Vacuity distension

Abdominal distension and fullness due to vacuity. Distinction is made between spleen-kidney yáng vacuity and kidney yīn vacuity. In spleen-kidney yáng vacuity, abdominal fullness is accompanied by lassitude of spirit, torpid intake, fear of cold and cold limbs, somber-white or withered-yellow facial complexion, pale tongue, and a fine pulse. In kidney yīn vacuity, vacuity distension is attended by emaciation, soot black complexion, heart vexation, dry mouth, nosebleed and bleeding gums, short voidings of reddish urine, red or crimson tongue, and a rapid fine pulse.

Medicinal therapy: The spleen-kidney yáng pattern is treated by fortifying the spleen and warming the kidney, promoting qì transformation and moving water. Aconite Center-Rectifying Decoction (附子理中汤 fù zǐ lǐ zhōng tāng) combined with Poria Five Powder (五苓散 wǔ líng sǎn) is an appropriate formula. Golden Cabinet Kidney Qì Pill (金匮肾气丸 jīn guì shèn qì wán) is an alternative. The kidney yīn vacuity pattern is treated with enriching the liver and kidney and by cooling the blood and transforming stasis, an appropriate formula being All-the-Way-Through Brew (一贯煎 yī guàn jiān) combined with Infradiaphragmatic Stasis-Expelling Decoction (膈下逐瘀汤 gé xià zhú yū tāng).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on PC, ST, back transport points, CV, SP, and KI. Main points: PC-6 (Inner Pass, 内关 nèi guān), ST-25 (Celestial Pivot, 天枢 tiān shū), and ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ).

• For spleen-kidney yáng vacuity, add CV-6 (Sea of Qì, 气海 qì hǎi), CV-4 (Pass Head, 关元 guān yuán), BL-20 (Spleen Transport, 脾俞 pí shù), BL-23 (Kidney Transport, 肾俞 shèn shù), GV-4 (Life Gate, 命门 mìng mén), and KI-7 (Recover Flow, 复溜 fù liū), needling with supplementation and adding moxa.
• For kidney yīn vacuity, add BL-23 (Kidney Transport, 肾俞 shèn shù), CV-4 (Pass Head, 关元 guān yuán), KI-6 (Shining Sea, 照海 zhào hǎi), KI-2 (Blazing Valley, 然谷 rán gǔ), KI-10 (Yīn Valley, 阴谷 yīn gǔ), and CV-6 (Sea of Qì, 气海 qì hǎi), needling with supplementation.