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Chinese medicine pattern differentiation and its implications for clinical practice

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Abstract

Chinese medicine practitioners apply the differentiation reasoning for decision-making. The wide scope of Chinese medicine intervention provides coverage of methods and techniques with applications to primary, secondary and tertiary levels of prevention. The rapid evolution of mathematical and computational techniques allowed the implementation of several models for pattern differentiation that were tested for several physiologic systems. Concurrently, it is argued that pattern differentiation might improve the efficacy of either traditional or conventional medical interventions. This article reviewed the influence of pattern differentiation into clinical practice organized by medical field: general pattern differentiation; genitourinary (recurrent cystitis); cardiovascular (coronary heart disease; arterial hypertension; angina pectoris); neurology (stroke); surgery; metabolic (diabetes mellitus); hepatic (cirrhosis); gastrointestinal (chronic superficial gastritis); orthopedic (low back pain; rheumatoid arthritis; cervical spondylosis; elbow arthritis); oncology (gastric mucosal dysplasia; lung cancer); gynecologic and obstetric manifestations (nausea and vomiting). The reviewed studies presented achievements that have contributed to the integration of Chinese medicine and evidence-based medicine in the treatment of many mild and severe diseases. Target diseases considered as major public health problems were also investigated and the results are promising regarding the possibility to treat guided by pattern differentiation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Computational Modeling and Simulation in Rehabilitation, Program of Rehabilitation Science, Augusto Motta University, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Arthur Sá Ferreira

  2. Laboratory of Cardiopulmonar Analysis, Rehabilitation Science Postgraduation Program, Augusto Motta University, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Agnaldo José Lopes

  3. Laboratory of Respiratory Physiology, State University of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Agnaldo José Lopes

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  1. Arthur Sá Ferreira
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  2. Agnaldo José Lopes
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Correspondence to Arthur Sá Ferreira.

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Ferreira, A.S., Lopes, A.J. Chinese medicine pattern differentiation and its implications for clinical practice. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 17, 818–823 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-011-0892-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-011-0892-y

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