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Spasm
痉挛 〔痙攣〕 jìng luán
A biomedical term now widely used in Chinese medicine. Spasm is traditionally discussed in a variety of terms: Any stiffness or tension in the limbs is referred to as hypertonicity. A painful pulling of the sinews that can be felt as a bulging and knotting is called cramp. Spasm preventing the mouth from opening is called clenched jaw, and stiffness of the back that pulls the back in an arch is called arched-back rigidity. These two signs are signs of tetany, which may be observed in fright wind or lockjaw. Alternating contraction and relaxation of the muscles is traditionally called tugging and slackening, convulsions, or tugging wind and is observed in epilepsy and lockjaw. Mild contraction and relaxation due to insufficiency of blood or fluids, cold-damp, or yáng vacuity patterns is called jerking sinews and twitching flesh.
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