Epigastric pain is divided into the seven syndromes of qi stagnation due to condensed cold, food retention, qi stagnation due to hepatic depression, dampness and heat obstructing the middle energizer, blood stasis obstructing collaterals, asthenic cold of the spleen and stomach and yin deficiency of the spleen and stomach according to cold and heat, deficiency and excess, and the fact that whether the disease is chronic or acute in syndrome differentiation. The commonly-seen symptoms of qi stagnation due to condensed cold include sudden attack of epigastralgia after catching cold and drinking cold liquid, severe pain, aversion to cold and preference to warmth, wiry and tight pulse; the commonly-encountered symptoms of food retention are distending epigastralgia with tenderness after excessive ingestion, eructation with fetid odour, acid regurgitation, anorexia, thin and greasy fur and slippery pulse;

The commonly encountered symptoms of qi stagnation due to hepatic depression include epigastric distending pain involving the two sides of hypochondrium, relieved by eructation or breaking wind, the pain worsened in the case of emotional changes, and wiry pulse; the commonly-seen symptoms of dampness and heat obstructing the middle energizer include acute pain, epigastric burning sensation with tenderness, gastric discomfort with acid regurgitation, bitter taste, dry mouth without desire for drink, red tongue with yellowish and greasy fur, slippery and rapid pulse; the commonly-encountered symptoms of blood stasis obstructing collaterals are severe stabbing pain on a definite site and tenderness, or with hematemesis and melena, dark purplish tongue, wiry and unsmooth pulse;

The commonly-seen symptoms of asthenic cold of the spleen and stomach are dull epigastralgia and regurgitation and vomiting of thin liquid relieved by warmth and pressure, poor digestion, listlessness, loose stools, pale tongue with whitish and thin fur, deep and slow pulse; the commonly-encountered symptoms of yin deficiency of the spleen and stomach are epigastralgia with dull burning sensation, dysphoria with thirst, dry mouth and throat, constipation, red tongue with a little or no fur, thready and rapid or wiry and rapid pulse.