I am often asked what certain clinical terms mean according to TCM. An example of such a case is as follows: Hey, Doc, when you say Channel, what do you mean? I am now at the point where I just expect to reinterpret my clinical explanation according to my patient’s Western bias.

Stagnation and Deficiency are two of the most frequent TCM clinical terms I am asked to explain or clarify. Most people in the West automatically see stagnation as reflecting a condition whose onset is due to impaired flow. They see deficiency as representing a condition that reflecting insufficiency, defined in its most basic sense.

I have pointed out, in previous blogs, that meaning and even connation associated with certain terms is understood differently by a TCM practitioner. I often have to catch myself when I explain my diagnosis or rational in treatment to my Western patient.

In my experience, stagnation and deficiency are two of the most misunderstood terms, from a clinical standpoint, by my patients. I’ve already stated how most of my patients view these terms. I will now reinforce these misunderstandings by way of clinical cases.

Concerning stagnation, pain cases offer the best opportunity to appreciate this misunderstanding. For most acute pain cases, the TCM diagnosis will almost involve what we term, “blood stagnation”. When my patient hears this, the first thing they think of is the blood not moving. Now, this understanding is not totally wrong. However, it does not encompass the full meaning.

Without getting too involved here, I just ask you to appreciate that I often use “blood stagnation” to support the reasoning behind my main diagnosis. This is the case with deficiency, as well. Most of patients first think that “blood deficiency” refers to their blood being too thin or inadequate.

Again, this understanding holds true in many cases. However, like “blood stagnation”, I often use “blood deficiency” as a means to qualify my leading diagnosis.