Abdominal examination in classical practice fù zhěn · 腹诊

Classical texts describe palpating the abdomen: its overall tension, the location of tenderness, whether pressure relieves or worsens discomfort, and whether there are palpable masses or a sense of shifting fluid.

This overlaps with what any clinician does during an abdominal examination, and the dividing line matters. Anything new, severe, or accompanied by fever, bleeding or weight loss calls for medical assessment rather than pattern reasoning.