Chinese Medicine Net

Treatment determination based on syndrome differentiation is an essential principle in TCM in understanding and treating disease. It is a specific research and treatment method of disease in TCM, and also one of the essential characteristics of TCM.

“Syndrome differentiation” includes analyzing, differentiating and recognizing syndromes of disease. “Treatment determination” includes deciding on an appropriate therapeutic measure according to syndrome differentiation.

Syndrome differentiation is the prerequisite and basis for determining treatment. Treatment determination is the means to treat disease, and also involves examination of whether syndrome differentiation is correct or not. Syndrome differentiation and treatment determination are inseparable in the process of diagnosis and treatment of disease, and embody the combination of theory and practice.

Treatment determination based on syndrome different both from common “symptomatic treatment” and “treatment according to different disease” in modern medicine. In different stages of a disease, there may appear different syndromes; and in different diseases, the same syndrome may appear.

So, different syndromes in one disease should be treated by different treatments; while different diseases, as long as they express the same syndrome, can be treated with the same treatment. It should he noted that “syndrome” is a summary of the cause, place and nature of a disease, and a situation of mutual conflict between pathogenic factors and resistance.