Syndrome of imbalance between liver and spleen refers the symptoms of chest and hypochondriac distending pain, abdominal distension and loose stool due to failure of the liver to disperse and convey as well as dysfunction of the spleen. This syndrome is mainly caused by emotional upsets, impairment of the liver due to depression and rage as well as attack of the liver qi on the spleen due to failure of the liver to act freely; or by impairment of the spleen due to improper diet and overstrain as well as the spleen reversely restraining the liver due to dysfunction of the spleen.
 
Clinical manifestations:
Distending pain and wandering pain in the chest and hypochondria, susceptibility to sigh, emotional depression, irritability and susceptibility to rage, anorexia and abdominal distension, loose stool and retention of feces or loose stool and unsmooth defecation, borborygmus and breaking wind, or abdominal pain with desire of diarrhea, alleviation of pain after diarrhea, whitish tongue fur, taut pulse or slow and weak pulse. Such symptoms are usually seen in chronic enteritis, irritable intestinal syndrome, allergic colitis, malabsorption syndrome and chronic hepatitis.
 
Analysis of the symptoms:
Distending pain and wandering pain in the chest and hypochondria, susceptibility to sigh, emotional depression, irritability and susceptibility to rage are caused by failure of the liver to disperse and convey as well as stagnation of qi; anorexia and abdominal distension, loose stool and retention of feces are caused by invasion of adverse liver qi into the spleen and dysfunction of the spleen; loose stool and unsmooth defecation, borborygmus and breaking wind, or abdominal pain with desire of diarrhea are caused by stagnation of qi and retention of dampness; alleviation of pain after diarrhea is due to the fact that stagnation of qi is relieved after defecation; whitish tongue fur, taut pulse or slow and weak pulse are the signs of liver depression and spleen asthenia.
 
Key points for syndrome differentiation:
This syndrome is marked by chest and hypochondriac distension and fullness, anorexia, abdominal pain and borborygmus as well as loose stool and diarrhea.