Standardization for TCM Terminology at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences

Back in 2012, Prof. Zhu Jian-ping first involved me in his research on TCM Terminology Standardization. His multi-million-yuan research project endeavors to standardize medical terms for legal and official purposes.

My involvement over the last four years, yielded one SCI article, several conference papers and participation in many committee meetings.

Although I am not a translator by any definition, I do however enjoy terminology research, and exploring the meaning of different medical characters throughout history and across schools of thought.

I am currently in Beijing for several projects, including this meeting, who took place between April 24-26. I took a few photos for my archive.

Comments

Historical traumatology and making wooden splints at the hospital

I t was back in 2018, and I was still working at the Sports Trauma Hospital in Guangzhou, China. That day, a young gentleman comes to the clinic with a martial arts injury. Physical examination/palpation of the limb and also an x-ray revealed a fractured ulna. Typically, in these types of situations, the standard of care at the hospital, required that the patient moves to the inpatient department for further evaluation, processing and to await surgery. During the surgery, the specialist would open a small incision, realign the bone and then secure it in place with pins or metal implants. However, this approach is not always necessary. In the not-so-distant past, for a simple fracture of the ulna with less than 50% displacement and less than 10% angulation, a simple cast and plenty of rest would be sufficient. In any case, the patient outright refused surgery and casting. He simply asked that we use traditional bone-setting to realign the bone, and then secure it in place with wood...

How to explain Chinese medicine to your patients

Most new patients at the hospital, regularly ask for an explanation of Chinese medicine , so that they understand how the treatment works. In the United States, the religious, or those with a background in science are often very suspicious of a system that is being frequently advertised as the product of vague eastern practices , or is surrounded by mystery and/or encompassing near occult methods. Many of my acupuncture students, sometimes also find it difficult to come up with a clear definition that doesn’t include the keywords: qi, energies, yin and yang, five elements , and 5000 years of TCM history . An attempt to explain it as a method of using needles to stimulate “channels and meridians” , or using herbs to access the internal organs according to ancient experiences of the Chinese people, again doesn’t sound scientifically convincing. From my experiences in a hospital setting, when the religious or t...

Fearing Integrative Medicine? -Why? It might just save your tradition!

Chinese Medicine is a medical system that prides 15 centuries of continuous development. And it has not only managed to remain relevant and current, but has also successfully acculturated itself in the mainstream healthcare, becoming a global phenomenon. Yet, there is a misconception among some acupuncturists, that other modalities are now aggressively appropriating parts of their practices (i.e., "scope creep"). I think that this viewpoint, although sometimes valid, should become an opportunity for reflecting back on the reasons why this is happening. But let’s start with a true story: In 2017, an amateur MMA fighter in China, knocked out a famous Taiji master in 30 secs. All sentiments aside, in recent decades Taiji stopped being a martial art (for the most part), and has reached a point where it is now taught as a dance routine with health benefits. As such it has lost its original scope, purpose and application. Chinese medicine in recent years ...

Navigating through the sea of medicine

Search This Blog