Classica Sinica Medica

痠 简体 酸

suān

Soreness · suan

Also rendered: Sour (the modern simplified graph 酸; the base text writes 痠; the two were merged by simplification) · Aching (translations that use one English word for 痛 and 痠; loses the distinction between sharp pain and sore aching)

Pathology

Reviewed · 2026-09

At a glance

Pinyin
suān
Simplified
酸
Literal
痠 suān — the sickness radical over 夋, a sore aching rather than a sharp pain. Modern Chinese writes it 酸, the word for sour, and the two are easy to confuse; this base text keeps 痠, with the sickness radical, and the distinction is worth keeping because the two graphs point different ways. The chapter uses it twice, both times of the shank: once for the soreness that comes before a fit and tells you where to needle first, and once for the soreness so severe that the leg cannot be pressed.
Shuowen
《說文解字》無「痠」字；「酸」，酢也——**「痠」為後起字，从疒夋聲，專為痠痛之義**。**「痠」讀 suān，本篇2見，不从「酸」（「酸」讀 suān）**——**「痠」从疒，主病；「酸」从酉，主味**，**簡化字以「酸」兼之，而底本別然**。「脛」讀 jìng，本篇2見；「痛」讀 tòng；「先」讀 xiān；「足」讀 zú。**本篇二見「痠」，皆在足脛**：「先足脛痠痛者，先剌足陽明十指閒出血」、「䯒痠痛甚，按之不可」——**一為瘧發之前驅，一為胕髓病之主證**，**同字而輕重懸絕**。**「先足脛痠痛者」是「先發者先剌之」之第五例**：頭、項背、腰脊、手臂、足脛，**自上面下，以足脛殿後**。

In brief

A sore, aching pain — the sickness-radical 痠, which the base text keeps distinct from 酸, sour. The chapter uses it only of the shank: once for the ache that precedes a fit and so tells the physician where to needle first, and once for the ache of the marrow-adhering disease, which is so severe the leg cannot be touched.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
What the graph says 痠
从疒夋聲，痠痛之義
先足脛痠痛者 — Suwen 36
2
Not 酸 痠
从疒主病；酸从酉主味
先足脛痠痛者 — Suwen 36
3
As a warning of the fit 先足脛痠痛者
先發者先剌之
先足脛痠痛者，先剌足陽明十指閒出血 — Suwen 36
4
As the main sign of a named disease 䯒痠痛甚
按之不可
名曰胕髓病 — Suwen 36
5
Of the shank, both times 足脛／䯒
皆在足脛
先足脛痠痛者 — Suwen 36
6
Kin: 䯒 䯒
本站本篇已收，脛骨上端
䯒痠痛甚 — Suwen 36

Occurrences in the classics

Passages where the term does real work, with the original, pinyin and English on the same line.

Display
3 passages
Suwen 36 Suwen 36 · 剌瘧 Read in context →
先足脛痠痛者，先剌足陽明十指閒出血。 先足胫酸痛者，先刺足阳明十指间出血。
Xiān zú jìng suān tòng zhě, xiān cì zú yáng míng shí zhǐ jiān chū xuè.
If soreness and pain in the shank come first, needle the foot yang brightness first and the spaces between the ten digits, letting blood.
**「先足脛痠痛者，先剌足陽明十指閒出血」十七字，是本篇「先發者先剌之」之第五例**——**先頭痛及重者、先項背痛者、先腰脊痛者、先手臂痛者、先足脛痠痛者，五條自上面下**；**「足脛」殿後，與《素問》自三陽而三陰之序相合**。**「痠」字本篇二見，皆在足脛，而輕重懸絕**：**此處之痠，瘧發之前驅，刺之而衰**；**「䯒痠痛甚」之痠，邪已附髓，非鑱鍼不為功**。**同字而二義，是《素問》以輕重見證之例**。**底本作「痠」不作「酸」**——**「痠」从疒主病，「酸」从酉主味**；**二字簡化後合并，而底本別然**，與第三十二篇「痠」字同形同讀。
素問·骨空論 Suwen 60 · 骨空論 Read in context →
淫濼脛痠，不能久立，治少陽之維，在外上五寸。 淫泺胫酸，不能久立，治少阳之维，在外上五寸。
Yín luò jìng suān, bù néng jiǔ lì, zhì shào yáng zhī wéi, zài wài shàng wǔ cùn.
For soaking dampness with aching shins, when one cannot stand long, treat the linking vessel of the lesser yang, five inches above on the outside.
「淫濼脛「痠」讀 suān，不能久立」——**「痠」讀 suān，痠痛之痠，从疒，與酸味之「酸」別**；**本篇1見，淫濼而脛痠，是水濕浸漬之證**；「脛」讀 jìng、**「脛」讀 jìng，本篇1見**；「濼」讀 luò、**「淫濼」之濼讀 luò，本篇1見**
素問·標本病傳論 Suwen 65 · 標本病傳論 Read in context →
肝病，頭目眩，脅支滿，三日體重身痛，五日而脹，三日腰脊少腹痛，脛痠，三日不已，死。冬日入，夏早食。 肝病，头目眩，胁支满，三日体重身痛，五日而胀，三日腰脊少腹痛，胫酸，三日不已，死。冬日入，夏早食。
Gān bìng, tóu mù xuàn, xié zhī mǎn, sān rì tǐ zhòng shēn tòng, wǔ rì ér zhàng, sān rì yāo jǐ shào fù tòng, jìng suān, sān rì bù yǐ, sǐ. Dōng rì rù, xià zǎo shí.
In illness of the liver the head and eyes are dizzy and the flank is propped and full; after three days the body is heavy and aches; after five days, distension; after three days more, pain in the lower abdomen, back and spine, with aching in the shank. Should it not abate after three days more, the person dies. In winter, at sunset; in summer, at the early meal.
「三日腰脊少腹痛，脛痠」——**「痠」讀 suān，本篇5見：「脛痠」2見，「䯒痠」3見**；**二字同義而各从底本：肝、脾二病作「脛痠」，腎、胃、膀胱三病作「䯒痠」**；**「脛」讀 jìng、「䯒」讀 héng；「腰」讀 yāo、「脊」讀 jǐ、「少腹」讀 shào fù**

Compounds built on this term

痠痛
suān tòng
soreness and pain
本篇二見，皆在足脛
足脛痠痛
zú jìng suān tòng
soreness in the shank
「先發者先剌之」之第五例
䯒痠
héng suān
soreness of the shank bone
胕髓病之診
痠軟
suān ruǎn
sore and weak
後世醫書承用之語

How it has been translated

Every rendering below is a decision about which reader is being addressed. There is no neutral option.

This sitesorenesskept distinct from 痛 (pain); the base text's 痠 is preserved with its sickness radical
Unschuldsorenesssimilar
Wisemanachingcloser to 痛 than this site's usage

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-09

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Reading path

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