(AD 610) distinguishes seven types of Painful-Urination Syndrome: Stone, Fatigue, Qi, Blood,
Sticky, Cold and Hot.4(416) The "Medical Secrets of an Official" (AD 752) by Wang Tao
differentiates five types of Painful-Urination Syndrome, i.e. Stone, Qi, Sticky, Fatigue and
Hot.5(417)

Pathology

Although there are several types of Painful-Urination Syndrome, Heat is frequently present in
most of them. As cited above, the "Prescriptions of the Golden Chest" "Essential Methods of
Dan Xi" (1481) by Zhu Dan Xi says: "There are five types of Painful-Urination Syndrome but all
have Heat."6(418)

The "General Treatise on the Aetiology and Symptomatology of Diseases" quoted above says:
"Painful-Urination Syndrome is due to Kidney deficiency and Bladder Heat."7(419)

The "Complete Book of Jing Yue" (1624) says:

In the beginning stages, Painful-Urination Syndrome cannot not be due to Heat

and there is no need to differentiate ... in chronic Painful-Urination Syndrome

there is less pain and difficulty but Dampness persists, the urine is turbid, Central

Qi is weak and the Fire of the Gate of Vitality feeble.8(420)

Most doctors in modern China emphasize the importance of Heat or Damp-Heat in
Painful-Urination Syndrome especially in the acute stage. Although Damp-Heat is certainly the
most common pathological condition in Painful-Urination Syndrome, it is by no means the only
one and, in modern China, it tends perhaps to be over-emphasized.

Patterns

The main pathological conditions seen in Painful-Urination Syndrome are:

• Dampness and Damp-Heat


• Stagnation of Qi


• Qi deficiency


• Kidney deficiency.

Dampness

Dampness is the most important and common pathological factor in Painful-Urination
Syndrome. It may be of external origin developing from exterior Dampness or internally