What are the symptoms of poor spleen and stomach, and how to treat it?

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the body's qi and blood are transformed by the spleen and stomach from food, so the spleen and stomach are the foundation of acquired constitution. So what are the symptoms of poor spleen and stomach? How to regulate poor spleen and stomach?

Symptoms of poor spleen and stomach

1. Signal: Constipation

Tip: Stomach heat

For those with stomach heat, food residues move downward slowly and water is easily lost, becoming very dry by the time they reach the large intestine, thus leading to constipation. In contrast, the stool is often unformed and very watery, which is mostly caused by spleen and stomach deficiency and coldness.

Solution: People with constipation can try the abdominal pushing method, which is to place one hand on the lower edge of the left lung and press the other hand on it, and massage evenly with force. This method can promote gastrointestinal motility and accelerate the downward movement of food residues. For those with diarrhea, warm moxibustion can be applied to the Zhongwan point (4 inches above the navel), Zusanli point (press the knee with the palm of your hand, one horizontal finger outward from the tip of your middle finger), Guanyuan point (3 inches below the navel) and other acupoints, and drinking one cup of ginger, jujube and brown sugar water every day to improve symptoms.

2. Signal: Relaxed body muscles, less muscle and more fat

Tip: Weak spleen and stomach

If a person's muscles are loose and inelastic, or if he has little muscle and a lot of fat, it is mostly due to weak spleen and stomach.

Solution: People with weak spleen and stomach can exercise their toes and massage their calves frequently.

Tips for regulating the spleen and stomach

The first step:

Regulate the relationship between the spleen and stomach, clarify the priorities and do a good job in prevention and treatment

The spleen and stomach are the main digestive organs of the human body, and have an internal and external relationship. The stomach is responsible for receiving and the spleen is responsible for transportation and transformation. The two coordinate with each other and work together to complete the digestive function. Therefore, Chinese medicine calls the spleen and stomach "the foundation of acquired constitution."

The stomach is responsible for "receiving" fermented food and water. "Reception" refers to the stomach's acceptance and storage of food, and "decomposition" refers to the stomach's function of initially digesting food. After initial digestion in the stomach, food is divided into two parts: "clear" and "turbid". The clear part is body fluid, which is absorbed, transported and delivered to all parts of the body by the spleen. Hence, there is a saying that "the spleen circulates body fluids for the stomach." The turbid part goes down from the stomach to the small intestine for further digestion.

The spleen is responsible for transportation and transformation, which mainly refers to the process of digesting, absorbing and transporting nutrients. One of the main functions of the spleen is to be in charge of transportation and digestion. Food and water enter the stomach. After initial digestion in the stomach, it is sent to the spleen for further digestion and absorption.

The second method:

Treat the spleen and stomach together and find the right method to solve the problem

The spleen is responsible for transportation and transformation. When there is a problem with the spleen, the nutrients digested by the stomach cannot be transported to other parts of the body, and it cannot replenish nutrients to the stomach. The main symptoms caused by spleen disease include: stomach bloating and pain, decreased appetite, indigestion, etc. The stomach is responsible for receiving food. When there is a problem with the stomach, symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, belching, and hiccups are likely to occur.

It can be seen from this that the symptoms of spleen and stomach diseases basically appear at the same time, which is why it is difficult to solve the problem by usually "treating the stomach for stomachache". According to TCM theory, stomach problems belong to the category of spleen and stomach problems. When treating stomach problems, spleen problems must also be addressed, truly “treating both the spleen and stomach together.”