The nature of pain varies due to the cause and pathogenesis. So the inquiry of the nature of pain is helpful for differentiating the cause and pathogenesis of disease. Generally speaking, pain in new disease is serious, constant and impalpable. Since it is caused by sthenic pathogenic factors, it is of sthenia syndrome. However, pain in chronic disease is mild, intermittent and palpable. Since it is caused by asthenic pathogenic factors, it is of asthenia syndrome.

Distending pain: Pain accompanied by distension is caused by qi stagnation. If distending pain appears now and then over the chest, hypochondrium, epigastrium and abdomen, it is caused by qi stagnation. However, distending pain of the head and eyes is usually seen in hyperactivity of liver yang or upflaming of liver fire.
 
Stabbing pain: Stabbing pain is a sign of blood stasis, usually appearing over the chest, hypochondrium, epigastrium and abdomen due to blood stasis.
   
Wandering pain: Wandering pain means that the pain is not fixed and is migratory. Wandering pain of joints is usually seen in obstructive disease due to wind and dampness attack. Wandering pain over the chest, hypochondrium, epigastrium and abdomen is often caused by qi stagnation.
 
Fixed pain: Fixed pain over the chest, hypochondriurn, epigastrium and abdomen is often caused by blood stasis. Fixed pain of the limbs and joints is usually seen in the obstructive disease caused by cold and dampness.
 
Cold pain: Cold pain means that the pain is accompanied by?cold?sensation?and?preference?for warmth, aggravated by cold and alleviated by warmth. Serious and impalpable cold pain is caused by sthenic cold which obstructs the meridians; while mild cold pain with preference for warmth is caused by asthenic cold due to insufficient yangqi which fails to warm the body.
 
Scorching pain: Scorching pain refers to pain with burning sensation, preference for cold and aversion to heat. Serious and impalpable scorching pain is of sthenic heat syndrome, usually caused by invasion of pathogenic fire into the meridians; mild scorching pain with preference for palpation is of asthenic heat syndrome, often caused by exuberant fire due to yin asthenia which impairs the viscera and meridians.
 
Colic pain: Colic pain means sharp pain, often caused by substantial pathogenic factors obstructing the activity of qi or coagulation of pathogenic cold obstructing qi activity. The examples are "angina pectoris" due to obstruction of the heart vessels, small abdominal or lumbar colic pain due to obstruction of the urinary duct by calculus, colic pain of the epigastrium and abdomen due to invasion of pathogenic cold into the stomach and intestines.

Dull pain:Dull pain means that the pain is not sharp and tolerable, but constant. Dull pain often appears over the head, chest, hypechondrium, epigastrium and abdomen due to consumption of essence and blood, or insufficiency of yangqi and endogenous exuberance of yin cold which deprives the body of warmth.

Heavy pain: heavy pain usually appears over the head, limbs and loins due to pathogenic dampness preventing qi from flowing. However, heavy pain of the head may also be caused by hyperactivity of liver yang and accumulation of qi and blood in the upper.