Cold invading the Large Intestine
Cold invading the Large Intestine
Educational content • Consult qualified TCM practitioners for diagnosis and treatment
Diagnostic Signs
Thick white coating
Deep (Chen), Tight (Jin)
Key Characteristic Symptoms
Diagnostic Considerations
Key characteristic symptoms of this pattern are the sudden abdominal pain, diarrhoea and feeling of cold.
Causes & Pathology
Common Causes
This pattern happens if the patients' abdomens are exposed to cold weather without being covered properly or they spend a long time sitting on cold or wet surfaces.
Pathological Mechanism
Like the Stomach and the Uterus, the large Intestine is one of the three Organs that the external Cold can invade directly. It is a Full Cold pattern and the Cold Evil penetrates the Defensive Qi and resides in the Large Intestine. The Cold then impairs the Qi circulation of the Lower Burner, hence the symptoms of sudden abdominal pain and cold sensation in the abdomen. The Cold also disturbs the Large Intestine's function of absorbing Body Fluids and it causes diarrhoea with pain.
The thick tongue coating indicates a Pernicious Influence sudden invasion. The Deep pulse reflects this Pernicious Influence is in the Interior and the Tight pulse suggests there are actual Full Cold.
Treatment Approach
Treatment Principle
Expel Cold from the Large Intestine, warm the Lower Burner.
Recommended Herbal Formulas
Explore More Patterns
Browse all TCM patterns of disharmony