Are the Five Symptoms of Liver Stagnation and Qi Stagnation Real?

The statement “five symptoms of Liver Depression and Qi Stagnation (poor Qi and blood transportation in the liver, emotional depression)” is not accurate. There are not necessarily only five symptoms of Liver Depression and Qi Stagnation, and the symptoms vary clinically depending on the individual. Common symptoms include depression, pain and fullness in the abdomen and ribs, sighing, breast pain, irregular menstruation, dysmenorrhea, and so on. In TCM, the liver is considered to have a role in regulating qi and emotions. If the liver is depressed and stagnant (poor qi and blood transportation in the liver, and depression), there will be fullness and pain in the chest and ribs (the collective term for the chest and ribcage area), and in the lower abdomen. In particular, depression is often seen in the affective area, often sighing without realizing it. In women, because Liver-Qi is not relaxed and Qi and Blood are not harmonized, irregular menstruation may be seen, especially dysmenorrhea and breast distension and discomfort. The pulse tends to be stringy and the tongue is thinly coated with white. The clinical picture is complex and varied, and patients with the above symptoms need to be identified by a physician before a diagnosis can be made.