TCM Case Studies: Pain Management

Book excerpt: In the practice of TCM, there is no complaint more common than pain. This text describes the treatment of pain syndromes according to the standard of care practiced among the professional Chinese medicine doctors in modern China. Because modern TCM in China commonly exists in an integrated environment, the topics include both patient-centered complaints such as “headache”, as well as Western designations such as “thoracic outlet syndrome”. In either case, the complaint immediately gives way to the most relevant information a practitioner needs including possible patterns and their patho-mechanisms, treatment principles, and point and herb prescriptions. Following the needs of the professional, learning opportunities are provided thanks to copious case studies written by experts in the field of pain management and internal medicine. Chapters then target students studying TCM with discussions that provide a deeper consideration of the topics. Each chapter also features a few multiple choice questions that challenge and assist in memorization.