Meridian Symptomology According to Fukushima Kodo and Shudo Denmai

a Summation by Jake Paul Fratkin, OMD

Originally published in North American Journal of Oriental Medicine, Vol. 5, No. 12, March, 1998.

In their English language books Fukushima Kodo and Shudo Denmai refer to various symptoms associated with specific meridian imbalances. These often correspond to the traditional indications offered in Traditional Chinese Medicine, but there are many important instances when meridian therapy takes a unique approach. Clinical experience should confirm the validity of the Japanese indications. I offer these, in list form, as a reminder for experienced practitioners, and as an important part of training for practitioners new to meridian therapy. The symptoms are grouped first by merdian, and then as a general index.

A. by meridian

1. Lung

Abdominal pain

Back, upper, pain

Breath, bad

Breathing difficulty

Chest discomfort

Complexion pale

Coughing

Cries easily

Dizziness

Flushing

Hearing loss

Hemorrhoids

Ileocecal pain

Irritability

Lightheadedness

Melancholy

Mouth, dry

Nasal congestion

Numbness of hands

Numbness of skin

Palm heat

Palpitations

Scapular pain

Shoulder pain, tension

Shoulders, pain, stiff

Skin disorders

Sneezing

Supraclavicular pain

Sweating

Throat dry

Throat sore

Urinary dysfunction

Urinary incontinence

Urination, frequent

Wheezing

Yawning

2. large intestine

. Large Intestine

Arm

Body growths or abscesses

Borborygmus

Diarrhea

Epistaxis

Eyes yellow

Mouth dry

Nasal congestion

Nasal discharge

Neck

Nosebleed

Shivering

Shoulders

Skin disorders

Throat, sore

Tonsillitis

Tooth disorders

3. Stomach

Abdominal distension, pain

Alternate fever-chills

Ascites

Belching

Body anterior cold

Borborygmus

Breast distension, pain

Complexion ashen

Depression

Digestion, poor

Epigastric pain, distension

Epistaxis

Esophageal spasm

Face swollen

Facial pain or paralysis

Fearfulness

Flank pain

Foot pain

Forehead pain

Front of body, cold or hot

Head heavy

Headache, frontal

Heart pain

Hunger

Jaw pain

Knee, outer

Leg, outer

Mania

Manic-depression

Mouth lesions

Nasal congestion

Nausea

Neck pain

Palpitations

Perspiration

Throat sore

Tonsillitis

Toothache

Urine yellow

Vomiting

Yawning

4. spleen

Abdominal distension, pain

Appetite, loss of

Belching

Body heavy

Borborygmus

Breast distension

Chest discomfort

Complexion yellow

Constipation

Diarrhea

Digestion

Edema

Epigastric pain, distension

Esophageal spasm

Fatigue

Flatulence

Foot spasm or cramp

Heart disorders

Hiccough

Inability to eat

Insomnia

Jaundice

Joints, painful

Knee swelling

Leg pain or weakness

Lethargy

Lip disturbances

Muscle atrophy

Nausea after eating

Over thinking

Stools loose

Toe, big

Tongue rigid

Urination frequent

Vomiting

Yawning

5. Heart

Arm, upper

Blood vessels

Body Hair

Chest pain

Complexion reddish

Eyes yellow

Fever

Flank pain

Hair, Body

Heart pain

Interscapular pain

Mouth, dry

Palms, feverish

Thirst

Throat, dry

Throat, sore

Tongue disorders

Vomiting, dry

6. Small Intestine

Abdominal pain

Cheek swelling

Chin pain

Constipation

Diarrhea

Ear disorders

Elbow pain

Eye disorders

Eyes yellow

Forearm pain

Head heavy

Hearing loss

Jaw pain

Neck immobility

Neck pain

Scapular pain

Shoulder pain

Throat, sore

Urinary dysfunction

7. Bladder

Ankle problems

Ascites

Back stiffness or pain

Calf muscle cramp

Constipation

Epilepsy

Epistaxis

Eye disorders, pain

Eye tearing

Eyes yellow

Foot pain

Headache, occipital

Headache, vertex

Hearing loss

Hemorrhoids

Hip immobility

Lumbar pain

Mania

Nasal congestion, discharge

Neck pain or stiffness

Nosebleed

Occipital pain

Popliteal tension

Scalp pain

Sciatic pain

Spinal pain

Urinary dysfunction

8. Kidney

Abdominal bloating

Appetite poor

Assertiveness, lack

Blood in sputum

Body heavy

Bone disorders

Breathing heavy or short

Chest pain

Choking sensation

Complexion ashen, blackish

Constipation

Cough

Diarrhea

Dizziness on standing

Ear disorders

Edema

Epigastric pain

Eyes blurry

Fatigue

Fear with surprise

Fearfulness

Feet cold, head hot

Feet, soles burning

Gynecological disorders

Hair loss

Head hot

Headache

Hoarseness

Infertility

Irritability

Jaundice

Limbs cold

Night sweats

Paranoia

Reproductive dysfunction

Restlessness

Spinal pain

Throat dry, sore

Tongue cracked, dry

Urinary dysfunction

Voice raspy

Weight loss

Wheezing

9. Pericardium

Axilla swelling

Breathing rapid and shallow

Chest discomfort or pain

Complexion reddish

Elbow pain

Eyes yellow

Face red, flushed

Forearm

Heart pain

Hiccough

Laughter, uncontrolled

Palms of hand, feverish

Palpitation

Rib pain

10. Triple Warmer

Abdominal distension

Ascites

Cheek pain

Deafness

Ears, congested or pain

Ears, ringing

Edema

Eyes, outer canthus pain

Finger, fourth, pain

Hearing poor

Outer canthus pain

Perspiration excessive

Pregnancy disorders

Shoulder pain

Sweating

Throat, sore or swollen

Urinary disturbance

11. Gall Bladder

Alternating chills and fever

Ankle, lateral

Axilla swelling

Breathing, heavy

Brooding

Chest pain

Complexion, lackluster, dull

Epigastric pain

Esophageal constriction

Eyes, outer canthus pain

Fearfulness

Flank pain

Foot eversion

Foot hot

“Half external-internal”

Headache, temporal

Herpes zoster

Hip pain

Hypochondriac pain

Knee, lateral

Legs, outside, pain

Mouth bitter

Neck pain, swelling

Sciatica

Side of body pain

Sighing

Skin dry

Sleep, inability to turn

Sweating, excessive

Toe, fourth, pain

12. Liver

Abdominal distension

Alternate fever-chills

Anger

Arthritis

Back pain, lower

Back sprained

Blurry vision

Chest discomfort

Complexion, dull, lackluster

Constipation

Depression

Diarrhea

Dizziness

Edema

Endocrine dysfunction

Epigastric pain

Eye disorders

Facial wrinkles

Fearfulness

Flank pain

Gynecological disorders

Head heavy

Headache

Hearing disorders

Hernia, inguinal

Hives

Hypochondriac pain

Inability to bend forward

Inguinal pain

Irritability

Jaundice

Knee pain

Mouth bitter

Muscle cramping

Nails

Nausea

Nervous disorders

Prostatitis

Rib distension

Scrotum swelling

Skin disorders (toxins)

Skin, dry

Sleep, inability to turn

Tendons

Testicle disorders

Throat dry

Urinary incontinence

Urinary difficulty

Urinary tract infection

Uterine masses

Vision blurred

Vomiting

B. By Symptom

Abdominal distension LIV, KI, TW, SP, ST

Abdominal pain LU, SP, ST, SI

Alternating chills and fever LIV, GB, ST

Anger LIV

Ankle problems BL, GB

Appetite poor KI, SP

Arm LI, HT

Arthritis LIV

Ascites BL, ST, TW

Assertiveness, lack KI

Axilla swelling GB, PC

Back pain, lower LIV

Back sprained LIV

Back stiffness or pain BL

Back, upper, pain LU

Belching SP, ST

Blood in sputum KI

Blood vessels HT

Blurry vision LIV

Body anterior cold ST

Body growths or abscesses LI

Body Hair HT

Body heavy KI, SP

Bone disorders KI

Borborygmus SP, ST, LI

Breast distension, pain SP, ST

Breath, bad LU

Breathing difficulty LU, KI, PC, GB

Breathing rapid and shallow PC

Brooding GB

Cheek pain or swelling TW, SI

Chest discomfort or pain PC, LU, SP, LIV, HT, KI, GB

Chin pain SI

Choking sensation KI

Complexion ashen ST

Complexion blackish KI

Complexion pale LU

Complexion reddish PC, HT

Complexion yellow SP

Complexion, dull, lackluster LIV, GB

Constipation KI, LIV, SP, SI, BL

Cough LU, KI

Cries easily LU

Deafness TW

Depression LIV, ST

Diarrhea KI, LIV, SP, LI, SI

Digestion, poor SP, ST

Dizziness LIV, LU, KI

Dizziness on standing KI

Ear disorders KI, SI, TW

Ears, congested or pain TW

Ears, ringing TW

Edema KI, LIV, SP, LIV, TW

Elbow pain PC, SI

Endocrine dysfunction LIV

Epigastric pain, distension KI, LIV, SP, ST, GB

Epilepsy BL

Epistaxis BL, LI, ST

Esophageal constriction SP, ST, GB

Eye disorders LIV, KI, SI, BL

Eye tearing BL

Eyes blurry KI

Eyes yellow HT, PC, SI, LI, BL

Eyes, outer canthus pain GB

Eyes, outer canthus pain TW

Face red PC

Face swollen ST

Facial pain or paralysis ST

Facial wrinkles LIV

Fatigue KI, SP

Fear with surprise KI

Fearfulness KI, LIV, GB, ST

Feet cold, head hot KI

Feet, soles burning KI

Fever HT

Finger, fourth, pain TW

Flank pain HT, LIV, ST, GB

Flatulence SP

Flushing LU

Foot eversion GB

Foot hot KI, GB

Foot pain BL, ST

Foot spasm or cramp SP

Forearm pain LU, PC, SI

Forehead pain ST

Front of body, cold or hot ST

Gynecological disorders KI, LIV

Hair loss KI

Hair, Body HT

“Half external-internal” GB

Head heavy LIV, SI, ST

Head hot KI

Headache KI, LIV

Headache, frontal ST

Headache, occipital BL

Headache, temporal GB

Headache, vertex BL

Hearing loss LIV, LU, SI, TW, BL

Heart disorders SP, HT

Heart pain HT, PC, ST

Hemorrhoids LU, BL

Hernia, inguinal LIV

Herpes zoster GB

Hiccough PC

Hip immobility, pain GB, BL

Hives LIV

Hoarseness KI

Hunger ST

Hypochondriac pain LIV, GB

Ileocecal pain LU

Inability to bend forward LIV

Inability to eat SP

Infertility KI, LIV

Inguinal pain LIV

Insomnia SP

Interscapular pain HT

Irritability LIV, LU, KI

Jaundice KI, LIV, SP

Jaw pain SI, ST

Joints, painful SP

Knee pain, swelling LIV, SP

Knee, lateral GB

Knee, outer ST

Laughter, uncontrolled PC

Leg pain or weakness SP

Legs, outside, pain GB, ST

Lethargy SP

Lightheadedness LU

Limbs cold KI

Lip disturbances SP

Lumbar pain BL

Mania BL, ST

Manic-depression ST

Melancholy LU

Mouth bitter LIV, GB

Mouth dry HT, LU, LI

Mouth lesions ST

Muscle atrophy SP

Muscle cramping LIV

Nails LIV

Nasal congestion, discharge LU, ST, LI, BL

Nausea after eating SP

Nausea SP, LIV, ST

Neck immobility SI

Neck pain or stiffness BL, SI, LI, ST, GB

Nervous disorders LIV

Night sweats KI

Nosebleed BL, LI

Numbness of hands LU

Numbness of skin LU

Occipital pain BL

Outer canthus pain TW

Over thinking SP

Palms of hand, feverish PC, LU, HT

Palpitation PC, LU, ST

Paranoia KI

Perspiration excessive LU, ST, TW,

Popliteal tension BL

Pregnancy disorders TW

Prostatitis LIV

Reproductive dysfunction KI

Restlessness KI

Rib distension, pain LIV, PC, GB

Scalp pain BL

Scapular pain LU, SI

Sciatic pain BL, GB

Scrotum swelling LIV

Shivering LI

Shoulder pain LU, LI, SI, TW

Side of body pain GB

Sighing GB

Skin disorders (toxins) LIV

Skin disorders LU, LI

Skin dry LIV, GB

Sleep, inability to turn LIV, GB

Sneezing LU

Spinal pain KI, BL

Stools loose SP

Supraclavicular pain LU

Sweating excessive LU, ST, TW, GB

Tendons LIV

Testicle disorders LIV

Thirst HT

Throat dry LIV, HT, LU, KI

Throat sore LU, HT, KI,

ST, LI, SI, TW

Throat swollen TW

Toe, big SP

Toe, fourth, pain GB

Tongue cracks KI

Tongue disorders HT

Tongue rigid SP

Tonsillitis LI, ST

Tooth disorders, pain LI, ST

Urinary difficulty LIV

Urinary dysfunction KI, LIV, LU, BL, TW, SI

Urinary frequency SP, LU

Urinary incontinence LIV, LU

Urinary tract infection LIV

Urine yellow ST

Uterine masses LIV

Vision blurred LIV

Voice raspy KI

Vomiting LIV, HT, SP, ST

Vomiting, dry HT

Weight loss KI

Wheezing KI, LU

Yawning LU, SP, ST

JAKE PAUL FRATKIN, OMD is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine in practice since 1978. After seven years basic training in Japanese acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in this country, he went to Beijing for one year to do advanced hospital training in herbal internal medicine, pediatrics and medical qi gong. He is the author of CHINESE HERBAL PATENT MEDICINES, (2001), a respected reference work of 1200 Chinese herbal products available in this country. In 1999 he received the national award, Acupuncturist of the Year, from the American Association of Oriental Medicine, and 2006 he received the award as Acupuncture Teacher of the Year. He is a recognized expert in the treatment of leaky gut syndrome, chronic respiratory and digestive disorders. Jake lives and practices in Boulder, Colorado