CMBA Herbal Medicine MCQ key terms

The four temperature natures assigned to herbs: cold, cool, warm, and hot. They describe how a substance affects the body's thermal state and guide selection for hot or cold patterns.

The five taste categories of herbs: pungent, sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. Each taste is linked to characteristic actions, such as pungent for dispersing and bitter for draining heat.

The attributed affinity of an herb for particular organs or body regions, indicating where its therapeutic effect is concentrated. Channel entry helps match an herb to the affected organ system.

A framework for composing formulas: a chief herb addresses the main pattern, deputy herbs support or treat accompanying patterns, an assistant moderates or enhances, and a envoy harmonises or directs the formula.

Adjusting a classical formula by adding, removing, or changing the dose of ingredients to fit an individual patient's presentation, constitution, or coexisting conditions.

Knowledge of potentially harmful herbs, safe dose ranges, required processing, and situations where use is unsafe, such as pregnancy, severe deficiency, or certain drug interactions.

Preparatory methods such as stir-frying, steaming, or honey-frying that alter an herb's properties, reduce toxicity, or direct its action before it is dispensed or decocted.

The technique of preparing an herbal drink by boiling ingredients in water, including attention to vessel choice, soaking, timing, and special handling of aromatic or mineral herbs.

A diagnostic framework pairing yin and yang, interior and exterior, cold and heat, and deficiency and excess. It organises signs into a coherent pattern to guide treatment strategy.

The process of analysing symptoms and signs to identify a named Chinese medicine pattern, which then determines the treatment principle, formula, and acupuncture point selection.

Diagnostic categories describing dysfunction of the internal organs, such as liver qi stagnation or spleen qi deficiency, each with characteristic symptoms and a corresponding treatment approach.

Core substances understood to circulate and nourish the body. Their deficiency, stagnation, or imbalance underlies many patterns and informs both herbal and acupuncture treatment choices.

Inspection of tongue body colour, shape, coating, and moisture to assess the nature and location of a pattern, such as heat, deficiency, dampness, or blood stasis.

Palpation of the radial pulse at defined positions and depths to evaluate qualities such as rapid, wiry, slippery, or thin, which support pattern identification.

A concise statement of therapeutic direction derived from the diagnosis, such as clearing heat, tonifying qi, or moving blood, which guides selection of herbs and points.

The characteristic needling sensation reported by patients, often described as aching, heaviness, or distension, and considered a sign that the needle has engaged the qi.

The deliberate selection of several acupoints forming a treatment prescription, typically combining local, distal, and symptom-specific points to address the identified pattern.

Decisions about how far and at what angle a needle is inserted, based on point location, tissue thickness, body build, and the intended therapeutic effect.

Unwanted effects of treatment such as bruising, fainting, or infection, including serious events like pneumothorax. Recognition, prevention, and management are core safety competencies.

Hygiene procedures for acupuncture practice, including hand washing, sterile single-use needles, safe sharps disposal, and skin preparation, intended to prevent cross-infection.

Practices that reduce transmission of pathogens in clinic, covering hand hygiene, surface cleaning, laundry handling, and management of blood or body fluid exposure.

Obtaining a patient's voluntary agreement after explaining the proposed treatment, its expected benefits, material risks, alternatives, and their right to decline or withdraw.

The boundaries of what a practitioner is trained and legally permitted to do, including limits on diagnosis, prescribing, and referral to other health professionals.

The duty to protect patient information from improper disclosure, including secure record storage and limiting sharing to what is necessary and consented to.

Creating and retaining accurate, contemporaneous notes of assessment, treatment, advice, and consent, which support continuity of care and legal defensibility.

The professional obligation to document and, where required, notify authorities or the patient about harm or near-misses arising from treatment, and to adjust care accordingly.

Maintaining an appropriate therapeutic relationship, avoiding exploitation or dual relationships, and recognising when to refer or decline treatment.

The potential for an herbal medicine to alter the effect or safety of a pharmaceutical, requiring review of the patient's medication list before prescribing.

Acupuncture points or methods avoided in specific circumstances, such as needling certain points in pregnancy or using strong stimulation in frail patients.

A technique applying heat by burning prepared mugwort near or on the body, used to warm channels, dispel cold, and support yang, with specific safety precautions.

Application of suction cups to the skin to move qi and blood and relieve pain. Practitioners must know indications, expected marks, and situations where it is unsafe.

A distinction between a biomedical disease label and a Chinese medicine pattern. Treatment is often directed at the pattern while accounting for the diagnosed condition and its risks.

Patterns marked by heaviness, sluggishness, foggy thinking, or sticky sensations, often linked to spleen dysfunction, and treated by transforming dampness or resolving phlegm.

Opposing treatment strategies: tonifying strengthens deficiency, while draining or clearing reduces excess such as heat, stagnation, or accumulated pathogens.

Correct measurement, weighing, and labelling of herbs, including attention to unit consistency and clear patient instructions, to avoid underdosing or dangerous overdose.