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Liver-stomach disharmony
肝胃不和 〔肝胃不和〕gān wèi bù tiáo
Also:
- Liver qì invading the stomach (肝气犯胃 gān qì fàn wèi)
- Liver depression invading the stomach (肝郁犯胃 gān yù fàn wèi)
- Liver-stomach qì stagnation (肝胃气滞 gān wèi qì zhì)
A disease pattern chiefly characterized by distension and oppression, and possibly scurrying pain in the chest, rib-side, and stomach duct; hiccup; belching; acid swallowing.
Description: Distension and oppression, and possibly scurrying pain in the chest, rib-side, and stomach duct; hiccup; acid swallowing, clamoring stomach, no thought of food and drink; emotional depression; sighing, in some cases, impatience, agitation, and irascibility; pale-red tongue with thin yellow fur; stringlike pulse.
Diseases: Rib-side pain; drum distension; abdominal pain; vomiting; hiccup.
Pathogenesis: Depressed liver qì impairing the harmonious downbearing of the stomach.
- Frustration and anger causing liver qì to become depressed, move cross-counterflow to invade the stomach, and impair the harmony and downbearing of the stomach.
- Damage to the stomach from dietary irregularities impairing harmony and downbearing of the stomach and affecting the liver’s free coursing function.
Analysis of signs
- Depressed liver qì: Affect-mind frustration and depression, or in some cases impatience, agitation, and irascibility; frequent sighing; and distension and fullness in the rib-side possibly with scurrying pain.
- Loss of harmony and downbearing in the stomach: Distension, oppression, and pain in the stomach duct reaching into the chest and rib-side. Sometimes the pain is scurrying.
- Stomach qì ascending counterflow: Belching, acid swallowing, and hiccup.
- Tongue: Pale red with a thin white or yellow fur.
- Pulse: Stringlike.
Further developments: In severe cases, liver depression can transform into fire. This manifests in clamoring stomach, a red tongue with a thin yellow fur, and a stringlike and rapid pulse.
Comparison: Like liver-stomach disharmony, liver-spleen disharmony and gastrointestinal qì stagnation are qì stagnation patterns.
Liver-spleen disharmony and liver-stomach disharmony both arise from depressed liver qì, which is marked by distension and pain in the chest and rib-side, affect-mind depression and frustration. Liver-stomach disharmony manifests in distension and pain in the stomach duct, belching, and hiccup, while liver-spleen disharmony is marked by reduced eating, abdominal distension, and sloppy stool.
In gastrointestinal qì stagnation, depressed liver qì is only one of several causative pathomechanisms so that the signs of depressed liver qì do not necessarily figure as prominently. The chief signs are distension and scurrying pain in the stomach duct and abdomen, belching, rumbling intestines, ungratifying defecation, and passing of flatus.
Treatment
Medicinal therapy: Course the liver and harmonize the stomach. Use
Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on ST, PC, LR, and SP. Select