The disease of taiyang is characterized by a floating pulse, stiffness and pain in the head and neck, and aversion to cold.

bubble_chart Note

• Taiyang refers to the bladder meridian. The disease of taiyang refers to the illness caused by the taiyang bladder meridian. Taiyang governs the exterior, which controls the nutrient and defense systems. Wind evil affects the defense system, while cold evil injures the nutrient system, both of which are exterior diseases.
• A floating pulse indicates an exterior disease.
• Stiffness and pain in the head and neck, along with aversion to cold, are symptoms of an exterior disease. The taiyang Jingmai ascends to the forehead, intersects at the vertex, enters and connects with the brain, then exits and descends to the neck, connecting with the wind mansion. Therefore, Xieke of this meridian will inevitably cause stiffness and pain in the head and neck.
• Aversion to cold is due to injury by wind-cold, hence the aversion.
• This section is first presented as the outline of taiyang disease.
• All references to taiyang disease in the upper, middle, and lower sections refer to these pulse and symptom patterns.

Note: Both the nutrient and defense systems are generated from the postnatal grain qi of the stomach. The clear qi is the nutrient, and the turbid qi is the defense. The defense is the fierce and swift part of qi, while the nutrient is the essence within the blood. In terms of their fixed positions, they are referred to as qi and blood; in terms of their flowing functions, they are called nutrient-defense. The nutrient flows within the vessels, hence it belongs to yin; the defense flows outside the vessels, hence it belongs to yang. However, the flowing of nutrient-defense is fundamentally based on the innate qi of the kidneys, hence they are also referred to in terms of qi, namely Yingqi and defense qi.

• Hua Shou said: "The pulse moves within the flesh, governing the exterior."
• Fang You-zhi said: "The exterior refers to the skin, where the nutrient and defense systems reside. Therefore, a floating pulse at the cun and chi positions indicates a disease in the taiyang exterior. The neck is the back of the neck. Aversion to cold includes wind. When wind-cold initially invades and stagnates in the exterior, it can no longer overcome the external assault of wind-cold, hence the aversion."
• Cheng Ying-qi said: "The most definitive symptoms of the taiyang meridian are headache and aversion to cold, hence they are presented first."
• Wu Ren-ju said: "The head is the common position of the three yang, and the neck is the specific position of taiyang. Any obstruction that prevents normal flexibility results in stiffness and pain."