↑ reinforcing ↓ reducing ⊥ even method.
Clinical manifestations: Distending, bloating epigastric pain radiating to the ribs; symptoms worse with emotional stress; frequent belching; irritability; a sensation of throat blockage.
Tongue: Normal or slightly red body, redder sides, thin white coat. Pulse: Wiry, especially at the left middle position.
Treatment principle: Soothe Liver-Qi, regulate Qi, harmonize the Stomach.
Clinical manifestations: Dull, aching epigastric pain improving with warmth; poor appetite favoring hot drinks; loose stools; cold extremities; fatigue.
Tongue: Pale, puffy, tender with teeth marks, white slippery coating. Pulse: Deep, slow, weak, especially at the right Guan position.
Treatment principle: Warm the Middle Burner, tonify Qi, alleviate deficiency-Cold pain.
Clinical manifestations: Burning epigastric pain; fullness after eating; a sticky, bitter taste; nausea.
Tongue: Red body, possibly swollen with teeth marks, thick yellow greasy coating, especially at the centre and root. Pulse: Soggy and rapid, often slippery.
Treatment principle: Clear Heat, drain Dampness, harmonize the Middle Burner.
Clinical manifestations: Epigastric bloating worsening after eating; sour, rotten-smelling belching; pain relieved by vomiting; an aversion to food.
Tongue: Normal body with a thick, greasy, curd-like coating, thickest in the centre. Pulse: Slippery and full, especially forceful at the right middle position.
Treatment principle: Promote digestion, resolve food stagnation, harmonize the Stomach.
Clinical manifestations: Sudden, sharp, cramping epigastric pain; improvement with warmth; no thirst, preferring warm drinks; vomiting of clear fluid; a cold stomach sensation.
Tongue: Pale, moist with a thin white slippery coat. Pulse: Tight, or wiry and slow.
Treatment principle: Warm the interior, dispel Cold, move Qi, stop pain.
Clinical manifestations: A dull, burning, gnawing discomfort; hunger without appetite; a dry mouth and throat; thirst preferring sips; dry stools; weight loss.
Tongue: Red, thin body, dry centre, little or no coating, possible cracks. Pulse: Fine and rapid, especially weak at the right middle position.
Treatment principle: Nourish Stomach-Yin, moisten dryness, cool Empty-Heat.
Clinical manifestations: Sharp, stabbing, fixed epigastric pain worsening at night; black, tarry stools or coffee-ground vomit; dark purplish lips and complexion.
Tongue: Dark, dusky or purple body, often with purple stasis spots and swollen, twisted sublingual veins, thin white coat. Pulse: Choppy like a knife scraping bamboo, or wiry and tight.
Treatment principle: Invigorate Blood, dispel stasis, promote circulation, stop bleeding.
Note: no moxa. Direct match with
Stasis of Blood in the Stomach — dark purplish lips/complexion and black tarry stools are shared discoloration/bleeding markers.