Nausea and retching in Grenoble: the traditional Chinese medicine view | Ghislaine Morin — Médecine chinoise & sophrologie à Grenoble

Nausea and retching: the Chinese medicine view in Grenoble

The urge to vomit, retching, a queasy stomach… **Nausea** is a frequent digestive signal. In **Grenoble**, **traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)** offers a complementary reading centred on the direction of Stomach Qi and the Spleen-Stomach balance.

Why does the Stomach 'rebel'?

In TCM, Stomach Qi should **descend**. When this movement reverses, **Stomach Qi rebels** and rises the wrong way: nausea, regurgitation, watery vomiting, a feeling of fluid rising. Tradition readily links this to an **invasion of Spleen-Stomach by the Liver**, often emotional or dietary in origin.

Which terrains favour nausea?

Several patterns emerge. **Liver Qi stagnation**, constrained by stress, 'blocks' the Stomach. **Stomach heat or fire** stimulates the upper body and can cause hunger without a real desire to eat, with epigastric pain. **Stomach Yin deficiency** dries and irritates. **Stomach Cold** produces clear regurgitation and relief from warmth.

The role of the emotional context

Tradition observes that **eating in a tense or stressful atmosphere** profoundly disrupts digestion: Liver acidity 'blocks on one side', the Stomach on the other, and forcing a meal in that state can perpetuate symptoms. Settling the mind and the setting of the meal is part of the care.

How does TCM support the person?

**Acupuncture** aims to **harmonise the Stomach, descend rebellious Qi and calm the Liver**. The point **ST36 Zusanli**, on the Stomach meridian, is classically used together with points of the Spleen (**SP6 Sanyinjiao**) and Liver (**LR3 Taichong**). Gentle **acupressure** and **Chinese dietetics** — light, warm, smaller meals — complete the approach; **moxibustion** suits cold terrains.

Simple everyday gestures

Splitting meals, avoiding fatty foods and strong smells when the stomach is fragile, and eating in a calm environment are useful reflexes. Gentle **acupressure** and slow, ample breathing help calm the rising Qi and harmonise the Stomach between sessions.

Can acupressure relieve nausea?

Gentle, progressive acupressure is one of the supporting gestures you can use between sessions, alongside work on diet and stress. It does not replace medical advice if nausea persists.

In short

In TCM, nausea reflects **Stomach Qi rising instead of descending**, often driven by stress, Stomach heat or Cold. The aim: **harmonise, descend and calm**.

Repeated nausea with vomiting, pain, bleeding or weight loss requires medical advice; pregnancy nausea should be monitored by a professional. TCM is **complementary**.