In terms of the treatments for cardiac or non-cardiac chest pain in TCM, there are a few common patterns. But mind you, these patterns are for reference only and customized remedies may need according to individual situation. So, the differential diagnosis is the most important part to a successful remedy.

1) Cold Coagulated in Heart Vessel
The symptoms include sudden Angina, or radiating to the back and backache radiating to the heart, or severe pain caused by the cold pathogen, palpitation and panting, feeling cold or chilled all the time, thin white coating, spontaneous cold sweat, and deep taut or abrupt pulse. It tends to attack or aggravate because of a sudden cold weather or catching a cold.

The therapeutic methods should be warming channels for expelling cold and activating blood circulation for dredging arthritic pain.

Common Chinese herbs used are Fu Zi (Prepared Aconite Root), Wu Tou (Radix Aconiti Carmichaeli), Gan Jiang (Dried Ginger Root), Gui Zhi (Cinnamon Twig), Gao Liang Jiang (Galangal Rhizome), Bi Bo (Fructus Piperis Longi), Tan Xiang (Sandalwood), Yan Hu Suo (Corydalis Rhizome), Su He Xiang (Resin of Rose Maloes), and Bing Pian (Borneol).

2) Qi Stagnated in Heart
The symptoms include chest pressure, dull pain episodes, unfixed location, constant sighing, attack or aggravation when emotion suppressed, or combined with epigastric distension and depression, relief after belching or farting, thin or thin greasy coating, and thready and stringy pulse.

Methods of treatments are activating qi flowing and harmonizing blood for activating collaterals.

Regular herbs adopted are Chuan Xiong (Szechuan Lovage Root), Yan Hu Suo, Yu Jin (Tumeric Tuber), Jiang Huang (Tumeric Rhizome), Jiang Xiang (Dalbergia Heartwood), Tan Xiang, Dan Shen (Salvia Root), Hong Hua (Safflower Flower), Ju Pi (Tangerine Peel), Qing Mu Xiang (Radix Aristolochiae Recurvilabra), E Zhu (Zedoaria Rhizome), and San Leng (Scirpus Rhizome).

3) Turbid Phlegm Obstructing
Main symptoms and signs are heavy oppression but light pain, Obesity, excess amount of phlegm, breathing hard, breaking out or worsening during rainy days, often accompanied with languidness, loss of appetite, loose stools, gluey saliva, nausea, white greasy or slippery coating, coughing out mucus, and smooth pulse.

The treating principles should be activating yang, discharging turbid, eliminating phlegm, and resolving masses.

Usual herbs are Gua Lou (Trichosanthes Fruit), Xie Bai (Chive Bulb), Ban Xia (Pinellia Rhizome), Zhi Shi (Immature Bitter Orange), Gui Zhi, Ju Pi, and Sheng Jiang (Fresh Ginger Rhizome).

4) Blockade of Blood Stasis
Primary symptoms include stabbing or colic pain, fixed location, or radiating to shoulder and back, coupled with chronic unhealing choking sensation, aggravating due to rage, dark red or dull purple tongue with ecchymosis or dark purple sublingual collateral vessels, thin coating, and slow pulse with irregular intervals, or uneven, intermittent or abrupt pulse.

Therapeutic principles are promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis and dredging the channels and collaterals.

General herbs are Dan Shen, Chuan Xiong, Tao Ren (Peach Seed), Hong Hua (Safflower Flower), Su Mu (Sappan Wood), Jiang Xiang, Pu Huang (Cattail Pollen), Wu Ling Zhi (Flying Squirrel Feces), Shan Zha (Hawthorn Fruit), Yi Mu Cao (Chinese Motherwort), San Qi or Tian Qi (Pseudoginseng Root), Yu Jin, and Yang Hong Shan (All-grass of Thellung Pimpinella).