Irritable bowel syndrome(IBS) is a disease caused by dysfunction of the central nervous system and peripheral intestinal system.Stress-related mental disorders，such as depression and anxiety，often co-exist with gastrointestinal disorders such as IBS.Although the pathogenesis of IBS has not been fully elucidated，the brain-gut axis theory has become a research hotspot in the pathogenesis of IBS.Professor Xu Fengqin believes that liver depression and spleen deficiency，kidney yang deficiency，and cold-heat complex are the main traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndromes of IBS.The etiology of emotion in TCM is similar to the brain-gut axis theory in understanding the pathogenesis of IBS to some extent.The influence of the liver，spleen，and kidney on the pathogenesis of IBS may be related to the effect on the intestine by regulating the physiological function of the brain.Professor Xu has rich clinical experience and is good at treating internal miscellaneous diseases with classical prescriptions.