Shen Ling Bai Zhu San for Treating Gastritis?

Shen Ling Bai Zhu San, a classical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, can be effectively used in the treatment of gastritis that presents with spleen deficiency and dampness excess syndrome. Gastritis is a term commonly used in Western medicine, but in TCM, symptoms related to the stomach may be diagnosed as "stomach pain," "epigastric fullness," or "qi stagnation in the stomach." Depending on the patient's constitution, these conditions can be further categorized into different syndromes such as spleen-stomach weakness, spleen deficiency with dampness, liver qi invading the stomach, or liver-stomach heat accumulation. Among these, Shen Ling Bai Zhu San is particularly suitable for cases involving spleen deficiency combined with internal dampness.

This herbal formula was originally designed to treat chronic diarrhea caused by spleen deficiency and dampness retention. However, due to the holistic nature of TCM diagnosis and treatment, it can also be applied to various other disorders—including gastritis—through a principle known as "treating different diseases with the same method" (Yi Bing Tong Zhi). According to this concept, regardless of whether the condition manifests as gastritis, chronic diarrhea, or poor appetite, if the root cause lies in spleen dysfunction accompanied by dampness accumulation, the same therapeutic approach can be utilized.

The mechanism behind this treatment involves improving the spleen's function of transforming and transporting body fluids, thereby reducing pathological dampness buildup. When the spleen fails to regulate water metabolism properly, dampness accumulates in the body. If this dampness affects the stomach, it can lead to symptoms like bloating, reduced appetite, and discomfort. On the other hand, if the dampness impacts the intestines, it results in chronic diarrhea. Therefore, Shen Ling Bai Zhu San can address both gastrointestinal issues such as epigastric fullness, stomach pain, loss of appetite, and chronic diarrhea—all stemming from the same underlying pattern of spleen deficiency with dampness.