Tympanites

Type 1: Tympanites due to stagnation of qi
Symptoms:
The abdomen is swollen, with no chang of skin colour, depressed upon pressure but recovered immediately, aggravated by rage, and relieved by eructation. When tapped, it sounds like a drum. Stuffiness and fullness in gastrium and hypochondrium. Scanty dark urine, sticky stool or constipation. Tongue with thin and white coating, wiry and thready pulse.
Principle of treatment:
Soothing liver and regulating circulation of qi, normalizing the function of middle-jiao and removing expension in abdomen. Select points of Liver Meridian of Foot-Jueyin, Stomach Meridian of Foot-Yangming and Ren Meridian. Needling with reducing method.
Prescription:
Danzhong (CV17) Front-Mu Point of the Pericardium (RN17), Zhongwan (CV12) Front-Mu Point of the Stomach (RN12), Qihai (CV6) (RN6), Zusanli (ST36) He-Sea Point (Zusanli (ST36) He-Sea Point) and Taichong (LR3) Shu-Stream, Yuan-Source Point (Taichong (LR3) Shu-Stream, Yuan-Source Point).
Modification according to symptoms:
For constipation, Fujie (SP14) (Fujie (SP14)) is added; for pain in hypochondrium, Yanglingquan (GB34) He-Sea Point, Influential Point of Tendon (Yanglingquan (GB34) He-Sea Point, Influential Point of Tendon) and Zhigou (TE6) (SJ6) are added; for yellow urine, Yinlingquan (SP9) He-Sea Point (Yinlingquan (SP9) He-Sea Point) is added.
Type 2: Ascites
Symptoms:
The abdomen is swollen like a frog, with bright skin, depressed upon pressure but recovered immediately. Edema of lower extremities, distention in gastrium and abdomen, dark and yellow complexion, aversion to cold, lassitude, dribbling urination, loose stool, tougue with white and greasy coating, deep and slow pulse.
Principle of treatment:
Strengthening spleen and replenishing kidney, regulating circulation of qi to induce diuresis. Select points of the Spleen Meridian of Foot-Taiyin, Kidney Meridian of Foot-Shaoyin and as principal points, Back-Shu points as supplementary points. Needling with reducing method. Apply moxibustion at Back-Shu points and Shuifen (CV9) (RN9).
Prescription:
Pishu (BL20) (Pishu (BL20)), Shenshu (BL23) (Shenshu (BL23)), Shuifen (RN9), Fuliu(KI7) Jing-River Point (Fuliu(KI7) Jing-River Point) and Gongsun (SP4) Luo-Connecting Point, The Eight Confluent Point (Gongsun (SP4) Luo-Connecting Point, The Eight Confluent Point).
Modification according to symptoms:
For loose stool, Tianshu (ST25) Front-Mu Point of the Large Intestine (Tianshu (ST25) Front-Mu Point of the Large Intestine) and Shangjuxu (ST37) The Lower He-Sea Point of the Large Intestine (Shangjuxu (ST37) The Lower He-Sea Point of the Large Intestine) are added; for aversion to cold, use moxibustion at Mingmen (GV4) (DU4) and Qihaishu (BL24) (Qihaishu (BL24)).
Type 3: Tympanites due to blood stasis
Symptoms:
The abdomen is swollen and hard. The blue veins appear around umbilicus, depression in hypochondrium, pain as stabbed by needles. Squamous and dry skin, yellow and dark complexion or with thready traces of veins. Vascular nevi may appear in the head,neck, chest and arm. Hectic fever, thirst but not in want of drinking. Black stool, dark-purple tongue with ecchymoses, thready and wiry pulse or uneven pulse.
Principle of treatment:
Promoting circulation of qi of liver and spleen, promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. Select points of Front-Mu point of Liver Meridian of Fooot-Jue yin and Spleen Meridian of Foot-Taiying, and Ren Meridian. Needling with reducing method.
Prescription:
Qimen (LR14) Front-Mu Point of the Liver (Qimen (LR14) Front-Mu Point of the Liver), Zhangmen (LR13)Front-Mu Point of the Spleen, Influential Point of Zang Organs (Zhangmen (LR13)Front-Mu Point of the Spleen, Influential Point of Zang Organs), Shemen (CV5) Front-Mu Point of Sanjiao (RN5) and Sanyinjiao (SP6)(Sanyinjiao (SP6)).
Modification according to symptoms:
For abdominal expansion, Liangmen (ST21) (Liangmen (ST21)) is added; for jaundice, Yanggang (BL48) (Yanggang (BL48)) and Wangu (GB12) (Wangu (SI4) Yuan-Primary Point) are added; for hectic fever, Taixi(KI3) Shu-Stream, Yuan-Source Point (Taixi(KI3) Shu-Stream, Yuan-Source Point) and Gaohuang (BL43) (Gaohuang (BL43)) are added.

Key Words: tympanites, acupuncture