Food stagnation is a common component of abdominal distension. Eating more food than the Spleen and Stomach can cope with, either because too much is consumed, or because the Spleen is already weak, will obstruct the qi mechanism and thus the descent and ascent of middle jiao qi.

Evidence that Chinese medicine has been used for digestive disorders can be found in early medical literature dating back to 3 AD, where specific acupuncture points and herbal formulas for borborygmus (rumbling or gurgling in the intestines), abdominal pain, and diarrhea with pain are discussed.