Abdominal Pain - Fu Tong

Definition

In TCM Internal Medicine, Fu Tong is a condition with pains below the stomach and above the pubic symphysis as the main complaint.

Cold invasion into the abdomen and impair middle yang. Cold freezes and causes Qi Stagnation resulting in abdominal pain.
Summer Heat with Dampness invasion into abdomen, gathering in the middle and obstructing Fu organs’ qi resulting in abdominal pain.

Damp Heat: too much spicy, greasy and rich food or alcohol causes damp-heat accumulation and blockage inside resulting in abdominal pain.
Cold Damp: too much cold and raw food causes accumulation of cold-damp, impairment of spleen yang and blockage inside resulting in abdominal pain.
Food Retention: eating spree overloads the stomach and causes retention of food and blockage of Qi resulting in abdominal pain.

Anger causes Liver Qi Stagnation. Stagnated liver qi invades the Spleen resulting in abdominal pain.
Worry and pensiveness cause Spleen Qi Deficiency and the weakened Spleen qi fails in transport, resulting in blockage and pain.

Parasites

Ascariasis. Round worms stirring inside and upsetting normal qi movement, resulting in abdominal pain.

Other Causes

Trauma or operations injure the Zang Fu and Jingluo, resulting in Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis.
Weak constitution in Yang qi, or protracted abdominal pain impairs Spleen Yang, causing Qi and Blood deficiency, Zang Fu Jingluo lack of nourishment and sluggish blood movement, resulting in abdominal pain.

Cold Damp Obstruction

Symptoms: Pain: sudden and severe, aggravated by cold and eased by warmth. Dislike cold, curved in bed, not thirsty, loose faeces or constipation, clear and profuse urination.
Tongue: Thin white coating
Pulse: Wiry and Tight
Treatment strategy: Warm the middle and expel cold
Formula: Tian Xiang Zheng Qi San
Acupoints:

Middle Zang Fu Deficiency and Cold

Symptoms: Pain: dull and protracted, on and off, with preference for warmth and palpation, aggravated by hunger or overwork and eased by food and rest. Loose or watery faeces, dislike cold, lack of shen, breathlessness.
Tongue: Pale with white coating
Pulse: Deep and Thready
Treatment strategy: Sweet and warm to tonify and nourish, invigorate qi and expel cold
Formula: Xiao Jian Zhong Tang
Acupoints:

Symptoms: Pain: abdominal distending pain with pain in epigastrium and hypochondria, moving and radiating to Shao Fu, aggravated by emotions. Eructation with gas, chest distension.
Tongue: Thin coating
Pulse: Wiry or wiry and Thready
Treatment strategy: Soothe the liver and regulate qi
Formula: Chai Hu Shu Gan San
Acupoints:

Symptoms: Pain: stabbing and fixed pain, refusing palpation, protracted. Bloated and distending abdomen.
Tongue: Dull purple
Pulse: Uneven
Treatment strategy: Promote blood circulation to remove stasis.
Formula: Shao Fu Zhu Yu Tang
Acupoints:

Damp Heat Accumulation and Stagnation

Symptoms: Pain: sudden onset and worsening progressively with paroxysmal severe pain, full abdomen refusing palpation. Dry and bitter mouth, fever, dark and scant urine, constipation or sticky defaecation, chest and epigastrium distension, nausea and vomit, eructation with foul smell.
Tongue: Yellow and greasy coating
Pulse: Wiry and Rapid
Treatment strategy: Clear and resolve damp-heat, purge intestines and stagnation
Formula: Da Cheng Qi Tang
Acupoints: