Stomach: Upper abdomen. The function of digestion, mainly digestion, with descending as the norm.
General prescription: Abdominal massage, moxibustion, golden thread, guiding fire back to its origin.
Symptoms: (When experiencing abdominal pain, stomach bloating, and a feeling of pressure in the chest, the stomach may be diseased) abdominal pain, stomach bloating, acid reflux, acid swallowing, heartburn, burning sensation in the stomach, dry mouth, loose stools, and vomiting are all related to the stomach.

I. Physiological Functions and Pathological Core of the Stomach

1. Physiological Characteristics of the Stomach

• Official of the Granary: Responsible for receiving and digesting food, closely related to the spleen, jointly managing digestion (from “The Spiritual Pivot of the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon”).
• Descending as the Norm: Stomach qi needs to descend, stagnation leads to bloating, and upward movement causes acid reflux.

2. Core Pathogenesis of Stomach Diseases

• Mixed Deficiency and Excess: Qi deficiency leads to weak propulsion (stomach prolapse), yang deficiency fails to warm (cold pain), yin deficiency fails to nourish (burning pain).
• Invasion by External Pathogens: Direct attack by cold (cold congealing in the stomach), food stagnation (food accumulation in the stomach).

II. Differential Diagnosis and Treatment Plans for Stomach Disorders

① Stomach Qi Deficiency – Insufficient stomach qi, insufficient stomach yang, stomach qi not descending

Pale complexion, weight loss; nausea, vomiting, belching, dry vomiting, acid reflux;
Lack of appetite, stomach bloating, dull pain.
Treatment method: Tonify stomach qi, strengthen spleen and qi
Dietary therapy: Jujube, Poria (strengthens spleen and removes dampness), Chinese yam, rice soup
Chinese medicine: Licorice, Atractylodes, Ginseng
Technique: Moxibustion
Note: For dull stomach pain due to stomach qi deficiency, moxibustion can be used

② Stomach Yang Deficiency – Stomach cold syndrome (progressing from stomach qi deficiency to stomach yang deficiency, leading to internal cold)

Yang deficiency generates cold, insufficient stomach yang, the stomach loses warmth, resulting in cold stomach pain, chills, stomach spasms, preference for warmth and pressure;
Insufficient stomach yang cannot control water, causing it to rise, vomiting clear water;
Fear of cold, cold limbs, preference for hot water.
Treatment method: Warm the stomach and dispel cold
Dietary therapy: Ginger and jujube soup (ginger: calms the stomach and stops vomiting), ginger and pig stomach soup.
Technique: Abdominal massage, moxibustion, golden thread

③ Stomach Yin Deficiency – Insufficient stomach yin

Mainly corresponds to insufficient water, the stomach loses nourishment, dryness, burning stomach pain, hunger without desire to eat, dry mouth and tongue, dry throat, constipation
Tongue: Peeling, where the peeling occurs on the tongue indicates yin deficiency
Treatment: (Sweet and cool can nourish yin) sugarcane, Ophiopogon, Dendrobium, old duck soup, Chinese yam, lily
Technique: Spleen 4, Stomach 25 (Stomach 25 needs to be pressed simultaneously, strongly), guiding fire back to its origin

④ Cold Congealing in the Stomach – Cold attacking the stomach, an extension of stomach yang deficiency, mainly due to insufficient stomach yang, with additional external cold, a real condition

Note: Wear more, avoid exposing the belly and ankles, pay attention to lifestyle advice
Symptoms: Cold pain, preference for warmth and pressure; nausea, vomiting, regurgitation of clear water; cold limbs.
Treatment: Hot compress (hot water bottle, hot salt pack, usually 15-20 minutes), moxibustion
Regulation: Warm the middle and dispel cold, promote qi and relieve pain
Acupoints: Spleen 4 for pain relief, Stomach 36 for promoting qi
Dietary therapy: Galangal, Fennel

⑤ Food Stagnation in the Stomach – Food accumulation

Cause: Overeating, irregular diet, fast food not digesting. Abdominal bloating, abdominal pain
Symptoms: Bad breath, vomiting, loss of appetite, eating less, foul-smelling stools, if constipation is due to food accumulation, it must be due to qi stagnation, the internal organs’ qi is blocked, causing constipation, food reflux, acid reflux, vomiting
Treatment: Prioritize clearing.
General prescription: Stomach 44, Spleen 4, Stomach 36
Dietary therapy: Hawthorn, malt, chicken gizzard lining, Jiao San Xian (do not use hawthorn in cases of strong stomach and weak spleen; for postpartum abdominal pain, coronary heart disease, angina, use hawthorn to disperse blood stasis)
Medicine: Shuxin capsule (contains hawthorn) can be used for coronary heart disease, angina emergencies
Technique: Lung 5 + Pericardium 6, Laogong. Rub Laogong towards the tip of the middle finger, rub to the outside of the middle finger.
Dietary therapy: Yam porridge, jujube and lotus seed porridge (strengthens spleen, nourishes stomach, stops diarrhea, calms the heart and mind), millet porridge, coix seed porridge, longan porridge, pumpkin porridge, monkey head mushroom chicken soup
Note: Cooking rice and coix seed together can cause edema

III. Special Therapies and Practical Guidelines

1. Techniques and Acupoint Regulation

• Stomach Qi Deficiency:
  • Golden Thread Lifting: Lift from Tiantu to Jiuwei along the Ren meridian to enhance stomach qi descent.
  • Moxibustion at Zusanli: 15 minutes daily to tonify stomach qi (from “The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion”).
• Food Stagnation in the Stomach:
  • Bloodletting at Neiting: Use a three-edged needle to prick and bleed 3-5 drops to clear stomach heat.
  • Rubbing Laogong: Quickly rub towards the tip of the middle finger to promote gastrointestinal motility.

2. Analysis of Classic Formulas

• Four Gentlemen Decoction: Ginseng tonifies qi, Atractylodes strengthens the spleen, Poria removes dampness, Licorice harmonizes, the basic formula for treating stomach qi deficiency.
• Yiwei Decoction: Glehnia and Ophiopogon nourish yin, Polygonatum and Rehmannia nourish the stomach, paired with rock sugar to moisten dryness.

IV. Dietary Therapy and Daily Care

1. Food and Medicine Homology Plan

• Stomach Qi Deficiency:
  • Yam and Poria Porridge: 100g yam + 30g Poria + japonica rice cooked into porridge, strengthens spleen and tonifies qi.
  • Astragalus and Jujube Tea: 10g Astragalus + 5 jujubes boiled into a drink, tonifies qi.
• Stomach Yin Deficiency:
  • Dendrobium and Ophiopogon Lean Meat Soup: 10g Dendrobium + 15g Ophiopogon + lean pork stewed, nourishes yin and moistens dryness.
  • Autumn Pear Paste: Duck pear + honey boiled into a paste, relieves stomach dryness and dry throat.

2. Taboos and Health Preservation

• Dietary Taboos: Avoid cold foods (iced drinks, sashimi) for stomach cold, avoid spicy foods (chili, barbecue) for stomach heat.
• Schedule Suggestions: The stomach meridian is active during Chen time (7-9 AM), drink ginger and jujube tea on an empty stomach in the morning to warm the stomach.

V. Modern Research and Classic Origins

• “The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon”: “Eating twice as much harms the intestines and stomach” – emphasizes the importance of dietary moderation for the stomach.
• Modern Research: Moxibustion at Zhongwan point can increase pepsin activity, improving indigestion (from “Chinese Acupuncture”, 2023).
• Tongue Manifestations: Pale tongue with white coating (stomach qi deficiency) versus red tongue with little coating (stomach yin deficiency) as key points for differentiation.

Note: The therapies described in this article require guidance from a Chinese medicine practitioner. Organic diseases (such as stomach ulcers, tumors) require combined treatment with Western medicine. The dosages of formulas are for adult standard use, and clinical application needs to be adjusted individually.