Chinese Medicine for Pain in the Upper Abdomen

In Chinese medicine, upper abdominal pain reflects imbalance among the liver, spleen, stomach, and gallbladder. It may arise from cold invasion, damp-heat, stagnation, or deficiency. The nature of the pain—sharp, dull, moving, or fixed—helps identify its root cause. Each pattern has its own symptoms, herbal formulas, and supportive foods.

Wind–Cold Invasion

Common Signs

  • Upper abdominal pain with chest congestion

  • Dislike of cold and no perspiration even in heat

  • Headache or dizziness

  • Cough or nasal congestion

  • Nausea or vomiting

  • Pain that shifts around the body

  • Pale complexion and low energy

Treatment Principle
Disperse wind and cold, warm the middle region, and reduce gallbladder heat.

Herbal Formula: Xiao-Chai-Hu-Tang

Helpful Foods: Peppermint (including oil), spearmint, sweet basil, cayenne pepper, fennel, fresh ginger, mustard seed, star anise, prickly ash leaf

Superficial Dampness–Heat

Common Signs

  • Upper abdominal pain that worsens with pressure

  • Yellowish, foul stools or burning in the anus

  • Low fever, sweating, or thirst

  • Heaviness in the body or limbs

  • Jaundice or dark urine

  • Edema or swollen tongue

  • Pain in joints or fullness in the chest

Treatment Principle
Clear damp-heat from the liver and gallbladder and relieve abdominal pain.

Herbal Formula: Yin-Chen-Hao-Tang or Long-Dan-Xie-Gan-Tang

Helpful Foods: Carp, celery, horse bean, jellyfish skin, Job’s tears, prickly ash, hyacinth bean, oregano, sweet basil, adzuki bean, bamboo shoot, soybean sprouts, rosin, banana, bitter endive, black fungus, salt, spinach, strawberry, cucumber, beet leaf, mung bean, peppermint, purslane

Liver-Fire Upsurging

Common Signs

  • Sharp upper abdominal pain triggered by anger or stress

  • Headache near the temples or eyes

  • Dizziness, tinnitus, or red eyes

  • Dry mouth, nosebleed, or hiccups

  • Chest and rib pain

  • Restlessness, irritability, or insomnia

  • Vomiting of blood in severe cases

Treatment Principle
Sedate the liver, clear heat, and relieve upper abdominal pain.

Herbal Formula: Long-Dan-Xie-Gan-Tang

Helpful Foods: Spinach, chestnut, shepherd’s purse, rye, black fungus, vinegar, abalone, asparagus, chicken egg, white fungus, pork, royal jelly

Energy Congestion (Qi Stagnation)

Common Signs

  • Moving or shifting upper abdominal pain

  • Chest tightness or rib discomfort

  • Bloating after meals

  • Constipation or difficulty swallowing

  • Feeling of a lump in the throat

  • Emotional tension or poor appetite

  • Pain relieved after belching or sighing

Treatment Principle
Soothe the liver, regulate energy flow, strengthen the spleen, and nourish the blood.

Herbal Formula: Xiao-Yao-San or Chai-Hu-Shu-Gan-San

Helpful Foods: Beef, chicken, goose, mutton, tofu, coconut meat, date, jackfruit, squash, sweet potato, red and black date, rice, rock sugar, spearmint, oregano, red bean, dill seed, garlic, sweet basil, saffron, Chinese chive, mandarin orange

Blood Coagulation (Stagnant Blood)

Common Signs

  • Sharp, stabbing upper abdominal pain fixed in one spot

  • Pain worse with pressure or after eating

  • Coughing or vomiting blood

  • Palpitations or tightness in the chest

  • Jaundice or headache

  • History of injury or trauma

Treatment Principle
Invigorate blood, remove stagnation, and regulate energy flow.

Herbal Formula: Ge-Xia-Zhu-Yu-Tang

Helpful Foods: Ambergris, brown sugar, chestnut, eggplant, peach, black soybean, sturgeon, sweet basil, crab, distiller’s grains, papaya, saffron

Dampness Accumulation

Common Signs

  • Fullness and swelling in the stomach or abdomen

  • Watery stools or quick bowel movements

  • Heavy limbs or body

  • Dizziness or head heaviness

  • Weak appetite and fatigue

  • Itchy skin or small white pimples

  • Preference for warm drinks

Treatment Principle
Strengthen the spleen, drain dampness, and regulate liver function.

Herbal Formula: Bu-Huan-Jin-Zheng-Qi-San or Shen-Ling-Bai-Zhu-San

Helpful Foods: Carp, celery, horse bean, jellyfish skin, Job’s tears, prickly ash, hyacinth bean, oregano, sweet basil, adzuki bean, bamboo shoot, soybean sprouts, rosin

Yin Deficiency

Common Signs

  • Dull or burning upper abdominal pain

  • Dry throat and mouth

  • Afternoon or low-grade fever

  • Hot palms and soles

  • Night sweats and fatigue

  • Constipation or red urine

  • Sleeplessness or palpitations

  • Thin or underweight body

Treatment Principle
Nourish yin, moisten dryness, cool heat, and soften the liver.

Herbal Formula: Yi-Guan-Jian or Liu-Wei-Di-Huang-Wan

Helpful Foods: Bird’s nest, cheese, kidney bean, abalone, asparagus, chicken egg, cuttlefish, duck, duck egg, white fungus, oyster, pork, royal jelly

Pain in the upper abdomen in Chinese medicine reveals how heat, cold, dampness, or energy imbalance affects the liver, spleen, and stomach. The goal is to restore harmony—warming cold, clearing heat, moving stagnation, or nourishing deficiency—so the digestive system and energy flow return to normal and pain subsides naturally.