Column June 15, 2025
Functional Dyspepsia — Tests Are Normal but Digestion Is Not
Hyo-seop Kim
Chief Director
Table of Contents
Why does it feel uncomfortable when the stomach looks clean?
Despite normal findings on gastroscopy and ultrasound, you keep experiencing bloating after meals, early fullness, upper abdominal pain, and nausea. This is functional dyspepsia, a state in which the motility and sensitivity of the stomach have become hypersensitive.
Korean medicine diagnosis: Spleen-Stomach qi deficiency (脾胃氣虛)
- Spleen qi deficiency (脾氣虛): Reduced transformation and transportation function (運化) → food remains in the stomach for too long
- Failure of stomach qi to descend (胃氣不降): Stomach qi does not move downward → bloating and belching
- Liver-Stomach disharmony: Stress disturbs gastric motility → worsening fullness after meals
Formulas
- Hyangsa-yukgunja-tang (香砂六君子湯): A representative formula that tonifies the Spleen and Stomach while promoting qi circulation
- Banhasasim-tang: When bloating and heartburn occur together
- Acupuncture: Zhongwan (CV12), Zusanli (ST36), and Neiguan (PC6) — the golden combination for promoting gastric motility
Lifestyle habits that help digestion
- Eat smaller portions more frequently (small meals, more often)
- Avoid drinking large amounts of water during meals — it dilutes stomach acid
- Take a light 15-minute walk after eating — it naturally promotes gastric motility
- Sit upright rather than lie down to digest