↑ 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: Difficulty falling asleep with a racing mind; irritability and anger; a bitter taste; rib distension or burning pain; brought on by stress, spicy food, alcohol, or late-night screen use; eased by cooling food, movement, meditation, or emotional expression.
Tongue: Red body, Redder at the sides, yellow coating. Pulse: Wiry, Rapid.
Treatment principle: Soothe the Liver, clear Heat, calm the Mind.
Note: no moxa.
Clinical manifestations: Excessive dreaming and frequent waking; poor appetite and bloating; palpitations and forgetfulness; a pale complexion and lips; fatigue; brought on by overthinking, skipped meals, cold food, overwork, or irregular sleep; eased by warm meals, movement, a consistent bedtime, calm evenings, or abdominal warmth.
Tongue: Pale, puffy body with tooth marks, thin white coating. Pulse: Fine, Weak.
Treatment principle: Tonify Spleen-Qi and Heart-Blood.
Note: moxa applicable.
Clinical manifestations: Difficulty falling asleep with a racing mind; chest tightness and rib distension; frequent sighing; irritability, anger, or a pent-up feeling; a sensation of a lump in the throat; brought on by stress, suppressed feelings, a sedentary lifestyle, irregular meals, or the premenstrual phase; eased by movement, emotional expression, meditation, or a predictable bedtime.
Tongue: Normal or slightly Dark body, Red or Purple sides, thin white coating. Pulse: Wiry.
Treatment principle: Soothe the Liver, calm the Mind.
Note: no moxa.
Clinical manifestations: Five-palm heat; night sweats; lower back and knee soreness and weakness; palpitations; vivid or disturbing dreams; a dry mouth and throat at night; brought on by late nights, overwork, spicy food, stress, excessive sexual activity, alcohol, or coffee; eased by a cool dark bedroom, warm milk or tea, evening walks, foot soaks, or meditation.
Tongue: Red, thin body with a Redder tip, little or no coating, possibly a midline crack. Pulse: Fine, Rapid.
Treatment principle: Nourish Kidney-Yin, harmonize Heart and Kidneys.
Note: no moxa.
Clinical manifestations: Severe insomnia with mental restlessness and agitation; chest oppression and fullness; copious thick, yellow, sticky phlegm; a rattling or gurgling sensation in the throat; a heavy head with dizziness and foggy thinking; a bitter taste; a flushed face and red eyes; brought on by spicy, greasy or fried food, alcohol, coffee, late-night heavy meals, stress, anger, or hot humid weather; eased by cooling food and drinks, gentle movement, or deep breathing and meditation.
Tongue: Red, swollen body with a red prickly tip, thick yellow greasy coating. Pulse: Slippery, Rapid.
Treatment principle: Clear Fire, resolve Phlegm, calm the Mind.
Note: no moxa.
Clinical manifestations: Epigastric fullness and bloating worse after eating; sour, rotten-smelling belching and acid reflux; loose, sour, foul-smelling stools; sleep disturbed by stomach discomfort; brought on by overeating, heavy meals, late-night eating, spicy, greasy or fried food, lying down after eating, or rushed eating; eased by light digestible meals, gentle post-meal walks, avoiding overeating, warm water or peppermint tea, or an elevated head position.
Tongue: Normal body colour, thick greasy curd-like coating, thickest centrally. Pulse: Slippery, Full.
Treatment principle: Reduce food stagnation, harmonize the Stomach, calm the Mind.