Lower Back Pain · Cold-Dampness Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 6 min

Body Area: Lower Back

Pattern Overview

Cold-Dampness is a common pattern in lower back pain, characterized by cold and heavy pain in the lower back, aggravated on rainy days, and relieved by warmth. The core pathogenesis is invasion of Cold-Damp pathogens into the lumbar meridians, where cold causes contraction and dampness causes heaviness, obstructing the meridians and impairing Qi-Blood circulation.

Lower Back Pain · Damp-Heat Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 6 min

Body Area: Lower Back

Pattern Overview

Damp-Heat is a special pattern in lower back pain, characterized by heavy sensation with distending pain, aggravation with heat, dry mouth, and bitter taste. The core pathogenesis is accumulation of Damp-Heat in the lumbar region, causing Qi-Blood stagnation and distending pain.

Key Symptoms and Differentiation Points

| Differentiation Dimension | Manifestations |

Lower Back Pain · Kidney Yang Deficiency Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 6 min

Body Area: Lower Back

Pattern Overview

Kidney Yang Deficiency is a common deficiency pattern in lower back pain, characterized by chronic degenerative pain, cold pain, weakness, frequent urination, and cold intolerance. The core pathogenesis is insufficient Kidney Yang failing to warm the lumbar region, leading to chronic pain, weakness, and accelerated degeneration.

Lower Back Pain · Kidney Yin Deficiency Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 6 min

Body Area: Lower Back

Pattern Overview

Kidney Yin Deficiency is a deficiency pattern in lower back pain, characterized by degenerative with night pain, aching pain, aggravation at night, dry mouth, and heat in palms and soles. The core pathogenesis is insufficient Kidney Yin failing to nourish the lumbar region, leading to chronic pain, accelerated degeneration, and night pain.

Lumbar Disc Herniation · Cold-Dampness Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Lower Back

Pattern Overview

Cold-Dampness is a common pattern in lumbar disc herniation, characterized by cold and heavy pain in the lower back, cold lower limbs, numbness, aggravation on rainy days, and relief with warmth. The core pathogenesis is Cold-Damp pathogens invading the lumbar meridians, with cold causing contraction and dampness causing heaviness, exacerbating the meridian obstruction caused by the herniated disc.

Lumbar Disc Herniation · Damp-Heat Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Lower Back

Pattern Overview

Damp-Heat is a less common but important pattern in lumbar disc herniation, characterized by burning pain, swelling, redness, and aggravation with heat. The core pathogenesis is accumulation of Damp-Heat in the lumbar region, causing inflammatory radiculopathy and nerve root edema.

Key Symptoms and Differentiation Points

| Differentiation Dimension | Manifestations |

Lumbar Disc Herniation · Kidney Yang Deficiency Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Lower Back

Pattern Overview

Kidney Yang Deficiency is a severe deficiency pattern in lumbar disc herniation, characterized by chronic cold-type back pain, cold intolerance, weakness, frequent urination, and mental fatigue. The core pathogenesis is insufficient Kidney Yang failing to warm the lumbar spine, leading to chronic pain, weakness, and impaired healing.

Lumbar Disc Herniation · Liver-Kidney Deficiency Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Lower Back

Pattern Overview

Liver-Kidney Deficiency is the fundamental pattern in lumbar disc herniation, characterized by degenerative disc disease, chronic aching pain, weakness, and aggravation with overwork. The core pathogenesis is insufficient nourishment of the lumbar discs by Liver Blood and Kidney Essence, leading to accelerated disc degeneration, reduced elasticity, and increased susceptibility to herniation.

Lumbar Disc Herniation · Qi Stagnation with Blood Stasis Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Lower Back

Pattern Overview

Qi Stagnation with Blood Stasis is the core pattern during the acute phase of lumbar disc herniation, characterized by sharp stabbing pain in the lower back, radiating leg pain, limited movement, and aggravation with coughing or straining. The core pathogenesis is herniated disc material compressing the meridians, causing Qi stagnation, Blood stasis, nerve root compression, and severe pain.

Menopause Symptoms · Heart-Kidney Disharmony Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Whole Body

Pattern Overview

Heart-Kidney Disharmony is a common pattern in menopause symptoms, characterized by 5-HT/NE neurotransmitter imbalance, insomnia, palpitations, anxiety, poor memory, and restlessness. The core pathogenesis is Kidney-Yin deficiency failing to nourish Heart, leading to autonomic dysfunction, neurotransmitter imbalance, and emotional symptoms.

Key Symptoms and Differentiation Points

| Differentiation Dimension | Manifestations |

Menopause Symptoms · Kidney-Yang Deficiency Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Whole Body

Pattern Overview

Kidney-Yang Deficiency is a common pattern in menopause symptoms, characterized by estrogen decline, cold intolerance, fatigue, low libido, urinary incontinence, and cold extremities. The core pathogenesis is Kidney-Yang deficiency failing to warm the body, leading to reduced energy metabolism, bone loss, and cold sensitivity.

Menopause Symptoms · Kidney-Yin Deficiency Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Whole Body

Pattern Overview

Kidney-Yin Deficiency is the most common pattern in menopause symptoms, characterized by estrogen decline, hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, vaginal dryness, and irritability. The core pathogenesis is Kidney-Yin deficiency with rising deficiency heat, leading to hypothalamic thermoregulatory instability and vasomotor dysfunction.

Key Symptoms and Differentiation Points

| Differentiation Dimension | Manifestations |

Menopause Symptoms · Liver Depression Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Whole Body

Pattern Overview

Liver Depression is a common pattern in menopause symptoms, characterized by emotional stress-induced sympathetic-adrenal excitation, irritability, depression, stress-related symptoms, and premenstrual tension. The core pathogenesis is emotional stress causing Liver-Qi stagnation, leading to sympathetic excitation, mood disturbance, and autonomic dysfunction.

Key Symptoms and Differentiation Points

| Differentiation Dimension | Manifestations |

Metatarsalgia · Blood Stasis Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 6 min

Body Area: Foot

Pattern Overview

Blood Stasis is a chronic pattern in metatarsalgia, characterized by neuroma or stress fracture, sharp fixed pain, and aggravation at night. The core pathogenesis is stagnation of blood in the forefoot collaterals, leading to chronic inflammation, fibrosis, and persistent pain.

Key Symptoms and Differentiation Points

| Differentiation Dimension | Manifestations |

Metatarsalgia · Damp-Heat Bi Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 6 min

Body Area: Foot

Pattern Overview

Damp-Heat Bi is an acute inflammatory pattern in metatarsalgia, characterized by acute bursitis, swelling, redness, and burning pain. The core pathogenesis is accumulation of Damp-Heat in the forefoot, causing acute inflammation, edema, and severe pain.

Key Symptoms and Differentiation Points

| Differentiation Dimension | Manifestations |

| :— | :— |

Metatarsalgia · Liver-Kidney Deficiency Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 6 min

Body Area: Foot

Pattern Overview

Liver-Kidney Deficiency is a chronic degenerative pattern in metatarsalgia, characterized by fat pad atrophy, chronic ache, weakness, and aggravation with overwork. The core pathogenesis is insufficient nourishment of the forefoot tissues by Liver Blood and Kidney Essence, leading to fat pad atrophy, reduced cushioning, and chronic pain.

Metatarsalgia · Wind-Cold-Damp Bi Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 6 min

Body Area: Foot

Pattern Overview

Wind-Cold-Damp Bi is a common pattern in metatarsalgia, characterized by forefoot inflammation, cold pain, stiffness, and aggravation in cold weather. The core pathogenesis is invasion of Wind-Cold-Damp pathogens into the forefoot meridians, causing obstruction of Qi and Blood flow and joint inflammation.

Key Symptoms and Differentiation Points

| Differentiation Dimension | Manifestations |

Myofascial Pain Syndrome · Damp-Heat Bi Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Whole Body

Pattern Overview

Damp-Heat Bi is an acute inflammatory pattern in myofascial pain syndrome, characterized by acute muscle inflammation, swelling, and burning pain. The core pathogenesis is accumulation of Damp-Heat in the muscles, causing acute inflammation, edema, and severe pain.

Key Symptoms and Differentiation Points

| Differentiation Dimension | Manifestations |

Myofascial Pain Syndrome · Liver-Kidney Deficiency Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Whole Body

Pattern Overview

Liver-Kidney Deficiency is a chronic degenerative pattern in myofascial pain syndrome, characterized by degenerative myopathy, chronic ache, weakness, and aggravation with overwork. The core pathogenesis is insufficient nourishment of the muscles by Liver Blood and Kidney Essence, leading to progressive muscle weakness and pain.

Myofascial Pain Syndrome · Qi Stagnation with Blood Stasis Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Whole Body

Pattern Overview

Qi Stagnation with Blood Stasis is a common pattern in myofascial pain syndrome, characterized by chronic trigger points, sharp fixed pain, and aggravation at night. The core pathogenesis is stagnation of Qi and Blood in the muscle collaterals, leading to chronic trigger points, persistent pain, and impaired healing.