang Qi is abundant and Yin Qi is sparse, while in autumn and winter, Yin Qi is strong and Yang Qi weakens. People prone to cold Jue often have a robust constitution, but during the autumn and winter, when Yang Qi has weakened, they overindulge in sexual activity, causing Yin Qi to rise and clash with the Yang. This results in the Yang failing to store within the body, leading to Qi leakage. As Yin cold rises, it causes cold Jue. Cold evil accumulates in the body, and Yang Qi progressively weakens, failing to circulate through the meridians, leaving the hands and feet cold.”

The Yellow Emperor asked: “How does heat Jue form?”
Qi Bo replied: “When alcohol enters the stomach, it fills the vessels with blood, but the meridians become empty. The spleen’s role is to assist the stomach in distributing fluids. Excessive alcohol consumption depletes the spleen, causing Yin deficiency. When Yin is deficient, Yang becomes dominant. This imbalance disrupts the stomach Qi, weakening the essence of food and fluids. As a result, the limbs lack nourishment. The patient’s condition is caused by habitual drunkenness, overeating, and sexual indulgence, which weaken the kidney Qi. With insufficient vital energy, heat rises internally, causing the body to feel hot, accompanied by red, scanty urine. Due to the internal heat, the hands and feet become warm.”

The Yellow Emperor asked: “Some cases of Jue disease cause abdominal fullness, while others cause sudden loss of consciousness, and the patient may not recognize anyone for half a day or even a full day. What is the reason behind this?”
Qi Bo explained: “When Yin Qi predominates in the upper body, the lower body becomes deficient, leading to abdominal distension. When Yang Qi predominates in the upper body, the evil Qi moves upward in reverse, causing confusion. This disruption of Yang Qi can lead to sudden loss of consciousness.”

The Yellow Emperor said: “Well explained! I would now like to hear about the symptoms of Jue disease in the Six Meridians.”

Qi Bo explained: “When the Taiyang meridian suffers from Jue disease, it causes a sensation of heaviness in both the head and feet, rendering the feet immobile and causing dizziness and confusion. When the Yangming meridian is affected by Jue disease, it manifests as seizures, causing the person to walk erratically, shout loudly, experience abdominal distension, and be unable to lie down. If the patient lies down, their face becomes red, their body heats up, and they may hallucinate or speak incoherently. When the Shaoyang meridian is affected, it leads to sudden deafness, swelling in the cheeks, chest heat, pain in the sides, and an inability to move the thighs. The Taiyin meridian’s involvement causes abdominal bloating, poor digestion, a lack of appetite, vomiting after eating, and restlessness. When the Shaoyin meridian is affected, the symptoms include a dry tongue, red urine, abdominal bloating, and heart pain. If the Jueyin meridian is affected, it results in lower abdominal pain and swelling, bloating, urinary retention, a tendency to curl up during sleep, shrinking of the genitals, and heat in the inner sides of the legs.

For the treatment of these conditions, a patient with a strong constitution should be treated with purging methods, while those with a weak constitution should be treated with tonifying methods. If the patient is neither too strong nor too weak, acupuncture should be applied to the main points of the affected meridian.”

Qi Bo continued: “For Taiyin meridian Jue, the patient will experience leg cramps and heart pain radiating to the abdomen; the treatment should focus on the main meridian. For Shaoyin meridian Jue, the patient will experience abdominal fullness, vomiting, and watery diarrhea; treat the main meridian. For Jueyin meridian Jue, symptoms include muscle spasms, back pain, urinary retention, and delirium; again, treat the main meridian.”

He went on: “When the Taiyang meridian suffers from Jue, the patient may faint and experience frequent nosebleeds; treatment should focus on the main meridian. For Shaoyang meridian Jue, joint and bone stiffness, limited movement of the lower back, and neck rigidity may occur. If complicated by intestinal abscesses, the condition becomes difficult to treat. If the patient is startled, death may follow.

When the Yangming meridian is affected by Jue, the patient will experience shortness of breath, coughing, fever, anxiety, nosebleeds, and vomiting blood.

For Hand Taiyin meridian Jue, the symptoms include fullness in the chest and abdomen, coughing, and frequent expectoration of phlegm. Treatment should focus on the main meridian. For Hand Pericardium and Hand Shaoyin meridians Jue, the symptoms include heart pain extending to the throat; if the body heats up, the condition may be fatal and cannot be treated. For Hand Taiyang meridian Jue, the symptoms include deafness, watery eyes, an inability to turn the head, and difficulty bending the waist; the main meridian should be treated. For Hand Yangming and Hand Shaoyang meridians Jue, the patient may suffer from throat blockage, swollen throat, and neck stiffness; treat the main meridian.”