CMBA Herbal Medicine MCQ cheat sheet

Ma Huang (Ephedra) releases the exterior and disseminates Lung qi; contraindicated in hypertension and insomnia because ephedrine is sympathomimetic.

Gui Zhi (Cinnamon twig) warms the channels and releases the exterior; Bai Shao paired with Gui Zhi harmonises ying and wei in Gui Zhi Tang.

Ren Shen (Ginseng) strongly tonifies yuan qi; Li Zhong Wan uses it with Bai Zhu, Fu Ling and Gan Cao for Spleen qi deficiency.

Shi Gao (Gypsum) clears qi-level heat and drains Stomach fire; it is the chief herb of Bai Hu Tang with Zhi Mu as assistant.

Huang Lian clears heat and dries dampness, focused on Heart and Stomach; Huang Qin targets Lung and upper jiao; Huang Bai targets lower jiao.

Fu Zi (Aconite) restores devastated yang and warms the channels; it is toxic and requires prolonged decoction (60+ minutes) to reduce aconitine.

Ban Xia (Pinellia) transforms phlegm and dries dampness; its raw form is toxic, so it is processed with ginger (Jiang Ban Xia).

Eighteen Incompatibilities (Shi Ba Fan): Gan Cao opposes Gan Sui, Da Ji and Yuan Hua; Wu Tou opposes Ban Xia, Gua Lou, Bei Mu and Bai Lian.

Dang Gui nourishes and invigorates blood; it is the chief herb of Si Wu Tang with Shu Di, Bai Shao and Chuan Xiong.

ST36 (Zusanli) is 3 cun below ST35, one finger-breadth lateral to the tibial crest; it harmonises the Stomach and tonifies qi and blood.

LI4 (Hegu) is on the dorsum of the hand between the 1st and 2nd metacarpals; contraindicated in pregnancy because it can induce labour.

PC6 (Neiguan) is 2 cun proximal to the wrist crease between tendons of palmaris longus and flexor carpi radialis; it treats nausea.

Deqi is the arrival of qi, felt as soreness, numbness, distension or heaviness; it is required for clinical effect.

SP6 (Sanyinjiao) is 3 cun above the medial malleolus, posterior to the tibial border; contraindicated in pregnancy.

LU9 (Taiyuan) is at the radial end of the wrist crease and is the influential point of the vessels (hui of mai).

GB20 (Fengchi) lies in the depression between the upper trapezius and sternocleidomastoid; needling is directed toward the opposite eye, never upward.

Moxibustion is contraindicated over the abdomen and lumbosacral region in pregnancy and over areas of deficient sensation or heat.

The Eight Principles are yin/yang, interior/exterior, cold/heat, and deficiency/excess; they frame every pattern identification.

Yin deficiency presents with a red tongue with little coating, a rapid thin pulse, night sweats, and five-palm heat.

Damp-heat presents with a greasy yellow tongue coat, a slippery rapid pulse, heaviness, and a bitter taste.

Liver qi stagnation produces a wiry pulse, hypochondriac distension, and irritability; it commonly affects the Spleen in Liver-Spleen disharmony.

The five zang are Heart, Liver, Spleen, Lung and Kidney; the six fu are Gallbladder, Stomach, Small Intestine, Large Intestine, Bladder and San Jiao.

A floating pulse (fu mai) is felt with light pressure and indicates an exterior pattern; a deep pulse (chen mai) indicates an interior pattern.

Qi deficiency presents with a pale tongue, a weak pulse, fatigue, and spontaneous sweating; Spleen qi deficiency adds poor appetite and loose stools.

The Kidney stores jing (essence), governs water, and controls the reception of qi; Kidney yang deficiency shows a pale swollen tongue and cold limbs.

Informed consent requires capacity, disclosure of risks and alternatives, and a voluntary decision recorded before treatment.

Needle-stick injuries require immediate washing with soap and water, then reporting and post-exposure prophylaxis assessment per local protocol.

Single-use sterile disposable needles must be discarded in a sharps container immediately after use; never recap by hand.

Practitioners must maintain accurate, contemporaneous clinical records and retain them for the period set by local law.

Scope of practice limits treatment to conditions within the practitioner's training; referral is required when a condition exceeds that scope.

Confidentiality is a core ethical duty; disclosure is permitted only with consent or where law requires reporting.

Practitioners must hold professional indemnity insurance and comply with continuing professional development requirements.

Herbal prescribing requires checking for pregnancy, drug interactions, and allergies; toxic herbs such as Fu Zi and Ban Xia require documented caution.