Lung Qi Deficiency and Liver Qi Stagnation

At a glance

Preliminary reading: What is a pattern?

Diagnosis

Common symptoms: Coughing Dizziness Headaches Depression Moving pain and two other symptoms

Pulse type(s): Empty (Xu), Tight (Jin)

Tongue coating: Thin white coating

Tongue color: Normal (light red), Pale

Treatment

Common formulas: Xiao Chai Hu Tang

Pathology

Lung Qi Deficiency and Liver Qi Stagnation is a pattern of disharmony in Chinese Medicine.

Chinese Medicine views the human body as a complex system that tends toward harmony. A pattern of disharmony is a disorder that prevents that harmony from occurring.

Patterns give rise to symptoms that may at first glance seem unrelated from a Western standpoint but that actually make a lot of sense when one understands Chinese Medicine theory. For instance here Lung Qi Deficiency and Liver Qi Stagnation gives rise to such diverse symptoms as coughing, hypochondrium fullness, dizziness and headaches (as well as three others).

To diagnose a pattern, analyzing a patient's pulse as well as their tongue is common practice. In the case of Lung Qi Deficiency and Liver Qi Stagnation patients tend to exhibit empty (Xu) or tight (Jin) pulses as well as a normal (light red), pale tongue with thin white coating.

Patterns aren't exactly the Chinese Medicine equivalent to Western diseases, they're rather the underlying causes behind diseases or health conditions. Here Lung Qi Deficiency and Liver Qi Stagnation is thought to sometimes induce conditions such as chronic gastritis, peptic ulcers or hepatitis (as well as eighteen others).

Diagnosing Lung Qi Deficiency and Liver Qi Stagnation

Pulse type(s): Empty (Xu) or tight (Jin)

Tongue coating: Thin white coating

Tongue color: Normal (light red), Pale

Main symptoms: Coughing Dizziness Headaches Depression Moving pain Listlessness Hypochondrium fullness

Treating Lung Qi Deficiency and Liver Qi Stagnation

Herbal formulas used to treat Lung Qi Deficiency and Liver Qi Stagnation

Xiao Chai Hu Tang

Source date: 220 AD

Number of ingredients: 7 herbs

Key actions: Treats the Lesser Yang Channels (Gallbladder and Triple Warmer). Regulates the Liver and Spleen functions. Addresses combined Yin-Yang symptoms of External and Internal, Excess and Deficiency, and Hot and Cold.

Formula summary

Xiao Chai Hu Tang is a 7-ingredient Chinese Medicine formula. Invented in 220 AD, it belongs to the category of formulas that harmonize lesser Yang-warp disorders.

Besides Lung Qi Deficiency and Liver Qi Stagnation, Xiao Chai Hu Tang is also used to treat Phlegm-Fluids in the Stomach and Small intestine or Lesser Yang stage.

Read more about Xiao Chai Hu Tang

Related conditions

Chronic gastritis Peptic ulcers Hepatitis Premenstrual syndrome Chronic cholecystitis Intercostal neuralgia Migraine Epilepsy Conjunctivitis Upper respiratory tract infections Angina Malaria Pneumonia Pancreatis Pleurisy Tonsillitis Bronchial asthma Perimenstrual fevers Allergic rhinitis Periaural eczema Parotiditis