Stomach qì vacuity

A disease pattern chiefly characterized by glomus and fullness in the stomach duct with dull pain that likes pressure; reduced eating; qì vacuity signs.

Description: Dull pain that may abate after eating or glomus and distension in the stomach duct relieved by pressure and more severe after eating; no thought of food or drink; periodic belching; bland taste in the mouth and absence of thirst; withered-yellow complexion; shortness of breath; lassitude of spirit; laziness to speak; a pale tongue with thin white fur; a pulse that is vacuous and weak.

Pathogenesis: Insufficiency of stomach qì affecting the stomach’s harmony and downbearing as a result of:

• dietary irregularities, especially irregular eating;
• taxation fatigue;
• enduring illness;
• disease in other bowels and viscera.

Analysis of signs

• Disharmony of stomach qì: Dull pain; glomus and distension in the stomach duct; poor appetite.
• Stomach qì ascending counterflow: Belching.
• Vacuity: The dull pain is sometimes relieved by eating. However, the glomus and distension like pressure but may worsen after eating because the digestive function is overburdened.
• Disturbed intake function: Bland taste in the mouth; absence of thirst.
• Stomach qì affecting the spleen: Withered-yellow complexion attributable to insufficiency of the source of transformation.
• Qì vacuity: Scantness or breath or shortness of breath, laziness to speak, fatigue and lack of strength.
• Tongue: Pale with thin white fur.
• Pulse: Weak.

Diseases: Stomach duct pain; belching; hiccup.

Treatment

Medicinal therapy: Supplement stomach qì using Astragalus Center-Fortifying Decoction (黄芪建中汤 huáng qí jiàn zhōng tāng).

Acumoxatherapy: ST-36 (zú sān lǐ), CV-12 (zhōng wǎn), PC-6 (nèi guān), LI-4 (hé gǔ), and BL-21 (wèi shù).

Further developments: Spleen qì vacuity.