bubble_chart Concept

Finger spasm, commonly known as "chicken claw wind," refers to the condition where the fingers are stiff and curled, making it difficult to straighten them, while the areas above the wrist remain flexible.

ExaminingNeijing, although there is no direct mention of finger spasm, there are many discussions on similar conditions, such as "chi" (Suwen· Yuji Zhenzang Lun), "spasm," "tendon stiffness" (Lingshu· Jingmai Chapter), "stiffness," "rigidity" (Suwen· Liuyuan Zhengji Da Lun), and "tendon spasm" (Lingshu· Cijie Zhenxie Chapter), etc.; Zhubing Yuanhou Lun includes a specific entry on "muscular spasm of the five fingers preventing flexion and extension"; Zhengzhi Zhunsheng has a dedicated chapter on the treatment of "spasm." Reviewing historical texts, the names for this condition vary.

Finger spasm refers to the stiffness of the tendons and vessels in the fingers; if the tendons and vessels in the lower limbs are stiff and unable to flex or extend, it is called muscle cramp or "hanging foot tendon"; if the tendons and vessels in both the hands and feet are stiff and difficult to flex or extend, it is referred to as cramping or limb spasm. For further discussion, refer to the relevant entries.

bubble_chart Pattern Analysis

1. Blood Failing to Nourish the Tendons︰The fingers are spasmodic and numb, with a pale complexion, dizziness, dull skin, mental fatigue and lack of strength, a pale tongue with thin white coating, and a wiry, thin, and weak pulse. This is spasm caused by blood deficiency.
2. Blood Dryness︰Finger spasm accompanied by a burning sensation, dry skin, cracked lips, thirst with desire to drink, restlessness, constipation, a red tongue with scant fluid, absence of coating or little coating, and a wiry, thin, rapid pulse indicate blood dryness-induced spasm. The two {|###|}mechanisms of disease{|###|} differ. Blood failing to nourish the sinews manifests as a slow progression, often beginning with numbness followed by spasm, accompanied by dizziness, {|###|}dizzy vision{|###|}, {|###|}palpitation severe palpitation{|###|}, and a {|###|}complexion shallow yellow{|###|}, etc. Blood dryness-induced {|###|}sinew injury{|###|}, on the other hand, first presents with a burning sensation before spasm occurs, accompanied by dry {|###|}skin and hair{|###|}, itchy skin, thirst, restlessness, constipation, etc. For blood failing to nourish the sinews, the treatment should focus on {|###|}nourishing blood to soothe sinews{|###|}, and Zhu Dan-xi’s method for treating spasm may be used, with the prescription selection being Four Ingredients Decoction. For blood dryness-induced {|###|}sinew injury{|###|}, the treatment should aim to moisten dryness, nourish blood, and soften the sinews, with the prescription selection being Nourishing Blood Rehmannia Pill or Dryness-moistening and Nutrient-Nourishing Decoction.
3. Cold-dampness Sinew Injury︰Finger spasm accompanied by soreness and pain, fear of cold and cold limbs, aggravated on cloudy or rainy days, dark red tongue with thin white moist coating, wiry and tight or wiry and slippery pulse. Cold is a yin pathogen, characterized by contraction and stagnation. When cold invades the sinews and vessels, it can cause physical rigidity, joint spasm, and restricted flexion and extension. However, cold can be divided into internal cold and external cold; external cold combined with dampness can further be categorized as cold-dominant or dampness-dominant. Finger spasm caused by external cold must have clear external factors, such as prolonged exposure of the fingers to cold weather or working in water. Its characteristics include finger spasm accompanied by swelling and pain, with pain being predominant in cold-dominant cases and swelling being predominant in dampness-dominant cases. The skin appears pale or bluish, and symptoms worsen in cold weather. Internal cold often arises from gradual depletion of visceral qi damaging the kidney yang, leading to the loss of its warming and unblocking meridians and vessels function, resulting in finger joint rigidity and pain. Its characteristics include the gradual onset during chronic illnesses, with symptoms such as finger spasm and pain, worsening at night, cold body and limbs, and relief upon warming. Treatment for external cold focuses on dispersing, i.e., dispersing cold-dampness and relaxing the sinews and vessels. For cold-dominant cases with severe pain, Coix Seed Decoction is selected; for dampness-dominant cases with significant swelling, Juanbi Tang with white mustard seed and Hypoglaucous Yam is chosen. Treatment for internal cold emphasizes warming, i.e., warming kidney yang and relaxing the sinews and vessels, with prescriptions such as Cinnamon Twig and Aconite Decoction combined with Astragalus and Cinnamon Twig Five Ingredients Decoction.

The symptom of finger spasms can also be caused by sudden exposure to cold or emotional disturbances. The former is accompanied by severe pain in the fingers; the latter appears intermittently and often alleviates with the improvement of mental state. For those caused by sudden cold, it is advisable to warm the meridians and dissipate cold, nourish blood, and dispel wind, with the prescription of Aconite Main Root Decoction modified accordingly. For those caused by emotional disturbances, it is advisable to regulate qi movement, nourish blood, and soften tendons, with the prescription of Liver-Restraining Powder.

Although this symptom appears in the fingers, it often involves internal organs, and sometimes it is an external manifestation of internal organ diseases. Generally, when cold-dampness injures the tendons and meridians, it can affect the spleen, kidney, and heart, leading to a gradual decline of yang qi; while insufficient nutrient-blood or dry tendon off-position meridians are often closely related to yin deficiency in the heart, liver, kidney, and lung. Therefore, prolonged finger spasms indicate the exhaustion of yin blood, the deficiency of yang qi, zang - fu organ deficiency, and often a poor prognosis. In addition to treatment with Chinese medicinals, acupuncture can also be used to promote early recovery.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. Zhubing Yuanhou Lun．The Condition of Muscular Spasm Preventing Flexion and Extension: "When muscular spasm prevents flexion and extension, it is due to the tendons being tense and contracted, unable to stretch. Tendons become relaxed and loose when exposed to wind and heat, but contract and tighten when exposed to wind and cold."
2. Jingyue Quanshu．Non-Wind: "Conditions such as non-wind spasm and convulsion also have distinctions between cold and heat. As the classics say: cold causes the tendons to contract and tighten, while heat causes the tendons to relax and become loose, which is the normal condition. However, both cold and heat can cause constriction and can also cause relaxation, which is important to understand. For example, constriction due to cold occurs because excessive cold causes blood to coagulate, leading to stagnation and constriction, which is a result of cold damaging the nutrient system. Constriction due to heat occurs because excessive fire causes blood to dry up, leading to withered tendons and constriction, which is a result of heat damaging the nutrient system."