Disorders of the Tendons and Ligaments – what, causes, symptoms and quick diagnosis

Disorders of the Jin (Tendons and Ligaments) – “Jin Suo”

In Chinese, Indian and Thai medical treatises, there are certain energy channels as well as tendon channels that run from the head to the tip of the arms and the soles of the feet.

The normal state of a healthy tendonous pathway is soft, pliable, and freeflowing. When these ligamous pathways are dried up, shortened, inflamed, inelastic, hard, inflexible, unlubricated, or blocked, they may affect mobility, cause aches and pains, inflexibility, inhibited movement, irregular gait, etc. These contractions, atrophy, or degeneration of the functions of “Jin” is referred to as “Jin Suo” in Chinese medicine.

Causes of Disorders of the Jin (Tendons and Ligaments)

According to Chinese medicine, disorders can be due to:-

· Injury – eg., trauma bruising, tear, strain/sprain, dislocation, etc.

· Heat, Cold, Dampness, Wind, Dryness.

· Infection.

· Old age.

· Toxic accumulations –“Sha”

Symptoms of Jin Suo (Disorders of the Tendons and Ligaments)

· Neck stiffness and pain.

· Frozen shoulder, stiffness and pain of shoulders.

· Elbow inflexibility, pain and rotation problems.

· Wrist inflexibility, pain and rotation problems.

· Lumbar stiffness and pain.

· Difficulty or inability in bending down.

· Knee pain and weakness.

· Leg pain and semi-paralysis.

· Inability to squat down.

· Inability to stretch the legs or groin.

· Uneven length of the legs.

· Radiating pain in the heels.

· Difficulty in walking (after sitting or lying down).

· Irregular or weak or forced gait.

· Short walking steps.

· Stressed ligament at the hip joint.

· Waist pain.

· Leg pain

· Spasms in the legs

· Difficulty in bending the knees.

· Inability to raise the thighs forward or sideways.

· Difficulty in turning around.

· Distension, numbness, ache in various parts of the body.

· Diseases in urinary system, such as prostate gland diseases, hemorrhoid, polyuria , micturition, uroclepsia, and urine blockage

· Diseases in reproductive system, such as dysmenorrheal, irregular menstruation, hysteromyoma, ovarian cyst, infertility for women; erectile dysfunction, prospermia, spermatorrhea and reduction in sexual desire for men.

· Unknown pains from internal organs, including stomachache, gastroenteritis.

· Coldness, numbness, pain and swell in hands and feet.

· Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, such as hypertension, cardiac disease, dyspnea and palpitation.

· Liver and gallbladder diseases: such as Type A hepatitis, Type B hepatitis, Type C hepatitis and cholecystitis.

· Dermatitis, such as neurodermatitis, allergic dermatitis, psoriasis.

· Diabetes.

· Apoplexy sequelae

Currently, Jin Suo is not listed as a disease in Western allophatic medicine. For example, patients may be mistakenly diagnosed as having prolapsed lumbar inter-vertebral disc instead of Jin Suo.

A Quick Diagnosis for Jin Suo (Disorders of Tendons and Ligaments)

Do you have Jin Suo? Below is a quick checklist.

· Aching hips joints.

· Aching knees.

· Can not squat or squat properly or squat for a long time without discomfort.

· Can not raise your leg easily.

· Difficulty getting up after sitting or lying down.

· Difficulty walking steady in proper gait – have to sway from the hips?

· Aching shoulders.

· Walking in small steps.

· Inability or difficulty in bending down.

· Aching when performing joint movements.

· One leg shorter.

· Difficulty or discomfort or tiredness when stretching.

· Difficulty or discomfort in sitting in crossed-legged position.

· Difficulty or discomfort when turning the head (neck).

· Difficulty or discomfort when turning the body.