Clamoring stomach

A sensation of emptiness and burning in the stomach duct or heart region described as being like hunger but not hunger, and like pain but not pain, and accompanied by belching, nausea, acid swallowing, and fullness.

Biomedical correspondence: Associated with conditions classed in Western medicine as chronic gastritis and ulcers.

Distinction is sometimes made between fire clamor, phlegm clamor, water soaking the heart clamor, chest and diaphragm qì depression clamor, and roundworm clamor.

Patterns

Fire clamor (热嘈 rè cáo) is characterized by hunger immediately after eating and insatiety despite eating.

Medicinal therapy: Treat by downbearing fire with formulas such as Left-Running Metal Pill (左金丸 zuǒ jīn wán).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on ST and LI. Select ST-44 (Inner Court, 内庭 nèi tíng), ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ), and LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ); needle with drainage.

Phlegm clamor (痰嘈 tán cáo) is characterized by oppressed breath and copious phlegm, a sensation like hunger but not hunger, and no desire for food and drink.

Medicinal therapy: Harmonize the stomach and transform phlegm with Medicated Leaven and Atractylodes Pill (曲朮丸 qū zhú wán). For phlegm-fire, use Triple Supplementation Pill (三补丸 sān bǔ wán) plus pinellia (Pinelliae Rhizoma, 半夏 bàn xià) and atractylodes (Atractylodis Rhizoma, 苍朮 cāng zhú).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on ST, PC, CV, and back transport points. Select ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ), PC-6 (Inner Pass, 内关 nèi guān), ST-25 (Celestial Pivot, 天枢 tiān shū), CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct, 中脘 zhōng wǎn), BL-20 (Spleen Transport, 脾俞 pí shù), BL-17 (Diaphragm Transport, 膈俞 gé shù), and ST-40 (Bountiful Bulge, 丰隆 fēng lóng); needle with even supplementation and drainage. For phlegm-fire, add ST-44 (Inner Court, 内庭 nèi tíng) and LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), needling with drainage.

Clamor from sour water soaking the heart (酸水浸心嘈 suān shuǐ jìn xīn cáo) is usually attributed to spleen-stomach vacuity cold with nontransformation of grain and water.

Medicinal therapy: Warm the center and harmonize the stomach. Use Stomach-Warming Beverage (温胃饮 wēn wèi yǐn) or Six Gentlemen Decoction (六君子汤 liù jūn zǐ tāng). If the yīn aspect has been damaged, use Yīn-Rectifying Brew (理阴煎 lǐ yīn jiān) or Six Gentlemen Metal and Water Brew (金水六君煎 jīn shuǐ liù jūn jiān).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on PC, ST, and SP. Main points: PC-6 (Inner Pass, 内关 nèi guān), ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ), and BL-20 (Spleen Transport, 脾俞 pí shù). For spleen-stomach vacuity cold, add CV-12 (Center Stomach Duct, 中脘 zhōng wǎn) and SP-4 (Yellow Emperor, 公孙 gōng sūn); needle with supplementation and add moxa. For damage to the yīn aspect, add SP-6 (Three Yīn Intersection, 三阴交 sān yīn jiāo) and SP-3 (Supreme White, 太白 tài bái).

Chest and diaphragm qì depression clamor (气郁胸膈嘈 qì yù xiōng gé cáo) is accompanied by glomus and oppression in the chest and diaphragm and rough sunken pulse.

Medicinal therapy: Rectify qì and loosen the chest. Use Qì Depression Decoction (气郁汤 qì yù tāng).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on CV and PC. Selecting CV-6 (Sea of Qì, 气海 qì hǎi), CV-17 (Chest Center, 膻中 shān zhōng), PC-6 (Inner Pass, 内关 nèi guān), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), LR-3 (Supreme Surge, 太冲 tài chōng), and TB-6 (Branch Ditch, 支沟 zhī gōu); needle with drainage.

Roundworm clamor (蛔虫嘈 huí chóng cáo) is characterized by vomiting and bouts of acute pain, and, in severe cases, vomiting of roundworm.

Medicinal therapy: Expel roundworm using formulas such as Mume Pill (乌梅丸 wū méi wán) or Worm-Transforming Pill (化虫丸 huà chóng wán).

Acumoxatherapy: Base treatment mainly on SP and ST. Select SP-15 (Great Horizontal, 大横 dà hèng), LI-4 (Union Valley, 合谷 hé gǔ), ST-36 (Leg Three Lǐ, 足三里 zú sān lǐ), and Hundred Worm Nest (百虫窝 bǎi chóng wō); needle with drainage.

Etymology

Chin 嘈 cáo, noise; 杂 zá, sundry, hodgepodge, impurity.