Syndrome differentiation (Bian Zheng Lun Zhi), sometimes translated as pattern diagnosis, is at the core of TCM practice. It bridges consultation and treatment by gathering clinical information from patients using the four diagnostic techniques, and then analysing the clinical data within a TCM framework to establish a diagnosis of the syndrome pattern(s). Based on the syndrome pattern diagnosis, the practitioner can determine the treatment principle(s), which guide the actual treatment – acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, or a combination of both.
Many of us, especially those who are new to the profession, would agree that syndrome differentiation is one of the most difficult and confusing aspects of TCM practice. In the absence of standardised criteria for diagnosing syndrome patterns, diagnosis often relies heavily on the clinical experience of the practitioner.
In this seminar, Dr Shen, drawing on more than 40 years of clinical practice and teaching experience, will explore some of the more confusing aspects of syndrome differentiation, aiming to simplify its complexities and clarify some of its ambiguities.
Programme
The one-day seminar (6 hours) will cover, but is not limited to, the following topics:
- the different types of deficiency syndromes and how to differentiate between them;
- the different types of heat syndromes and how to differentiate between them;
- the different types of damp-heat syndromes and how to differentiate between them;
- the similarities and differences between Kidney Qi, Kidney Essence, Kidney Yin and Kidney Yang deficiencies;
- the differences between Liver Yang Rising and Liver Fire;
- a comparison of three types of body-fluid retention: water, dampness and phlegm;
- an accessible approach to understanding Six Meridian Differentiation (Liu Jing Differentiation) and Four-Stage Differentiation (Wei-Qi-Ying-Xue Differentiation);
- and other related topics.
Up to eight case studies will be discussed during the seminar to deepen participants’ understanding of these topics and their application in clinical practice.
