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.
Feeling of oppression can be the consequence of several so-called “patterns of disharmony” in Chinese Medicine.
Chinese Medicine sees the body as a system, not a sum of isolated parts. A "pattern" is when the system's harmony is disrupted, leading to symptoms or signs that something is wrong (like feeling of oppression here). It is similar to the concept of disease in Western Medicine but not quite: a Western disease can often be explained by several Chinese patterns and vice-versa.
A pattern often manifests itself in a combination of symptoms that, at first glance, do not seem necessarily related to each others. For instance here feeling of oppression is often associated with dampness, loose stools and frequent urination in the pattern “Yin Excess”.
Once identified, patterns are treated using medicinal herbs, acupuncture, and other therapies. In the case of feeling of oppression we’ve identified two herbal formulas that may help treat patterns behind the symptom.
We’ve also selected below the four medicinal herbs that we think are most likely to help treat feeling of oppression.
Yin Excess, a "pattern of disharmony" that can cause feeling of oppression
In Chinese Medicine feeling of oppression is a symptom for the pattern "Yin Excess". Below is a small explanation for it with links for more details.
Water Plantain (Ze Xie) is the king ingredient for Wu Ling San, a formula used for Yin Excess
Yin Excess
Pulse type(s): Slippery (Hua), Tight (Jin), Wiry (Xian), Full (Shi)
Tongue coating: Thick white coating
Tongue color: Pale
Excess Yin is a Full Yin state pattern. Its symptoms are like those of the Cold and Damp Heat Pernicious Influences such as Edema. It is a result of over-exposure to cold environments and bad diet.
In addition to feeling of oppression, other symptoms associated with Yin Excess include dampness, loose stools and frequent urination.
Yin Excess is often treated with Wu Ling San, a herbal formula made of 5 herbs (including Water Plantain - Ze Xie - as a key herb). Wu Ling San belongs to the category of "formulas that promote urination and leach out dampness", which might be why it is often recommended for this pattern. Its main action as a formula is: "Promotes urination,".
Two herbal formulas that might help with feeling of oppression
Wu Pi Yin
Source date: 1107 AD
Number of ingredients: 5 herbs
Key actions: Reduces edema, diuretic. Regulates and strengthens Spleen Qi.
Why might Wu Pi Yin help with feeling of oppression?
Because it is a formula often recommended to treat the pattern 'Yin Excess' of which feeling of oppression is a symptom.
Other symptoms characteristic of Yin Excess include dampness, loose stools and frequent urination.
Wu Ling San
Source date: 220 AD
Number of ingredients: 5 herbs
Key actions: Promotes urination,. Warms the Yang. Strengthens the Spleen. Promotes Qi transformation function. Drains Dampness. Clears edema.
Why might Wu Ling San help with feeling of oppression?
Because it is a formula often recommended to treat the pattern 'Yin Excess' of which feeling of oppression is a symptom.
Other symptoms characteristic of Yin Excess include dampness, loose stools and frequent urination.
The four Chinese Medicinal herbs most likely to help treat feeling of oppression
Why might Poria-Cocos Mushroom (Fu Ling) help with feeling of oppression?
Because Poria-Cocos Mushroom is an ingredient in several formulas indicated to treat feeling of oppression as a symptom, like Wu Pi Yin or Wu Ling San for instance.
Poria-Cocos Mushrooms is a Neutral herb that tastes Sweet. It targets the Spleen, the Heart, the Kidney and the Lung.
Its main actions are: Encourages urination and drains Dampness. Tonic to the Spleen/Stomach. Assists the Heart and calms the Spirit.
Why might Mulberry Bark (Sang Bai Pi) help with feeling of oppression?
Because it is a key herb in Wu Pi Yin, a herbal formula indicated to treat the pattern 'Yin Excess' (a pattern with feeling of oppression as a symptom)
Mulberry Bark is a Cold herb that tastes Sweet. It targets the Lung.
Its main actions are: Clears heat from the lung, relieves asthma and induce urination to disperse swelling
Why might Water Plantain (Ze Xie) help with feeling of oppression?
Because it is a key herb in Wu Ling San, a herbal formula indicated to treat the pattern 'Yin Excess' (a pattern with feeling of oppression as a symptom)
Water Plantain is a Cold herb that tastes Sweet. It targets the Bladder and the Kidney.
Its main actions are: Causes urination and removes Damp-Heat
Why might Ginger Peel (Sheng Jiang Pi) help with feeling of oppression?
Because it is a key herb in Wu Pi Yin, a herbal formula indicated to treat the pattern 'Yin Excess' (a pattern with feeling of oppression as a symptom)
Ginger Peel is a Cool herb that tastes Pungent. It targets the Spleen and the Lung.
Its main actions are: Promotes urination and reduces edema at its early onset. Disperses the Exterior.
Other symptoms often associated with feeling of oppression
Dampness Loose stools Frequent urination Edema Feeling of heaviness Forceful but slow movement Epigastric pain worsen by pressure Profuse urination Nausea Heavy vaginal discharge