Differentiating Syndromes

Like all organisms, the human body is the sum of its parts—a unified entity—a collection of living, breathing, pulsating parts. In Traditional Chinese Medicine the very most crucial parts—the ones that do all the heavy lifting—are known as the Zang-Fu organs. These organs are interdependent, constantly influencing each other.

In order to identify affected organs and deduce the underlying causes and nature of an ailment, a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner must first observe and differentiate the apparent symptoms.

Regardless of what the suspected disease is, or how the symptoms show themselves, the root of the problem is almost always traceable to Zang-Fu organ dysfunctions and to some degree of blockage in the flow of Qi, blood, or body fluids produced and regulated by those organs.

Differentiating syndromes is a deductive process in which the evidence—the physical symptoms, signs, and historical data of the particular illness or disease—gathered using the four diagnostic techniques, is analyzed.

The affected organs are first identified according to their physiological functions and pathological characteristics. The nature of the disease is determined according to the eight principles: internal or external, cold or hot, deficient or excessive, yin or yang.

In this manner the state of the body’s resistance is determined, the location of the pathological disturbance zeroed in on, and any other underlying pathogenic factors duly noted. From that, a treatment can be prescribed.