Abdominal pain

Pain in the stomach duct, in the umbilical region, in the smaller abdomen, or in the lesser abdomen. Abdominal pain is attributable to external contraction of one of the six excesses, dietary irregularities, affect damage, stagnation of qì dynamic, blood stasis obstructing the vessels, or worm accumulations, etc. In pattern identification, it is first of all important to identify cold, heat, vacuity, and repletion, qì stagnation, and blood stasis.

Patterns

Cold (寒 hán) pain is pain that is exacerbated by exposure to cold and likes warmthand is accompanied by physical cold and fear of cold, absence of thirst, white tongue fur, and a pulse that is either sunken and slow or sunken and tight.

Heat (热 rè) pain is pain that is periodic and accompanied by thirst, dry tongue, reddish urine, constipation or diarrhea, a red tongue with yellow fur, and a rapid surging pulse.

Vacuity (虚 xū) pain is a continual pain that likes pressure.

Repletion (实 shí) pain is pain accompanied by fullness and comes in violent attacks.

Qì stagnation (气滞 qì zhì) pain (often simply called qì pain) is also a pain that comes in bouts and is characteristically of unfixed location.

Blood stagnation (血滞 xuè zhì) pain (often simply called stasis pain) is a stabbing pain of fixed location. As to location, pain in the greater abdomen (upper abdomen) is a sign of spleen or stomach morbidity; pain in the umbilical region is attributable to large or small intestine morbidity; pain in the center of the abdomen below the umbilicus itself is attributable to bladder or kidney diseases; pain on both sides of the abdomen below the umbilicus is usually related to the liver. See entries listed below.