Spleen Qi Deficiency
Spleen Qi Deficiency
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Diagnostic Signs
Pale or normal tongue with thin white coating. Possible swollen with tooth marks on sides and transverse cracks
Empty (Xu)
Key Characteristic Symptoms
Other Associated Symptoms
Diagnostic Considerations
The key characteristic symptoms of this pattern are the poor appetite, general fatigue and loose stools.
Causes & Pathology
Common Causes
Nowadays our diets are rich in sugars, fats, iced drinks, junk food and cold raw foods. This harms the Spleen function of transformation and transportation and leads to Spleen Qi Deficiency. Other bad eating habits also impair Spleen Qi, such as inconsistent meals, eating standing up or on the run, eating while reading or discussing business over meals, eating too little or too much food, or eating a protein-deficient diet.
Emotional stress, especially pensiveness and worry, can greatly weakened the Spleen function and cause Deficiency there.
Prolonged exposure to external Dampness can largely harm the Spleen and cause Deficiency there. The Dampness here can be a nature environment or artificial ones such as air condition or refrigerated storage spaces.
Any long-term illness tends to weaken the Spleen, causing Deficient Spleen Qi.
Mental-excertion on work or study can largely deplete the Spleen Qi and cause its Deficiency.
Pathological Mechanism
Spleen Qi Deficiency is one of the most commonly seen disharmony. The three most common causes for this pattern are unhealthy diet, emotional stress and mental-excertion as they can largely harm the transformation and transportation function of the Spleen. This pattern gives rise to various digesting issues such as poor appetite, slightly abdominal distension and pain after eating, gas, bloating and or loose stools.
When the Spleen Qi is weak, it fails to transport Food-Qi throughout the body, hence the symptoms of pale tongue and complexion, general fatigue and lassitude. The patients would rather to lie down. The Food-Qi can neither travel to the four limbs to nourish them, resulting in weak limbs.
When the Spleen Qi is Deficient for a long period of time, Body Fluids can not be transformed properly. It then accumulates and form Dampness and Phlegm. It leads to symptoms such as overweight or even obesity.
Spleen Qi Deficiency is the central pattern to all other Spleen disharmonies. For example, Spleen Yang Deficiency is just a further stage of Spleen Qi Deficiency. Spleen Qi sinking is a type of Spleen Qi Deficiency with sinking Qi. The pattern of Spleen not holding Blood is almost the same as Spleen Qi Deficiency when Deficient Spleen Qi fails to hold Blood in the vessels. Lastly Spleen Blood Deficiency indicates that the Spleen Blood making function is impaired due to insufficient Spleen Qi.
Treatment Approach
Treatment Principle
Tonify Spleen Qi
Recommended Herbal Formulas
Diet & Lifestyle Recommendations
Eat only cooked foods, including rice, millet, meat (especially beef), winter squash, vegetables, greens, aduki beans, congee and warm or room temperature drinks such as warm milk with ginger, cinnamon or cardamom and honey.
Avoid cold, raw vegetables and fruits, juices, iced drinks, ice cream and frozen yogurt, salads, uncooked foods and the excessive use of sugar and other sweeteners.
As for other therapies, try breathing exercises, meditation or moxibustion over the lower abdomen and Kidneys.
As for sport, try mild aerobic exercise such as Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, swimming, walking or light cycling. Do avoid intense exercise.
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