Ankle Pain · Wind-Cold-Damp Bi Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 6 min

Body Area: Ankle

Pattern Overview

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

Key Symptoms and Differentiation Points

| Differentiation Dimension | Manifestations |

Ankle Sprain · Damp-Heat Bi Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 6 min

Body Area: Ankle

Pattern Overview

Damp-Heat Bi is an acute inflammatory pattern following ankle sprain, characterized by significant swelling, redness, burning pain, and localized warmth. The core pathogenesis is Damp-Heat accumulation at the injury site, causing intense inflammation and fluid exudation.

Key Symptoms and Differentiation Points

| Differentiation Dimension | Manifestations |

Ankle Sprain · Qi Stagnation with Blood Stasis Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 6 min

Body Area: Ankle

Pattern Overview

Qi Stagnation with Blood Stasis is the core pattern in acute ankle sprains, characterized by ligament injury with hematoma, swelling, bruising, and limited movement. The core pathogenesis is trauma causing Qi stagnation and Blood stasis in the ankle collaterals, leading to pain, swelling, and impaired function.

Ankle Sprain · Qi-Blood Deficiency Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 6 min

Body Area: Ankle

Pattern Overview

Qi-Blood Deficiency is a chronic pattern following ankle sprain, characterized by chronic instability with weakness, poor healing, and recurrent sprains. The core pathogenesis is insufficient Qi and Blood to nourish and repair the ankle ligaments, leading to chronic instability and recurrent injury.

Key Symptoms and Differentiation Points

| Differentiation Dimension | Manifestations |

Ankle Sprain · Wind-Cold-Damp Bi Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 6 min

Body Area: Ankle

Pattern Overview

Wind-Cold-Damp Bi is a chronic pattern following ankle sprain, characterized by cold-induced stiffness, chronic ankle pain, and aggravation in cold weather. The core pathogenesis is invasion of Wind-Cold-Damp pathogens into the ankle meridians following incomplete healing, leading to persistent pain and stiffness.

Key Symptoms and Differentiation Points

| Differentiation Dimension | Manifestations |

Anxiety Disorders · Heart-Gallbladder Qi Deficiency Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Whole Body

Pattern Overview

Heart-Gallbladder Qi Deficiency is a common pattern in anxiety disorders, characterized by amygdala-prefrontal cortex circuit dysfunction, anxiety, palpitations, fearfulness, and easy startling. The core pathogenesis is insufficient Heart Blood and Gallbladder Qi failing to calm the spirit, leading to excessive fear response, emotional instability, and autonomic dysfunction.

Anxiety Disorders · Heart-Spleen Deficiency Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Whole Body

Pattern Overview

Heart-Spleen Deficiency is a common pattern in anxiety disorders, characterized by chronic stress exhaustion, anxiety, fatigue, poor sleep, and poor memory. The core pathogenesis is prolonged stress and overthinking consuming Heart Blood and Spleen Qi, leading to Shen (spirit) restlessness, anxiety, and systemic fatigue.

Anxiety Disorders · Liver Depression Transforming into Fire Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Whole Body

Pattern Overview

Liver Depression Transforming into Fire is a common pattern in anxiety disorders, characterized by chronic stress-induced norepinephrine overrelease, anxiety, irritability, headache, and agitation. The core pathogenesis is prolonged stress causing Liver Qi stagnation transforming into Fire, leading to Shen (spirit) agitation, irritability, and autonomic hyperactivity.

Anxiety Disorders · Phlegm-Heat Internal Disturbance Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Whole Body

Pattern Overview

Phlegm-Heat Internal Disturbance is a pattern in anxiety disorders, characterized by gut-brain axis dysfunction, anxiety, chest tightness, and sticky mouth. The core pathogenesis is accumulation of Phlegm-Heat in the body, causing disturbance of the Heart spirit, anxiety, and autonomic dysfunction.

Key Symptoms and Differentiation Points

| Differentiation Dimension | Manifestations |

Anxiety Disorders · Yin Deficiency with Fire Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Whole Body

Pattern Overview

Yin Deficiency with Fire is a common pattern in anxiety disorders, characterized by sympathetic-adrenal medullary system hyperactivity, anxiety, palpitations, insomnia, and night sweats. The core pathogenesis is insufficient Yin failing to control Yang, leading to ascendant deficiency fire, Shen (spirit) restlessness, and autonomic hyperactivity.

Asthma · Cold Wheezing Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Chest

Pattern Overview

Cold Wheezing is a common pattern in acute asthma exacerbation, characterized by cold air/allergen-induced bronchospasm, wheezing, chest tightness, white thin sputum, and aggravation by cold. The core pathogenesis is cold phlegm hiding in the Lung, triggered by external Cold, causing Qi obstruction, bronchospasm, and wheezing.

Key Symptoms and Differentiation Points

| Differentiation Dimension | Manifestations |

Asthma · Deficiency Wheezing (Lung-Spleen Qi Deficiency) Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Chest

Pattern Overview

Deficiency Wheezing (Lung-Spleen Qi Deficiency) is a core pattern in asthma remission, characterized by recurrent asthma, fatigue, pale complexion, poor appetite, and susceptibility to colds. The core pathogenesis is Lung and Spleen Qi deficiency with weakened defensive exterior, making the patient vulnerable to external pathogens and recurrent asthma attacks.

Asthma · Heat Wheezing Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Chest

Pattern Overview

Heat Wheezing is a common pattern in acute asthma exacerbation, characterized by airway inflammation, wheezing, yellow thick sputum, red face, and feverish sensation. The core pathogenesis is Phlegm-Heat accumulating in the Lung, causing Lung Qi to fail to descend, bronchospasm, and wheezing.

Key Symptoms and Differentiation Points

| Differentiation Dimension | Manifestations |

Asthma · Lung-Kidney Deficiency Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Chest

Pattern Overview

Lung-Kidney Deficiency is a severe chronic pattern in asthma, characterized by chronic severe asthma, adrenal insufficiency, dyspnea on exertion, and poor Qi reception. The core pathogenesis is Lung and Kidney deficiency with failure of the Kidney to receive Qi, leading to severe asthma, shortness of breath, and reduced exercise tolerance.

Asthma · Phlegm Wheezing Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Chest

Pattern Overview

Phlegm Wheezing is a common pattern in asthma, characterized by airway mucus hypersecretion, wheezing with phlegm sound, copious sticky sputum, and chest tightness. The core pathogenesis is Phlegm-turbidity obstructing the Lung, causing Lung Qi to fail to descend, mucus obstruction, and wheezing.

Key Symptoms and Differentiation Points

| Differentiation Dimension | Manifestations |

Bell’s Palsy · Phlegm-Blood Stasis Obstructing the Collaterals Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Head

Pattern Overview

Phlegm-Blood Stasis Obstructing the Collaterals is a chronic pattern in Bell’s palsy, characterized by facial nerve recovery with scar adhesion, epineural fibrosis, aberrant regeneration, synkinesis, and facial muscle contracture. The core pathogenesis is Phlegm and Blood Stasis intermingling in the facial collaterals, leading to epineural fibrosis, scar adhesion, and aberrant nerve regeneration.

Bell’s Palsy · Qi-Blood Deficiency Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Head

Pattern Overview

Qi-Blood Deficiency is a chronic pattern in Bell’s palsy, characterized by slow facial nerve regeneration, delayed Wallerian degeneration recovery, fatigue, poor healing, and pale complexion. The core pathogenesis is Qi-Blood deficiency failing to nourish the facial nerve, leading to slow nerve regeneration and delayed recovery.

Bell’s Palsy · Wind-Cold Attacking the Collaterals Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Head

Pattern Overview

Wind-Cold Attacking the Collaterals is the core pattern in acute Bell’s palsy, characterized by facial nerve edema compressing the facial nerve, sudden facial paralysis, facial cold pain, ear pain, chills, and neck stiffness. The core pathogenesis is invasion of Wind-Cold pathogens into the facial Yangming collaterals, causing nerve edema, ischemia, and facial muscle paralysis.

Bell’s Palsy · Wind-Heat Attacking the Collaterals Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Head

Pattern Overview

Wind-Heat Attacking the Collaterals is a pattern in acute Bell’s palsy, characterized by facial nerve inflammation (HSV-1 reactivation), sudden facial paralysis, facial heat pain, fever, and sore throat. The core pathogenesis is invasion of Wind-Heat pathogens into the facial collaterals, causing viral-induced neuroinflammation, nerve damage, and facial paralysis.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia · Damp-Heat Downpour Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Pelvis

Pattern Overview

Damp-Heat Downpour is a common pattern in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), characterized by prostatic inflammation with urinary obstruction, difficult urination, burning sensation, yellow urine, and frequent urination. The core pathogenesis is accumulation of Damp-Heat in the lower Jiao, causing prostatic inflammation, edema, and urethral obstruction.