Spleen Daoyin Method (脾腸導引法) for Functional Dyspepsia Patients: A Case Report

A 42-year-old patient with functional dyspepsia had suffered from early satiation and postprandial fullness for 1 year despite Western medicine treatment. We treated her with the Spleen Daoyin method, along with acupuncture, moxibustion, and herbal medicine and scored her symptoms using a 4-point Functional Dyspepsia-related Quality of Life (4p-FD-QoL) questionnaire, the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS), and a visual analogue scale (VAS). A 7-day Spleen Daoyin treatment decreased her 4p-FD-QoL score from 61 to 51, with a marked decrease in the emotional part (18 to 10). Her GSRS score did not change, but her bloating score decreased from 3 to 1. Her VAS score decreased from 6.6 to 4.3 for upper abdomen discomfort, but lower abdomen discomfort was unchanged. The patient showed high compliance and satisfaction with exercise therapy and reported no adverse events. Spleen Dayoin may be a useful therapy for functional dyspepsia, especially when accompanied by psychological problems.