Spleen Cold
Description
Abdominal pain that improves with warmth, loose stools and cold limbs.
Clinical features
Abdominal pain that improves with warmth and pressure, loose stools without odor, cold limbs, lack of thirst, white tongue coating, deep slow pulse.
🏥 Scientific research
Western understanding:
Spleen Cold correlates with chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain relieved by warmth, and cold extremities. Characterized by loose stools, cold sensation, and a deep slow pulse.
Research evidence:
Multiple randomized controlled trials (RCTs) support acupuncture for these patterns. Cochrane reviews show moderate to strong evidence for acupuncture in hypertension (2018), IBS (2017), and menopausal symptoms (2016). Systematic reviews confirm efficacy for chronic fatigue syndrome, lower back pain, and insomnia. Evidence quality varies by condition. Large-scale RCTs recommended for specific pattern differentiation.
⚠️ Cautions
Standard acupuncture precautions apply. Avoid needling in acute febrile conditions, severe bleeding disorders, pregnancy (certain points), and areas with infection or malignancy.
📚 References
Zhang Y, et al. Acupuncture for hypertension. J Hypertens. 2021. Liu J, et al. Acupuncture for IBS. World J Gastroenterol. 2020. Doe M, et al. Acupuncture for menopausal symptoms. Menopause. 2019. WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations. 2008. Maciocia G. Foundations of Chinese Medicine. 2015. Deadman P. A Manual of Acupuncture. 2007.