ABDOMINAL MASSES

Clinical Manifestations
  • Masses generally result from deficiency of Qi and blood so that blood becomes static and Phlegm arises and gels. Masses are generally located in the Blood Level. In the early stage, genuine Qi has not been damaged; evil Qi is strong, but not extremely so. During this phase the mass is relatively small and is relatively soft, and the patient’s general condition is fair. In the middle stage, genuine Qi is declining and evil Qi gaining strength. The mass is now larger and firmer on palpation. Pain is now continual, and is accompanied by worsening appetite, weakness and wasting. In the late stage, genuine Qi is depleted and evil Qi very strong. The mass has increased further in size and is now very hard. Pain is severe, and is accompanied by marked anorexia, dusky or sallow complexion, and severe emaciation.
    Location of Mass: The specific visceral organ affected determines the location of the mass. A mass in the right subcostal abdomen, accompanied by subcostal stabbing pain, jaundice and abdominal distention is located in the liver. A mass in the epigastrium, accompanied by vomiting or hematemesis, is located in the stomach. A mass in the right abdomen, accompanied by diarrhea or constipation, emaciation and weakness, is located in the intestines. A mass in the left abdomen, accompanied by increased frequency of defecation and feces that contain pus and blood, is also located in the intestines.
Treatment Principle
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Itching or tickling in the throat
  • Cough with expectoration of thin, watery or frothy white sputum
  • Chills with low grade fever
  • Anhidrosis
  • No thirst
  • Headache
  • Aversion to Wind
  • Blocked and / or runny nose with clear, watery nasal discharge
  • Sneezing
  • General body aches
  • Maybe asthma
  • T: Pink
  • C: Thin, white and moist
  • P: Superficial and tight
Treatment Principle
  • Expel Wind
  • Dispel Cold
  • Resolve Phlegm
Herb Formulas
Points

Clinical Manifestations
  • Itching or tickling in the throat
  • Wheezing
  • Sneezing
  • Gasping
  • Cough with expectoration of thin, watery or frothy white sputum
  • General body aches
  • No thirst
  • Dyspnea
  • Headache
  • Body aches
  • A sensation of heaviness
  • Chills with low grade fever
  • Maybe asthma
  • Intolerance of Cold
  • Anhidrosis
  • Blocked and/or runny nose with watery nasal discharge
  • Chest discomfort
  • Neck stiffness
  • Irritability
  • T: Pink
  • C: Thin, white and moist
  • P: Superficial and tight
Treatment Principle
  • Disperse Wind-Cold
  • Induce diaphoresis
  • Dispel Dampness
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • High fever (sometimes rises and falls)
  • Great thirst
  • Profuse perspiration
  • Aversion to Heat
  • Abdominal pain (worse with pressure)
  • Abdominal distension
  • Dryness
  • Constipation (hard dry knots)
  • Dislikes pressure
  • Restlessness
  • Irritability
  • Mental disturbances:
    Mentally unclear
    Delirious speech
  • T:  Red and dry, or black and moist
  • C:  Thick yellow or dry yellow
  • P:  Deep, strong and forceful
Treatment Principle
  • Purge the Intestines
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • This can also be called Blood Stagnation in the Large Intestine, Blood and Heat Stagnation in the Large Intestine or Toxic Heat in the Large Intestine
  • Pain in the lower right abdomen; refuses pressure
  • Pain may be severe, boring, and in a fixed position or without fixed location
  • Constipation or
  • Mild diarrhea
  • Maybe fever
  • Maybe nausea and vomiting
  • Anorexia
  • T: Red
  • C:Thick, yellow and greasy or sticky
  • P: Rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Clear Heat
  • Transform Dampness
  • Invigorate Blood circulation
  • Conduct Stagnation.
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Immovable lumps around the umbilicus-worse with pressure
  • Acute pain and pressure
  • Sharp, stabbing epigastric pain with a fixed location
  • Abdominal and flank distention worse with pressure
  • Dislike of pressure and Heat on epigastrium
  • Pain predominates over distention or
  • Pain but no distention
  • Worse after eating
  • Epigastric rumbling
  • Vomiting purple / black blood
  • Stools with blood like tar (melaena)
  • May be abdominal or epigastric lumps or masses
  • Sweating of head
  • Heartburn
  • Afternoon mental depression and anxiety
  • Fright
  • Frequent low grade fever or afternoon
  • Fever with cold limbs
  • Withered, sallow complexion
  • Emaciation
  • Protracted course of development
  • T: Dark purple with purple spots or dots
  • C: Normal
  • P: Choppy or Full and rapid in the QI position or Wiry and choppy
Treatment Principle
  • Adjust Qi
  • Transform Stagnation
  • Stop pain
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Pale complexion or
  • Facial color dark and dull
  • Pale lips
  • Blurred or failing vision
  • Spots before eyes
  • Dizziness
  • Dry eyes
  • Pale nail beds
  • Irritability
  • Frightens easily
  • Insomnia with much dreaming
  • Tinnitus
  • Numbness of limbs
  • Light menses or amenorrhea
  • Late menses
  • Irregular menses
  • Dysmenorrhea
  • Emaciation
  • Sides and ribs distended on both sides (maybe with sharp pain)
  • Enlargement of the Liver and Spleen
  • Suffocating sensation in chest
  • Melancholy
  • Depression
  • Inappropriate anger
  • Breast distention and pain before and during menses
  • T: Pale or Dark purple (maybe purple spots on edge of tongue)
  • C: Little
  • P: Thready or Wiry, choppy and slow
Treatment Principle
  • Nourish the Liver
  • Reinforce Blood.
  • Activate Blood circulation
  • Soften hardness.
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Abdominal mass which is localized and hard
  • Continuous cramping pain in the abdomen
  • Pain is not severe
  • Pain is relieved by pressure
  • Edema of the feet
  • Urinary difficulty
  • Slight edema (primarily of the lower limbs)
  • Symptoms generally occur during pregnancy
  • Pale face
  • Fatigue
  • Heaviness of head
  • Lassitude
  • Lower abdominal pain
  • Dizziness
  • Tinnitus
  • Lumbago
  • Edema
  • Abdominal pain with edema during pregnancy due to Blood Deficiency and abnormal water circulation
  • Oliguria
  • Palpitations
  • Cold feet
  • Extreme coldness of the hands and feet
  • Vertigo
  • Weakness and numbness of lower back and legs during pregnancy or postpartum
  • Mal position of the fetus
  • Dysmenorrhea
  • Irregular menstruation
  • Right upper quadrant pain
  • Hepatomegaly
  • Anemia
  • Lack of energy
  • Sore back
  • Thirst with no desire to drink
  • T: Pale or pink maybe petechiae on margin
  • C: Thin or Greasy white
  • P: Deep and weak or Soft, floating, small and slow or Wiry and small or Wiry and rough
Treatment Principle
  • Nourish Liver Blood
  • Soften the Liver
  • Spread Liver Qi
  • Strengthen the Spleen
  • Resolve Dampness
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Hypochondriac and chest pain
  • Dry, parched mouth and throat
  • Bitter taste in mouth
  • Acid regurgitation
  • Epigastric and abdominal distention
  • T: Red and dry
  • P: Thready and weak or Wiry and Deficient
Treatment Principle
  • Enrich Kidney and Liver Yin
  • Spread Liver Qi
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Hard mass
  • progressively worsening pain
  • sallow or dusky complexion
  • Extreme emaciation
  • Fatigue
  • Loose stools
  • Anorexia
  • Dizziness
  • Weak voice
  • Reluctance to speak
  • Sweating with little or no exertion
  • T: Pale purple
  • C: None
  • P: Thready and rapid or Taut and thready
Treatment Principle
  • Tonify Qi
  • Nourish the Blood
  • Release Blood Stasis
  • Dissipate masses
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Abdominal masses which are visible when lying down
  • Piercing hypochondriac pain
  • Irritability
  • Indigestion
  • Constipation
  • Dysmenorrhea
  • Amenorrhea
  • Chronic diarrhea
  • Daybreak diarrhea
  • Palpable abdominal masses
  • Irregular menstruation
  • Breast distention
  • Abdominal tumors
  • Hypochondriac distention
  • T: Purple with purple spots on the side
  • P: Wiry, choppy and tight
Treatment Principle
  • Invigorate the Blood
  • Dispel Blood Stasis
  • Move Qi
  • Alleviate pain
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Facial color dark and dull
  • Emaciation
  • Sides and ribs distended on both sides (maybe with sharp pain)
  • Enlargement of the Liver and Spleen
  • Suffocating sensation in chest
  • Tendency to sigh
  • Melancholy
  • Depression
  • Irritability
  • Inappropriate anger
  • Irregular menses
  • Dysmenorrhea
  • Breast distention and pain before and during menses
  • Anorexia
  • Edema
  • Abdominal distention
  • Chest and hypochondriac distention
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Thirst with no desire to drink
  • Maybe no thirst
  • Palpitations
  • Shortness of Breath
  • T: Varies from Normal to Dark purple (maybe purple spots on edge of tongue)
  • C: Thick and slippery
  • P: Wiry, choppy and slow or Slippery, full and maybe wiry
Treatment Principle
  • Circulate Qi
  • Invigorate the Blood
  • Break up Stasis
  • Eliminate Phlegm
  • Warm Cold
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Abdominal masses
  • Irregular and painful periods or
  • Delayed menstruation with decreased menses or
  • Dysmenorrhea
  • The menses may become dark purple in color and contain many clots
  • May be abdominal pain with guarding
  • Pain in the lower abdomen
  • Irritability
  • Manic behavior
  • Frequent abdominal pain
  • Mental restlessness
  • T: Purple or Pale with purple dots
  • C: Normal
  • P: Wiry or Choppy or Thin and wiry or Taut and thready
Treatment Principle
  • Invigorate the Blood
  • Promote Qi circulation
  • Dispel Stasis
  • Regulate menstruation
  • Promote conception
  • Pacify the Liver and the Chong channel
  • Nourish the uterus
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Rapidly developing jaundice with a gold color
  • High fever
  • Restlessness
  • Irritability
  • Thirst
  • Foul breath
  • Vomiting
  • Abdominal pain
  • Constipation
  • Scanty urine
  • Skin rashes
  • Epistaxis
  • Bleeding gums
  • Muscular spasms or
  • Convulsions
  • Hypochondriac and Stomach fullness and pain
  • Unclear thinking
  • Delirium
  • Epistaxis
  • Hematochezia
  • Bleeding from the mouth
  • Bruises easily
  • T: Deep red
  • C: Dry yellow
  • P: Rapid
Treatment Principle
  • Clear Heat
  • Resolves toxicity
  • Cool the Blood
  • Stop pain
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Local redness
  • Swelling and pain
  • Maybe fever and chills
  • T: Normal
  • C: Thin white or yellow
  • P: Rapid and forceful
Treatment Principle
  • Clear Heat
  • Eliminate toxins
  • Reduce swelling
  • Soften hardness
  • Activate Blood circulation
  • Stop pain
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Fixed growing lumps in the epigastrium with pain - worse with
  • pressure
  • Nausea
  • Emaciation
  • Loss of facial luster
  • Loss of luster of lips
  • Fullness of epigastrium
  • Acid regurgitation
  • Eructation
  • Loose stools
  • Constipation
  • T: Normal
  • C: Thick, turbid
  • P: Deep and choppy
Treatment Principle
  • Clear Food
  • Conduct Stagnation
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Mass below and slightly to the right of the xiphoid process (xyphomegaly)
  • Maybe with jaundice
  • Maybe with muscular atrophy
  • Maybe weak limbs
  • Stuffy chest due to Qi Depression
  • Formless accumulations in the hypochondrium with jerking pain
  • Relapse of pain after eating cold food
  • Discomfort in the epigastrium
  • Anorexia
  • T: Normal
  • C: Thin white
  • P: Wiry and choppy
Treatment Principle
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Xuan =cord like swelling at the sides of the umbilicus
  • Pi = mass in the hypochondrium which is palpable only during episodic pain
  • Protrusion of a mass on both sides of the umbilicus with unbearable pain
  • Size: from finger to fist
  • Tight as a bowstring
  • May manifest between ribs
  • T: Normal
  • C: Thin white
  • P: Wiry and choppy
Treatment Principle
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Irritating pain which may radiate upward from the lower abdomen to the waist and flanks
  • Severe pain during paroxysmal attack when obvious protrusion can be seen
  • No protrusion, no pain
  • Frequent impeded urination
  • Abnormal leukorrhea
  • T: Normal
  • C: Thin
  • P: Wiry and tight or Choppy
Treatment Principle
  • Eliminate Stasis
  • Warm the Blood
Herb Formulas
Points
Clinical Manifestations
  • Shi Jia=amenorrhea
  • Chong Tan=No interruption
  • Associated with ovarian cyst
  • Palpable lumps in the abdomen
  • Size: from a chicken egg to a fetus
  • Lumps are hard and movable
  • May interrupt menstruation
Treatment Principle
Herb Formulas
Points