Stomach pain.

• Full pattern: acute, intense pain, rejects pressure, worsens with eating. Causes:
  • Cold invasion
  • Stomach-Heat
  • Excess of food in the Stomach
  • Liver-Qi stagnation attacking the Stomach
  • Blood stasis

• Empty pattern: mild, chronic pain, improves with palpation and eating, worse when hungry. Causes:
  • Spleen/Stomach-Yang deficiency
  • Stomach-Yin deficiency

Gastralgia from Cold

May be from external cold invasion or from cold foods. Cold contracts and produces pain. See: Cold in the Stomach

• Very intense pain.
• Pain relieves with heat.
• No thirst. Prefers hot drinks.
• Tongue normal or pale, thin normal coating
• Tight pulse

Treatment

• Eliminate cold and warm the Stomach: Moxibustion at ST-34, BL-20, BL-21
• Relieve Stomach pain: CV-12, ST-36, PC-6, SP-4

Gastralgia from Stomach-Heat

May be from excess of food producing heat or from the type of food (spicy, fried, fatty...). See: Stomach-Heat

• Pain with burning sensation in the stomach.
• Great appetite
• Thirst, desires cold drinks.
• Halitosis, painful and bleeding gums.
• Dry stools.
• Red tongue, thick yellow coating.
• Rapid pulse.

Treatment

• Eliminate Stomach-Heat: CV-11, ST-37, BL-21, ST-44, LI-2
• Relieve Stomach pain: CV-12, ST-36, PC-6, SP-4

Gastralgia from Food Excess

Indigestion, after eating too much. May also be from eating too fast or having a heavy dinner too late (when the Stomach has less energy). Excess of food blocks the descending of the Stomach.

• Sharp pain after eating with abdominal distension.
• Nausea, vomiting.
• Normal tongue
• Slippery pulse.

Treatment

Usually not treated, as it is something occasional that relieves when expelling the food.

• Eliminate food accumulation: CV-10, ST-21, ST-40
• Relieve Stomach pain: CV-12, ST-36, PC-6, SP-4

Gastralgia from Liver-Qi stagnation

Emotions block the Liver-Qi and this aggresses the Stomach.

• Pain associated with nervousness or stress
• Pain radiates to hypochondria
• Sighing
• Normal tongue
• Wiry pulse

Treatment

• Unblock Liver-Qi and harmonize the Stomach: LR-14, HT-7, LR-3, GV-20
• Relieve Stomach pain: CV-12, ST-36, PC-6, SP-4

Gastralgia from Blood stasis

Gastric ulcer. According to Chinese medicine the causes are all the above. According to Western medicine it is the Helicobacter Pylori bacteria and is treated with antibiotics.

• Chronic pain, intense at specific moments.
• Pain is fixed, stabbing.
• Bleeding: black stools or vomiting with blood

Treatment

• Eliminate blood stasis activating the circulation of Qi and Blood (only when there is no bleeding): SP-6, BL-17, LR-3, LI-4
• Relieve Stomach pain: CV-12, ST-36, PC-6, SP-4

Gastralgia from Spleen/Stomach-Yang deficiency

From weak constitution, chronic illness, inadequate diet for a long time.

• Mild chronic pain
• Pain relieves with heat and palpation
• Fatigue, abdominal distension, loss of appetite, pasty stools
• Feeling of cold
• Pale, swollen tongue with tooth marks
• Fine, weak, slow pulse and slippery if there is dampness.

Treatment

• Tonify Spleen/Stomach-Yang: Moxibustion at BL-20, SP-6, BL-21, GV-4, CV-4
• Relieve Stomach pain: CV-12, ST-36, PC-6, SP-4

Gastralgia from Stomach-Yin deficiency

See: Stomach-Yin deficiency

• Mild chronic pain with burning sensation in the stomach.
• Desire to eat, but eats little. Gets full immediately.
• Dry mouth and throat
• Dry stools.
• Red tongue without coating, may have cracks
• Rapid, fine pulse

Treatment

• Tonify Stomach-Yin: BL-20, SP-6, BL-21, SP-3, KI-3, LU-7, KI-6
• Relieve Stomach pain: CV-12, ST-36, PC-6, SP-4

Other treatments

Auriculotherapy

Shen Men, Stomach, Duodenum, Spleen, Liver, Sympathetic nerve

Digitopuncture

BL-20, BL-21, GV-9, ST-36, PC-6, ashi points of the back.