Thank you for this question. I can understand that this may have come across as unclear.
Here I am referring to the six divisions as they are known in their traditional organization.
When functioning as a protective layer of Wei Qi, the six divisions are configured differently in the Classics.
In the Huangdi Nei Jing, the sequence from the exterior to the interior is described as:
Tai Yang, Shao Yang, Yang Ming, Tai Yin, Shao Yin, and Jue Yin.
In contrast, the Shang Han Lun presents a slightly different order:
Tai Yang, Yang Ming, Shao Yang, Tai Yin, Shao Yin, and Jue Yin.
If rheumatoid arthritis manifests, for example, through the Tai Yin (Stagnation with heat in Tai Yin pulses) with symptoms such as:
Pain, swelling, and warmth in the joints
Severe morning stiffness lasting longer than an hour
Fatigue
Reduced mobility
Inflammation of tendons and bursae
Weight loss or fever in more severe cases
THEN the body is protected by treating the Shao Yin division. Don’t treat more than this during the first treatment.
In addition, (later, when Shao Yin is strong enough) points are selected to treat the Tai Yin pattern while placing particular emphasis on addressing the local symptoms!
This is one of the rare situations in Constitutional Acupuncture where symptom treatment is truly important.
There are two things you must pay close attention to:
1. As you can see, Yang Ming and Shao Yang have different positions in the order of the divisions.
When either of these is affected, it is safest to treat Tai Yin.
2. When you decide to treat a particular division, you must also take into account the patient’s birth chart.
A Tai Yin treatment, for example, is Favourable Generating for someone born under the Yang Ming division,
and Unfavourable Generating for those born under Shao Yin or Yang. Treating Tai Yin with them are safe treatments.
For individuals born under Tai Yang or Jué Yin, this treatment is respectively Favourable Destroying and Unfavourable Destroying.
For these patients, a Tai Yin treatment is only appropriate when they are truly strong enough to handle it (mostly they are not!), otherwise, such a treatment could suppress their fundamental (physical) strength.
Hope this helps,
Joan