Most commonly, epigastric pain is experienced in a fist sized area beneath the sternum, with pain which may radiate to the side region of the ribs or back, and may associate with symptoms such as indigestion, flatulence, nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, indeterminate gnawing hunger, coldness in the body, black sticky stools or constipation and diarrhea.

The epigastric region is under the control of the Stomach, Spleen and Liver, and most epigastric pain is associated with Stomach and/or Liver pathologies. In Chinese Medicine, the most common diagnostic patterns are Liver and Stomach Disharmony, Stomach Qi Deficiency or Yang Deficiency, and Stomach Heat or Yin Deficiency.

Epigastric pain can be acute or chronic in nature. When the episode is acute and very severe, one should seek medical diagnosis from GP or Hospital emergency room, as it could indicate a medical emergency, possibly requiring surgical intervention, such as in the case of a perforated peptic ulcer.

In the case of chronic epigastric pain, or acute pain where medical emergency as been ruled out, Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment, including Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine, is usually quite successful in managing or resolving the problem.