↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method — technique below follows standard Excess/Deficiency treatment principle for each pattern, not tied to a specific point-by-point source.
Clinical manifestations: Loose stools or watery diarrhoea with undigested food; worse after eating; persistent fatigue; poor appetite with bloating; a dull, pale complexion; heaviness in the limbs; brought on by chronic overwork, irregular meals, or long-term Spleen weakness; eased by rest and warm, easily-digested food.
Tongue: Pale, puffy, tooth-marked, thin white coating. Pulse: Weak and Soft, especially at the right middle position.
Treatment principle: Tonify Spleen-Qi and drain Dampness to restore the Spleen's transformative function.
Note: moxa applicable on the Tonify points.
Clinical manifestations: Foul-smelling, yellow-brown, sticky stools with mucus; a burning sensation in the anus; urgent bowel movements with a feeling of incomplete evacuation; scanty, dark urine and thirst; body heat or a low-grade fever; brought on by a diet heavy in greasy, spicy, or contaminated food, or damp-heat weather; eased by cooling foods and a drier environment.
Tongue: Red with a thick, yellow, greasy coating, thickest in the centre and root. Pulse: Slippery, Rapid.
Treatment principle: Clear Heat and dry Dampness while regulating intestinal Qi downward.
Note: no moxa.
Clinical manifestations: Watery stools with an acute onset after cold or damp exposure; dull abdominal pain that improves with warmth; a heavy body sensation, as if "wrapped in cloth"; poor appetite and nausea; brought on by a sudden exposure to cold, damp weather, or cold food and drinks; eased by warmth and rest.
Tongue: Pale, swollen, tooth-marked, thick white greasy coating, excessively moist. Pulse: Soggy, or Slippery and Slow.
Treatment principle: Dispel Cold-Damp, aromatically transform turbidity, harmonize the middle burner.
Note: moxa applicable.
Clinical manifestations: Watery stools with undigested food; dull abdominal pain relieved by warmth and pressure; cold limbs; poor appetite that worsens after eating; profound fatigue and heaviness; brought on by chronic illness, long-standing Cold exposure, or untreated Spleen-Qi deficiency progressing further; eased by warmth and rest.
Tongue: Pale, puffy, tender, tooth-marked, white slippery coating. Pulse: Deep, Slow, Weak, especially soft at the right middle position.
Treatment principle: Warm the middle burner, restore Spleen-Yang, stop Cold-type diarrhoea.
Note: moxa applicable.
Clinical manifestations: Foul, sour-smelling diarrhoea; abdominal distension that improves after a bowel movement; sour, rotten-smelling belching; an aversion to food; a history of recent overeating or rich food consumption; eased once the stagnant food has passed.
Tongue: Normal body, thick greasy coating, thickest in the centre. Pulse: Slippery, full, especially at the right middle position.
Treatment principle: Promote digestion, resolve food stagnation, harmonize the Stomach.
Note: no moxa.
Clinical manifestations: Cramping abdominal pain before a bowel movement, relieved once it passes; diarrhoea triggered by stress or anger; rib distension and fullness; irritability and frequent sighing; alternating constipation and loose stools; brought on by stress, frustration, or suppressed emotion straining the Spleen; eased by emotional release and a calmer routine.
Tongue: Normal or slightly pale, possible tooth marks, thin white coating. Pulse: Wiry overall, distinctly Wiry on the left, Soft on the right.
Treatment principle: Soothe the Liver, strengthen the Spleen, drain Dampness to resolve stress-related diarrhoea.
Note: moxa applicable on the Support-Spleen points.
Clinical manifestations: Early-morning diarrhoea around 5am; undigested food visible in the stools; cold hands and feet below the knees; a sore, cold lower back and knees; chronic loose or watery stools; brought on by ageing, chronic illness, or long-standing untreated Spleen-Yang deficiency exhausting Kidney-Yang; eased by warmth and rest.
Tongue: Pale, swollen, puffy, tooth-marked, white slippery coating. Pulse: Deep, Weak, Slow, especially feeble at the rear positions.
Treatment principle: Warm the Kidneys, strengthen Spleen-Yang, bind the intestines to stop chronic diarrhoea.
Note: moxa applicable.