↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.
Clinical manifestations: Emotional bloating that fluctuates with mood; rib-side distention; frequent sighing; irritability.
Tongue: Normal or slightly dark, red or purplish sides, thin white coat. Pulse: Wiry.
Treatment principle: Soothes Liver Qi, resolves constraint and moves Qi.
Note: no moxa.
Clinical manifestations: Post-meal bloating; sour belching; aversion to food; thick greasy coat.
Tongue: Normal body, thick greasy curd-like coat. Pulse: Slippery and full, prominent at the right middle position.
Treatment principle: Promotes digestion, resolves food stagnation and harmonizes the Stomach.
Note: no moxa.
Clinical manifestations: Persistent heavy bloating; sticky, incomplete stools; bitter taste; poor appetite with nausea.
Tongue: Red, possibly swollen and tooth-marked, thick yellow greasy coat. Pulse: Soggy and rapid, often slippery.
Treatment principle: Clears Heat, drains Dampness, regulates Qi and harmonizes the Middle Burner.
Note: no moxa. Linked to this site's own Damp-Heat-in-the-Stomach slide.
4. Spleen Deficiency with Dampness
Clinical manifestations: Heavy, dragging sensation; worse after small meals; loose stools; fatigue; sticky mouth.
Tongue: Pale, swollen, tooth-marked, white greasy moist coat. Pulse: Soggy and slow, soft and weak at the right middle position.
Treatment principle: Tonifies Qi, strengthens the Spleen and drains Dampness.
Note: Mixed Deficiency/Excess. No deck slide combines Spleen deficiency with Dampness — no pattern link is given here.
Clinical manifestations: Bloating relieved by warmth and pressure; poor appetite; craving for heat; vomiting clear fluid; cold extremities; fatigue.
Tongue: Pale, puffy, tender, tooth-marked, white slippery coat. Pulse: Deep, slow and weak, especially at the right middle position.
Treatment principle: Warms the Middle Burner, disperses Cold and tonifies Qi.
Note: moxa is essential (REN-8 by moxa only).
Clinical manifestations: Dry, hard pellet stools; long intervals between bowel movements; dry mouth and throat; sensation of incomplete evacuation; dry skin.
Tongue: Red, thin, dry with cracks, thin dry slightly yellow coat. Pulse: Fine, choppy, possibly slightly rapid.
Treatment principle: Nourishes Yin, generates fluids and moistens dryness.
Note: no moxa.