The stool often contains mucus. Associated symptoms include bloating, gas, nausea and dyspepsia. Eating can commonly trigger these symptoms. Whereas Western medicine looks closely at a symptom and tries to find an underlying cause, Traditional Chinese Medicine looks at the body as a whole. Each symptom is looked at in relationship to all other presenting symptoms.
Treatment is aimed at restoring harmony and bringing the body into balance.
Yin and Yang are terms used to describe two polar opposites. Each body part, each organ, and even each symptom in the body can be described in terms of Yin and Yang. It is rare for one of these states of imbalance to exist by itself. Excesses and deficiencies of Yin and Yang almost always appear in combination. In treating the overall pattern of disharmony, the TCM practitioner uses acupuncture and Chinese herbs to address all imbalances of yin and yang.