Last month, I visited an old Chinese medicine practitioner in Hunan, who is in his 70s and belongs to the former barefoot doctor in the village, but he has a lot of experience and a deep understanding of Chinese medicine.
In the course of the chat, he talked about a question, what is the essence of Chinese medicine?
In fact, there are only four words: dialectical treatment.
Note that it is syndrome differentiation, not disease differentiation.
Western medicine is to distinguish diseases, divided into many departments, and then named various diseases, you must go through various examinations, determine what disease you are, and then treat the disease. This can't be said to be wrong, but many times, it is clear that the body is not feeling well, but the specific disease cannot be detected, so it becomes an incurable disease, and doctors are often helpless.
However, TCM does not look at it that way, TCM is a holistic concept, no matter what the specific disease is, it emphasizes the observation and analysis of the symptoms and signs of the disease, to identify the nature and development trend of the disease, so as to formulate a targeted treatment plan. The whole follows the thoughts of yin and yang, and by regulating yin and yang, the body restores balance.
Therefore, you will find that the incurable diseases that cannot be cured by Western medicine can be cured by powerful Chinese medicine.
This kind of medical concept and thinking is the biggest difference between Chinese and Western medicine, one is to look at the whole, and the other is to look at the specific.
Therefore, there is a saying that Western medicine is to treat the diseases of life, and Chinese medicine is to treat the sick people.
Only by mastering syndrome differentiation and treatment can you become a true Chinese medicine practitioner
The core of syndrome differentiation treatment lies in "syndrome", that is, the understanding of the nature of the disease. In TCM theory, "syndrome" is the result of a combination of factors, including climate change, environmental impact, individual constitution, dietary habits, etc. Each syndrome has its own unique symptoms and signs, corresponding to different etiologies and pathogenesis. Therefore, accurate identification of "evidence" is the key to formulating an effective plan.
The principle of syndrome differentiation requires that in the process of diagnosis and treatment, doctors should first understand the patient's condition in detail, observe its symptoms and signs, analyze its etiology and pathogenesis, and determine the "syndrome" to which it belongs.
Then, according to the characteristics of the "syndrome", choose the appropriate treatment method, such as traditional Chinese medicine conditioning, acupuncture, massage, etc. In this process, doctors also need to take into account the individual differences of patients, such as age, gender, constitution, etc., to develop a personalized plan.
At the same time, it can adjust the treatment plan in time according to the changes in the condition, which fully reflects the holistic view of "the unity of nature and man" in traditional Chinese medicine.
However, with the development of modern medicine, TCM also faces some challenges.
Modern medicine emphasizes etiological research and evidence-based medical evidence, while TCM relies more on doctors' experience and judgment.
Therefore, there is the name of old Chinese medicine, but there is no old Western medicine.
Therefore, on the basis of maintaining the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine, how to combine it with modern medicine to improve the objectivity and scientificity of syndrome differentiation and treatment of traditional Chinese medicine is a problem that needs to be solved at present.
There are a few things we can do to achieve this.
First of all, it is necessary to strengthen the research on the basic theories of traditional Chinese medicine, deeply explore the nature and laws of "syndrome", and provide a more scientific basis for clinical practice.
Secondly, promote the development of clinical research of traditional Chinese medicine, and verify and improve the methods and efficacy of syndrome differentiation and treatment through large-sample and multi-center evidence-based research.
In addition, it is necessary to strengthen the exploration of the integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine, give full play to the advantages of syndrome differentiation and treatment of traditional Chinese medicine, and learn from the techniques and methods of modern medicine to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of diagnosis and treatment.
In the context of today's medical development, we should continue to inherit and carry forward the spirit of syndrome differentiation and treatment of traditional Chinese medicine, strengthen the exchange and integration with modern medicine, and make greater contributions to the cause of human health.