Free-rib pain

Pain in the region of the free ribs. Free-rib pain is mostly attributed to liver vacuity. It occurs in liver qì vacuity as a continual pain together with signs such as gallbladder timidity and susceptibility to fright, blurred vision, and tinnitus. In liver blood vacuity, the pain is dull or marked by a feeling of hypertonicityand is associated with frequent heat vexation, dry mouth, dizzy head and flowery vision, and red tongue. It may also be caused by kidney vacuity.

Biomedical correspondence: hypochondriac pain.

Medicinal therapy: Treat liver qì vacuity with Four Gentlemen Decoction (四君子汤 sì jūn zǐ tāng) combined with Mume Pill (乌梅丸 wū méi wán). Treat liver blood vacuity with All-the-Way-Through Brew (一贯煎 yī guàn jiān). Kidney vacuity can be treated with variations of Eight-Ingredient Rehmannia Pill (八味地黄丸 bā wèi dì huáng wán).

See also rib-side pain.