Abdominal Diagnosis Page

This is an attempt to create a page showing "FukuSho", or abdominal conformations in various areas of Traditional Japanese Medicine.

The Japanese in particular will emphasize the abdominal exam in diagnosing a patient's problem. Over the last few years, I have been collecting these conformations from various sources. As my contribution to this scholarly process, or the general nuttiness on the web if you prefer, I present some of these in graphic form.

Please note that these are in fact representative of either gender, though they are here portrayed as male abdomens. This is in no way a bias, rather a limitation in my artistic skills, ie I had a hard enough time getting these to turn out okay with complicating matters. Nuff said.

Abdominal Diagnosis in Meridian Therapy

An Overview

Abdominal diagnosis in Meridian Therapy is primarily based on the model presented in Nan Jing chapter 16. This model is as follows: the Spleen area periumbilical, Kidney area subumbilical, Heart area substernal, Liver area to the (patient's) left, Lung area to the (patient's) right.

A number of variations have been made of this scheme. One of them is the following model proposed by Kodo Fukushima and used by the Toyo Hari Association. In this, the basic scheme is the same, but the Lung area has shifted to the right subcostal area, with the left subcostal used for comparison. The Liver area has been placed inferiorly, to the left flank and ASIS area, with the same area on the right used for comparison.

Palpation in this style is done with a very light amount of pressure, and is primarily to diagnose the akashi, or pattern. The pattern is not determined solely on the abdominal conformation, but is drawn from all of the four examinations, particularly the pulse diagnosis. (for more information, please read the Meridian Therapy page.) Deficient (kyo) areas will manifest depression, coolness, roughness, lack of strength, etc. Excess (jitsu) areas will manifest tautness, hardness, discomfort or pressure pain.

The conformations in the drawing below are adapted from Kazuto Miyawaki's Rinsho Kobore Hanashi. The kyo areas are light colored ovals, and the jitsu areas are dark ovals. This is not an exhaustive list of possible conformations, just examples.

The above examples come from case histories in Miyawaki sensei's book. For the record, here are the main complaints and points selected for each pattern's root treatment:

1. Arrythmia: K7, LU8 (tonification)
2. Breast disease: right SP3, P7, left K3 (tonification)
3. Facial paralysis: left LU9, SP3, right LV3 (tonification)
4. Muscle cramps: right LV3, K3, left SP3 (tonification)
5. Dysmenorrhea: right SP3, P7 (tonification), left LV3 (tonification-within-dispersion)

Next are some examples of abdominal patterns from Masakazu Ikeda, adapted from his book Dento Shinkyu Chiryoho. Ikeda sensei is a practitioner of Kampo (Japanese Herbal Medicine) in addition to his practice of Meridian Therapy. Thus his fukusho are not so much based on Nan Jing theory as on Kampo patterns. The specific findings are noted with each diagram.

The recommended points for each pattern's root treatment are as follows:

• Spleen Deficiency Yang Excess Heat -- Tonify: P8, SP2, H4 & 5, etc., Disperse: ST36, SI6, LI2, UB40, etc.
• Spleen Deficiency Yang Deficiency -- Tonify: SP3, P7, ST42, Do not disperse
• Liver Deficiency Yang Deficiency Cold -- Tonify: K3, LV3, SP1, GB40, Do not disperse
• Spleen Deficiency Liver Excess Heat -- Tonify: P7, SP3, Disperse: LV2, TB3, GB41
• Spleen Deficiency Liver Excess Blood Stasis -- Tonify: P7, SP3, Disperse: SP6, LV8, SP10
• Lung Deficient Liver Excess Blood Stasis -- Tonify: K7 & 10, Disperse: LV8
• Liver Deficient Yin Deficient Heat -- Tonify: LV8, K10, LV1, K1, Disperse: GB41, 38
• Kidney Deficiency Yin Deficiency Heat -- Tonify: LU5, K2, 7 & 10, ST36, Do not disperse
• Spleen Deficiency Yin Deficiency Heat -- Tonify: P7, SP3, 4 & 9, Disperse: ST36, etc.

Note that points should be selected from these recommendations, and may vary with the individual circumstances. Ikeda's point selection is quite sophisticated and depends often on the presenting pulse quality. I hope to write more on this later.

Next are some examples of abdominal diagnosis in Kampo

All text and images here © 1998 Robert Hayden

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