Atrophic gastritis according to Chinese Medicine

In Chinese Medicine, atrophic gastritis is sometimes associated with Phlegm-Fluids above the diaphragm, a so-called "patterns of disharmony". Chinese Medicine sees the body as a system, not a sum of isolated parts. A "pattern" is when the system's harmony is disrupted. It is not equivalent to the Western concept of "disease" because both concepts arise from totally different ways of seeing the human body.

To understand whether someone's atrophic gastritis might be caused by the pattern Phlegm-Fluids above the diaphragm, one needs to look for signs and symptoms associated with the pattern beyond what one might typically experience from atrophic gastritis alone. Indeed if atrophic gastritis is caused by Phlegm-Fluids above the diaphragm, patients also experience symptoms such as alternating fever and chills, absence of sweating, wheezing and stifling sensation in the chest. Similarly, patients with Phlegm-Fluids above the diaphragm typically exhibit floating (Fu) or tight (Jin) pulses as well as a tongue with thick white coating.

We've listed below a more detailed description of Phlegm-Fluids above the diaphragm so that you can have a better understanding of where atrophic gastritis might find its root according to Chinese Medicine.

Once identified, patterns are often treated using herbal formulas. Drinking herbal infusions is the most common remedy in Chinese Medicine, together with acupuncture. Here we detail below three formulas that can help treat Phlegm-Fluids above the diaphragm.

Phlegm-Fluids above the diaphragm, a "pattern of disharmony" associated with atrophic gastritis

The three herbal formulas that might help with atrophic gastritis