Korean Herbal Formulation [Part 9] The Shaken Body: The True Face of “Wind Stroke”

 CALee Acupuncture

Korean Herbal Formulation [Part 9]

The Shaken Body: The True Face of “Wind Stroke” —

External Wind Invasion vs. Internal Wind Deficiency

Part 2. External Invaders: How the Six Climatic Factors Attack the Body
Lesson 7. The Shaken Body: The True Face of “Wind Stroke”

In the previous lesson, we examined the defining characteristic of Wind Pathogenic Influence (Wind Evil)—
“good at movement and rapid change” (善行數變)—and how this quality leads to surface-level symptoms such as
aversion to wind, migratory pain, spasms, numbness, and paralysis.

Today’s topic is “Wind Stroke” (中風), a term that in modern medicine is commonly equated with stroke.
However, in classical medical texts, the concept of wind and what we now call stroke were not always the same thing.

Failing to distinguish between these two leads to a fundamental error in treatment direction.

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1. The Classical Meaning of “Wind”: External Pathogenic Invasion

In foundational texts such as the Huangdi Neijing, wind primarily refers to an
external pathogenic factor (External Evil) that invades the body from the outside.

In this classical view, external wind enters the superficial layers of the body—the surface (Exterior)—
and affects the skin, muscles, and channels before moving deeper.

Characteristics of True External Wind Invasion

External wind invasion is always accompanied by exterior signs.
The illness begins superficially and progresses inward only if unresolved.

• When wind interacts with defensive function in the skin and flesh,
  it may cause numbness or sensory disturbance.

• When it enters the channels,
  it produces painful obstruction (Bi-type pain).

Treatment Principle

Because the disease is located at the surface,
the correct approach is dispersion and release, allowing the pathogen to exit.

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2. Where the Confusion Began: Internal Damage and Deficiency

Later physicians raised strong criticism against a widespread diagnostic error.

When patients suddenly collapsed, lost consciousness, developed facial deviation,
hemiplegia, or speech impairment,
many physicians labeled all such cases as “Wind Stroke,”
regardless of whether an external pathogen was present.

This was described as a serious mistake.

The True Cause of Severe Stroke-Like Symptoms

Severe presentations—sudden collapse, paralysis, altered consciousness—
are not primarily caused by external wind,
but by internal damage and deficiency of blood and vitality.

• Internal damage arises from emotional strain, overwork, dietary injury,
  and long-term depletion of the body’s upright vitality.

• When vitality becomes weak, stability is lost, leading to dizziness or collapse.

• As vitality weakens further, mental clarity deteriorates,
  resulting in confusion or loss of awareness.

These patterns are fundamentally different from external wind invasion.

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3. The Critical Distinction: Presence or Absence of a Pathogen

The most important diagnostic question is whether a pathogenic factor is present.

Category	With Pathogen (External)	Without Pathogen (Internal)
Cause	External wind, cold, dampness	Deficiency of vitality and blood
Location	Channels	Internal organs
Symptoms	Alternating cold/heat, localized swelling or pain	Sudden paralysis, loss of function, mental changes
Treatment	Expel pathogen while supporting vitality	Restore the root (vitality)

Key Point:
Paralysis caused by external invasion requires opening the channels and expelling the pathogen.
Paralysis caused by internal deficiency requires rebuilding the body’s foundation.

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4. Jingyue Quanshu: A Warning Against Misguided Treatment

The medical text Jingyue Quanshu strongly criticized the routine use of
Xuming Decoction, a formula commonly prescribed for wind stroke.

While this formula is appropriate for external pathogenic invasion,
many physicians used it indiscriminately for internal deficiency cases.

Core Criticism

• Combining cooling and strongly warming substances without differentiation
  was described as being like “ice and fire used together.”

• Using dispersing methods in patients whose vitality is already depleted
  further weakens the body and increases danger.

The conclusion was clear:
Even if such formulas are effective for external conditions,
they are inappropriate and harmful for internal deficiency-type wind stroke.

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Conclusion: Do Not Be Misled by the Name “Wind Stroke”

Under the single name “wind stroke,”
entirely different disease mechanisms have long been conflated.

Whether the condition originates from external invasion
or internal collapse,
whether the treatment should expel or restore—

this distinction determines success or failure.

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Preview of the Next Lesson (Part 10)

When external wind must be addressed—such as in mild surface conditions or migratory pain—
which herbs are appropriate?

In the next post, Lesson 8: Herbs That Dispel Wind — Notopterygium, Fangfeng, Schizonepeta, and More,
we will examine key medicinal substances that act on the body’s surface
to resolve wind-related conditions.

 📌 [Previous Episode]: Korean Herbal Formulation [Part 8] Discomfort Caused by “Wind” — A Symptom Checklist for Wind Pathogens

👉 Next Post: Korean Herbal Formulation [Part 10] Herbs That Dispel Wind Pathogens

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