Within the Chinese understanding of health, Deficiency disharmonies are often associated with underactivity of various kinds. Deficiency patterns are called xu, which means depletion or deficit of energy, resulting mosts in Yin or Cold symptoms such as chills, oedema, numbness and chronic pain. Such conditions tend to be distinguished by frail and weak movement, tiredness, pressure relieves discomfort, passive appearance, low voice, dizziness, facial pallor, shortness of breath, shallow breathing, spontaneous sweating, incontinence or copious urination, lack of appetite, pale tongue with thin moss and weak pulse. Slight annoying headaches are usually a sign of Deficiency.
Older people and those with chronic ailments tend to have Deficiency disorders.