Theory and Practice of Therapeutics

I. Concept

Therapeutics represents the final stage of a physician’s work, holding paramount importance. Therapeutics involves applying medical knowledge to treat, control, and eliminate diseases with the goal of restoring a patient’s health.

II. Principles of Therapeutics

Six General Principles of Treatment

1. Treating According to the Syndrome (Zheng): Accurately identify the disease syndrome to select the most suitable treatment method.
2. The Root (Ben) and the Branch (Xiao):
   • Root (Ben): The primary cause of the disease, the main illness, and symptoms that threaten life.
   • Branch (Xiao): Symptoms that don’t pose a life-threatening risk, newly developed illnesses, chronic diseases, and superficial manifestations of the disease.

   Principle: Treat the branch urgently, and manage the root gradually.

3. Vital Energy (Zheng Qi) and Pathogenic Factors (Xie Qi): Enhance vital energy while simultaneously expelling pathogenic factors (strengthen the vital energy and dispel the pathogenic factors).
4. Cold and Heat: Use heat to treat cold (orthotherapy), use cold to treat heat (counter-therapy), use heat to treat cold (false cold with true heat), and use heat to treat heat (heat used to treat heat).
5. True and False: Differentiate between real (true) and false diseases to select appropriate treatment methods.
6. Time, Location, and Treatment: Consider the season, weather, living environment, customs, circumstances, age, gender, social conditions, and overall context when treating a disease.

• Treating According to the Principle of Dialectical Materialism (Bian Zheng): Determine the cause, the eight principles (ba gang), and use appropriate medications.
• Treating the Root (Zhi Wei Ben): Cure the root of the disease.
• When Deficiency (Xu) is Present, Use Tonification (Bu) as the Main Approach; When Excess (Shi) is Present, Use Purging (Xia) as the Main Approach:
  • Deficiency (Xu): The patient is weakened and needs replenishment.
  • Excess (Shi): The patient is full, and needs to clear heat and detoxify.

Important Considerations

• Accurately distinguish between the root and the branch to select the most appropriate treatment method.
• Exercise caution when using counter-therapy methods. A strong foundation of professional knowledge is essential.
• Always adhere to the principle of considering time, location, and treatment to ensure treatment effectiveness.

III. Therapeutic Methods

Eight General Therapeutic Methods

1. Diaphoresis (Han Fa):
   • Indications: Superficial (biao) diseases, newly invading pathogenic factors.
   • Contraindications: Patients with depletion of body fluids, blood deficiency, blood loss, diseases involving both the superficial and interior.
   • Note: Avoid excessive sweating. Use appropriate medications.
2. Emesis (Tu Fa):
   • Indications: Food or medication poisoning, food accumulation.
   • Contraindications: Pregnant women, difficulty breathing, weak constitution.
   • Note: For food poisoning, gastric lavage is recommended.
3. Purging (Xia Fa):
   • Indications: Constipation, accumulation of waste in the body.
   • Contraindications: Pregnant women, prolonged diarrhea.
   • Note: Yin deficiency causing constipation should be addressed by tonifying yin and reducing heat.
4. Dispersing (Xiao Fa):
   • Indications: Phlegm, blood stasis, qi stagnation, edema, lumps, tumors, lumps in the throat, poor appetite, indigestion.
   • Contraindications: Patients with weak vital energy.
   • Note: Do not use for prolonged periods.
5. Harmonizing (He Fa):
   • Indications: Diseases affecting both the superficial and interior, disharmony of the stomach, disharmony of the liver and stomach, fever and chills.
   • Contraindications: Pure superficial or interior diseases.
6. Warming (Wen Fa):
   • Indications: Diseases affecting the internal organs (yin), cold conditions.
   • Contraindications: Superficial heat, false cold with true heat.
7. Cooling (Qing Fa):
   • Indications: Internal heat, treatment of heat within the body.
   • Contraindications: Superficial heat, do not use for prolonged periods.
8. Tonification (Bu Fa):
   • Indications: Deficiency of vital energy.
   • Note: Use when deficiency is present. Combine tonifying qi with tonifying blood, tonifying yin with tonifying yang.

IV. External Therapeutic Methods

Concept: Applying medications (or not) to the outside of the body to prevent and treat diseases, with localized or systemic effects.

Principle: Apply the eight principles in conjunction with the specific localized injury.

Indications: Skin diseases, surgery, internal medicine, and other conditions.

Three External Therapeutic Methods

1. Medication:
   • Six methods: Poultice, soaking, plasters, dusting powders, rubbing with alcohol, injections.
2. Non-medication: Manual adjustments, exercise, massage, acupressure, bandaging, fixation, acupuncture.
3. Combined: Acupuncture, laser acupuncture, suture embedding.

Important Considerations

• Choose external therapeutic methods suitable for the specific condition.
• Follow the guidance of a physician; avoid self-treatment.
• Use safe herbal remedies that do not contain toxins.
• Pay attention to hygiene and prevent infection.

V. Supplementary Information on Formulas

Commonly Used Formulas

• Ma Huang Tang: Used for superficial excess (biao shi), cold-damp syndrome. Used when the patient experiences cold, fever, runny nose, headache, and cough.
• Gui Zhi Tang: Used for superficial deficiency (biao xu), cold-damp syndrome. Used when the patient experiences cold, mild fever, cold intolerance, and cold extremities.
• Yin Qiao San: Used for heat syndrome (re tà), warm pathogenic factors invading the exterior (wei). Used when the patient experiences heatstroke, high fever, headache, thirst, dry throat, and dark urine.
• Dou Xi Tang: Used for warm pathogenic factors invading the exterior (wei), more cold than heat. Used when the patient experiences cold, mild fever, cold intolerance, and body aches.
• Tang Ju Yin: Used for warm pathogenic factors invading the exterior (wei), chills. Used when the patient experiences cold, mild fever, chills, and cold extremities.
• Yi Di Ren Tang: Used for dampness (she). Used when the patient experiences rheumatoid arthritis, joint pain, and edema of the limbs.
• Ou Tou Tang: Used for cold (han). Used when the patient experiences cold-dampness, joint pain, and cold extremities.
• Bai Hu Tang: Used for heat (re). Used when the patient experiences heat syndrome, high fever, thirst, dry throat, and dark urine.
• Hua Ban Tang: Used for skin diseases. Used when the patient experiences rashes, skin allergies, and itching.
• Er Chen Tang: Used for phlegm (tan). Used when the patient experiences cough with phlegm, difficulty expectorating phlegm.
• Si Wu Tao Hong: Used to activate blood circulation and remove blood stasis. Used when the patient experiences blood stasis, abdominal pain, irregular menstruation.
• Si Ni San: Used to move qi. Used when the patient experiences qi stagnation, abdominal distention, dyspnea, chest tightness.
• Wu Ling San: Used to drain fluid. Used when the patient experiences edema, scanty urination.
• Bao Hua Huan: Used to promote digestion. Used when the patient experiences poor appetite, indigestion, loose stools.
• Xiao Chai Hu Tang: Used for the deficiency-heat syndrome of the lesser yang. Used when the patient experiences mild fever, headache, fatigue, dry mouth, thirst.
• Ban Xia Xie Xin Tang: Used for disharmony of the stomach. Used when the patient experiences fullness, belching, nausea, poor appetite.
• Xiao Yao San: Used for disharmony of the liver and stomach. Used when the patient experiences abdominal pain, chest pain, headache, dizziness, irritability.
• Li Zhong Huan: Used to warm the middle burner and dispel cold. Used when the patient experiences cold in the middle burner, cold abdominal pain, diarrhea, poor appetite.
• Si Ni Tang: Used to revive the yang and rescue from collapse. Used when the patient experiences yang collapse, fainting, weak pulse, low body temperature.
• Dang Gui Si Ni Tang: Used to warm the channels and dispel cold. Used when the patient experiences cold in the channels, back pain, cold hands and feet.
• Zhen Wu Tang: Used to warm the yang and drain fluid. Used when the patient experiences edema, scanty urination, cold hands and feet.
• Huang Lian Jie Du Tang / Pu Te Xiao Du Yin: Used to clear heat and detoxify. Used when the patient experiences heat toxicity, boils, carbuncles.
• Xi Jiao Di Huang: Used to clear heat and cool blood. Used when the patient experiences blood heat, high fever, dry mouth, thirst, dark urine.
• Bai Hu Tang: Used to clear heat and reduce fire. Used when the patient experiences heat syndrome, high fever, dry mouth, thirst.
• Xiang Ru San: Used to clear heat and relieve summer-heat toxicity. Used when the patient experiences heatstroke, sunstroke.
• Qing Hao Mie Jia Tang: Used to tonify yin and clear heat. Used when the patient experiences yin deficiency and internal heat, prolonged fever, depletion of body fluids.
• Shen Qi Huan / Ba Wei Gui Fu: Used to tonify yang. Used when the patient experiences yang deficiency, fatigue, cold intolerance, cold extremities, scanty urination.
• Liu Wei Huan: Used to tonify yin. Used when the patient experiences yin deficiency, internal heat, thirst, dry mouth, constipation.
• Si Jun Zi Tang: Used to tonify qi. Used when the patient experiences qi deficiency, fatigue, poor appetite, pale complexion.
• Si Wu Tang: Used to tonify blood. Used when the patient experiences blood deficiency, pale complexion, dizziness, palpitations, shortness of breath.
• Ba Zhen Tang: Used to tonify qi and blood. Used when the patient experiences qi and blood deficiency.
• Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang: Used to tonify the middle burner qi. Used when the patient experiences middle burner qi deficiency, fatigue, pale complexion, poor appetite.
• Shuang Ba San: Used for inflammation of trauma. Used when the patient experiences inflammation, swelling, pain, and soft tissue injury.
• Si Huang: Used for wounds that are slow to heal. Applied to the inflamed area.
• Gao Tong Yi: Used for arthritis. Used when the patient experiences joint pain.
• San Miao Tang: Used for eczema. Used when the patient experiences skin diseases, itching, rash.
• Zha Da Tang: Used for pain and limited mobility after injury. Used when the patient experiences injury, pain, and difficulty moving.
• Bo Ku Tri San: Used to eliminate hemorrhoid necrosis. Used when the patient experiences hemorrhoids and bleeding.
• Bo Le Da Non: Used for wounds that are slow to heal. Used when the patient experiences wounds and slow granulation tissue formation.
• Water Hyacinth (remove roots) + a little salt: Used for myositis. Used when the patient experiences myositis, muscle pain.

Important Considerations

• The information provided about these formulas is for reference only.
• Consult a physician to select formulas appropriate for your specific condition.
• Do not self-medicate without a physician’s guidance.

VI. Conclusion

The theory and practice of therapeutics is a crucial field in medicine, playing a decisive role in healing and protecting health. Understanding the principles and methods of therapeutics is essential for selecting appropriate treatment approaches, contributing to enhanced treatment effectiveness and improved health outcomes for patients.

Important Note

• The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only.
• Consult a healthcare professional for accurate and comprehensive knowledge about the theory and practice of therapeutics.