Pingwei-San, Treats Various Gastrointestinal disorders Due to Food Stagnation

Pingwei-San Patients Have Lower Abdominal Tenderness

By Ju Bong Kang, KMD

Function and Diagnosis

When overeating or oily food and raw food are consumed, if the intestines and stomach cannot normally digest and the symptoms such as distention, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea in the abdomen, then this prescription treats the symptoms described earlier. Or, if the spleen and stomach functions deteriorate due to overwork, tension, stress, etc., and there is no desire to eat food, distention and pain in the chest and hypochondrium and epigastrium, the body is heavy, lethargic, and sallow complexion symptoms appear, this prescription improves the symptoms.

These symptoms are described as ‘disharmony of the spleen and stomach’ according to the terms of the organization, and Pingwei-San is one of the prescriptions to control them. In other words, this prescription dries dampness, activates the spleen and the stomach and regulates the stomach and the spleen. Therefore, it restores vomiting and nausea, belching, distention and tingling at the epigastrium and hypochondrium, fullness in the chest and rapid breathing, loss of appetite, sallow complexion, desire to lie down, diarrhea, etc.

When observing the symptoms of Ping Wei San in clinical practice, palpating pressure pain is always found in St 25 of the lower abdomen or nearby acupuncture points. This means that the indigested food, causing frequent belching, creating abdominal distention, constipation, or diarrhea, is stagnant in the small intestine.  

Among the constituent drugs, Cangzhu invigorates the spleen, dries dampness, resolves stagnation, dispels filth, eliminates wind, and dissipates coldness. So this drug improves inappetence, dyspepsia, stomach bloating and compression, abdominal flatulence, diarrhea, vomiting, wet-type arthralgia, edema, and mild cold symptoms; it becomes a monarch drug of this prescription.

Houpo keeps the adverse qi downwards, dries dampness, and eliminates phlegm. This drug makes tangible food and phlegm go down and disperses intangible qi, abdominal coldness, etc.

Chenpi restores indigestion, chest fullness, abdominal flatulence, abdominal pain, vomiting, constipation, and women’s abscesses or nodules.

Gancao benefits qi and mediates the properties and effects of other drugs through its sweet flavor, so it also serves as a guiding drug. Shengjiang and Dazao invigorate the spleen and regulate stomach-qi, so they work as adjuvant drugs.

Contents in the Source Text

This treats disharmony between the spleen and stomach so it improves that lack of appetite, expansion and stabbing pain in the epigastrium and chest, bitter taste, chest fullness feeling and short breath, nausea, belching and acid reflux, yellowish complexion, emaciation, lethargy, arthralgia, frequent diarrhea, cholera morbus(霍亂), abdominal clog(噎) and lump(痞) and vomit(反胃) due to obstructed qi; this prescription is appropriate for all of these symptoms. (“He J” Ju Fang”)

Application

• Symptoms of indigestion, abdominal distension, belching, diarrhea, etc.
• Fullness and clogginess in the epigastrium due to stagnated food or damp phlegm. 
• Headaches, vertigo, asthma, shoulder pain, numbness and pain in the joints, knee pain, ankle pain, and others when pressure pain appears in Zhongwan(Ren12) and Tiansu(St25).

Similar Formulas to Differentiate

Buhuanjin-Zhengqi-San: This prescription is made by adding Huoxiang and Banxia to Pingwei-San. Therefore, it is used when a headache, joint pain, waist and leg pain, etc., appear caused by wind, cold, and exogenous dampness, evil, with the symptoms of Pingwei-San. 

        [Ingredients]