Skip to main content
    Annual subscribers get the entire Medi-Chi library — modern versions of the classics and the seasonal TCM dietetics cookbooks — FREESee the libraryClinical Education Tool — This platform provides educational resources for TCM practitioners and students. It does not issue medical certificates, prescriptions, or clinical diagnoses.
    Medi-Chi logo — AI-powered TCM diagnosis tool
    Medi-Chi
    digestive

    Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease (GORD/GERD)

    Also known as: reflux, GERD, GORD, heartburn, acid reflux

    Reflux causes heartburn, regurgitation and sometimes a chronic cough or hoarse voice. Antacids and PPIs are standard care. Chinese medicine treats it as Tūn Suān with Stomach Heat, Liver Qi invading the Stomach, or Spleen deficiency patterns.

    Plain-English one-pager you can print or hand to a patient. Free, no sign-in needed.

    All clinical details on this page are for practitioner premium subscribers only.
    Checking your practitioner access
    Verifying your Medi-Chi access…

    Lifestyle & Diet

    • •Lose excess weight and avoid tight waistbands — pressure drives reflux.
    • •Stop eating 3 hours before bed and raise the head of the bed.
    • •Cut back on coffee, alcohol, chocolate, fatty and spicy food.
    • •PPIs work best taken 30–60 minutes before breakfast; review long-term use with the GP.

    Cautions & Contraindications

    See sources
    • •Swallowing difficulty, bleeding or weight loss must be investigated before any Chinese medicine care.[,]
    • •Chest pain presentations rule out cardiac causes first.[]

    When to reassess or seek care again

    See sources

    Review every 4 weeks. Track heartburn days, night symptoms and trigger foods. Refer for gastroscopy if alarm features or symptoms persist despite 8 weeks of treatment.

    Explore more diseases

    Achilles tendinopathy (adjunctive care)Acid reflux (GERD)Acne vulgarisAcne VulgarisAcute and Chronic DiarrhoeaAcute bronchitisAcute cystitisAcute gastritis

    Sources & Further Reading

    Clinical guidance, red flags and safety notes on this page draw on the following current sources alongside the classical references above.

    1. Reflux (GORD) — Healthdirect
      Healthdirect Australia · 2024
    2. Dyspepsia and GORD — NICE CKS
      NICE · 2023
    3. Heartburn and reflux — Gastroenterological Society of Australia
      GESA · 2024
    4. Chinese medicine practitioner safety standards
      AHPRA / Chinese Medicine Board of Australia · 2024

    Educational reference for licensed practitioners. Not a substitute for individual clinical assessment. Refer to conventional care for any red-flag or undiagnosed presentation.