ZHANG Yunling's Experience in the Treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis from Emphasis on both Spleen and Kidney / 中医杂志

ABSTRACT

This paper summarized Professor ZHANG Yunling's experience in the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis （ALS） from emphasis on both spleen and kidney. It is considered that the characteristic of ALS manifested as overlap of atrophy-flaccidity disease and convulsive disease， and the core pathogenesis are the deficiency of spleen and kidney and the inner pathogenic qi. ZHANG advocated that ALS should be treated from tonifying both the spleen and kidney， as strong spleen and kidney led the latent pathogen at peace. Usually applied Huangqi （Astragalus mongholicus）， Baizhu （Atractylodes macrocephala） combined with Taizishen （Pseudostellaria heterophylla）， fried Yiyiren （Coix lacryma-jobi）， Doukou （Myristica fragrans） and Sharen （Wurfbainia villosa） to tonify the middle and replenish qi， ascend lucidity and descend turbidity to invigorate the spleen； Roucongrong （Cistanche deserticola）， Tusizi （Cuscuta chinensis） combined with Shanyao （Dioscorea oppositifolia）， Shanzhuyu （Cornus officinalis） and prepared Dihuang （Rehmannia glutinosa） are used to support the fire and nourish the water， so as to replenish the spleen. The empirical formula regarded invigorateing the spleen and replenishing the kidney as the core therapeutic principle throughout the treatment of the whole process， which aimed at extinguishing inner wind and pacifying latent pathogen when treating the root.