Many people nowadays suffer from a common issue: frequent "fire" or heat symptoms in the upper body, yet constant cold in the lower body—eating hot pot or spicy food leads to mouth ulcers and breakouts, staying up late causes a dry, sore throat, yet hands and feet are perpetually icy, and there's often diarrhea and poor appetite. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this is actually viewed as a blockage in the Middle Jiao, specifically the Spleen and Stomach! Today, we'll teach you a simple method to help clear the Middle Jiao and restore the body's balance.

TCM holds that the Spleen governs transportation and transformation, converting the food we eat into Qi and Blood to nourish the entire body. If the Spleen and Stomach are weak, their transporting and transforming capacity becomes insufficient, and the body's fluids and Blood circulation become disordered, easily leading to the accumulation of Dampness and Phlegm. This Dampness-Phlegm is sticky and viscous, most likely to block the Middle Jiao—the region of our Spleen and Stomach—completely. Once the Middle Jiao is blocked, the Heart-Fire from above cannot descend, and the Kidney-Water from below cannot ascend. It's as if a wall stands in the middle, preventing communication between the upper and lower parts of the body. Over time, all the symptoms of Upper Heat and Lower Cold will manifest.

This type of person is particularly prone to internal heat in daily life. Eating hot pot or spicy dishes can easily lead to mouth ulcers and swollen, painful gums. The throat often feels dry and sore, small pimples frequently appear on the face, and at night, there is restlessness and insomnia. On the other hand, the hands and feet are always cold, the legs feel weak, the lower back aches and feels heavy, there is frequent and urgent urination, consuming cold foods easily causes diarrhea, there is usually no appetite, and eating even a little makes the stomach feel uncomfortably bloated, among other symptoms.

In such cases, we can consider a formula called Licorice Decoction to Drain the Epigastrium. Pinellia in the formula can direct rebellious qi downward and harmonize the stomach, unblocking the stagnation in the middle burner. Once the middle burner is unblocked, the spleen and stomach can function properly. Then, Coptis and Scutellaria are used to clear the deficient heat from the upper burner, while dried ginger warms the coldness in the lower burner.

Finally, prepared licorice and jujube are added to protect our healthy qi on one hand and assist the spleen and stomach in transportation and transformation on the other, while also harmonizing the other herbs. In this way, the middle burner is unblocked, the heat in the upper burner is cleared, and the cold in the lower burner is warmed. The problem of heat above and cold below will naturally gradually improve.

This content is for informational purposes only. Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes syndrome differentiation and tailored treatment, as each person’s condition is different. For example, some may have heavy phlegm-dampness, while others may have more severe spleen-stomach deficiency. Do not casually prepare or take herbs on your own. If you also experience these discomforts, it is best to consult a professional TCM practitioner for safety and effectiveness.