Spleen and Stomach Qi Deficiency
The information provided here is not a replacement for a doctor. You shouldn't use it for the purpose of self-diagnosing or self-medicating but rather so you can have a more informed discussion with a professional TCM practitioner.
At a glance
Preliminary reading: What is a pattern?
Diagnosis
Common symptoms: Deafness Tinnitus Belching Vomiting Diarrhea and ten other symptoms
Pulse type(s): Weak (Ruo)
Tongue color: Pale
Treatment
Common formulas: Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang
Pathology
Spleen and Stomach Qi Deficiency 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 Spleen and Stomach Qi Deficiency gives rise to such diverse symptoms as dizziness, unsteadiness, blurred vision and deafness (as well as seventeen others).
To diagnose a pattern, analyzing a patient's pulse as well as their tongue is common practice. In the case of Spleen and Stomach Qi Deficiency patients tend to exhibit weak (Ruo) pulses as well as a pale tongue.
Patterns aren't exactly the Chinese Medicine equivalent to Western diseases, they're rather the underlying causes behind diseases or health conditions. Here Spleen and Stomach Qi Deficiency is thought to sometimes induce conditions such as spontaneous flow of breast milk, chronic hepatitis or arrhythmia (as well as twelve others).
Diagnosing Spleen and Stomach Qi Deficiency
Diagnosing a pattern in Chinese Medicine is no easy feat and should be left to professional practitioners. In particular one has to know how to differentiate between different types of pulses and tongue coatings, shapes and colors as well as learn to read from a long list of seemingly unrelated symptoms.
Pulse type(s): Weak (Ruo)
Tongue color: Pale
Main symptoms: Fatigue Deafness Tinnitus Belching Vomiting Diarrhea Dizziness Pale face Pale lips Weak voice Watery milk Unsteadiness Loose stools Poor appetite Blurred vision Pale complexion Shortness of breath Abdominal distension Lower abdominal pain No feeling of distension of the breasts Insufficient or absent lactation after childbirth
Treating Spleen and Stomach Qi Deficiency
Herbal formulas used to treat Spleen and Stomach Qi Deficiency
Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang
Source date: 1247
Number of ingredients: 10 herbs
Key actions: Tonifies Qi of the Spleen and Stomach (Middle Burner). Raises the Yang. Detoxifies. Lifts what has sunken.
Formula summary
Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang is a 10-ingredient Chinese Medicine formula. Invented in 1247, it belongs to the category of formulas that tonify Qi.
Besides Spleen and Stomach Qi Deficiency, Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang is also used to treat Qi Deficiency or Qi Collapsing or Qi Sinking.
Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang
Source date: 1675 AD
Number of ingredients: 9 herbs
Key actions: Tonifies Spleen and Stomach Qi. Removes Dampness. Moves Qi. Alleviates pain.
Formula summary
Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang is a 9-ingredient Chinese Medicine formula. Invented in 1675 AD, it belongs to the category of formulas that dispel Phlegm.
Besides Spleen and Stomach Qi Deficiency, Xiang Sha Liu Jun Zi Tang is also used to treat Damp-Phlegm or Damp-Phlegm in the Uterus.
Ren Shen Yang Rong Tang
Source date: 1174 AD
Number of ingredients: 14 herbs
Key actions: Tonifies Qi and Blood. Nourishes the Heart. Calms the spirit.
Formula summary
Ren Shen Yang Rong Tang is a 14-ingredient Chinese Medicine formula. Invented in 1174 AD, it belongs to the category of formulas that tonify.
Besides Spleen and Stomach Qi Deficiency, Ren Shen Yang Rong Tang is also used to treat Blood Deficiency or Qi and Blood Deficiency.
Related conditions
Please keep in mind that a Western Medicine condition can be caused by several Chinese Medicine patterns of disharmony and vice versa. As such a patient suffering from one of the conditions below will not necessarily be suffering from Spleen and Stomach Qi Deficiency, it is just one pattern that's commonly associated with the condition. Click on a condition to learn what other patterns it's associated with.
Spontaneous flow of breast milk Chronic hepatitis Arrhythmia Hypertension Chronic bronchitis Chronic rhinitis Apthous ulcers Chronic laryngitis Uterine prolapse Rectal prolapse Gastroptosis Hernial pain Urinary incontinence Leukorrhea Chyluria
Special highlight: the link between spontaneous flow of breast milk and Spleen and Stomach Qi Deficiency
Ginseng (Ren Shen) is the key herb for Ren Shen Yang Rong Tang, a formula used for spontaneous flow of breast milk caused by Spleen and Stomach Qi Deficiency
Typical symptoms for spontaneous flow of breast milk caused by Spleen and Stomach Qi Deficiency: Fatigue Pale face Pale lips Watery milk Poor appetite No feeling of distension of the breasts Insufficient or absent lactation after childbirth
Recommended herbal formulas: Ren Shen Yang Rong Tang, Ba Zhen Tang
The pathology behind the spontaneous flow of breast milk is a bit similar to that of abnormal uterine bleeding. A key cause is that Qi is not firm enough to hold Body Fluids, be they breast milk or periods' blood, so the Fluids flows out unwantedly. As the Spleen and Stomach are responsible for generating Grain Qi from the intake of food and drinks, Deficiency of both Organs is what ultimately causes the spontaneous flow of breast milk.
A difficult childbirth can be one of the reasons for...Read more about spontaneous flow of breast milk